The Dallas music culture that I decided to research is Texas Country music. This particular culture symbolizes the hard working cowboy that has a laid back personality. The activities of Texas Country music consists of dancing in dancehalls with live concerts most of the time. Repertoires for live concerts include songs about Texas, its landscape, and anything that means something to the writer and singer of the songs. We see material things in this culture such as acoustic guitars, cowboy hats and boots, and denim jeans. The preservation of this type of this type of music is to try and become a mix of small town Texas Country to “Top 40” Nashville Popular Country.
My research data was done a few ways. A lot of information was taken from observation during the Pat Green concert I attended. I felt it helped see the music culture in action. Other information was taken from different country music artist’s official website. Biographies of these artists helped answer questions about the general idea of the Texas Country music culture. I conducted my interviews by asking three questions that I think fill the gap to two of my friends who I believe know more about the Texas Country music culture than I do. The Pat Green concert I attended was held at Billy Bob’s Texas: The World’s Largest Honky Tonk located in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1910, it was originally built to house cattle for the Fort Worth Stock Show. It is the center of country music in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
The culture defines music with its lyrics and its distinct characteristics in its music. My friend Larry Bolding, who knows well about the Texas Country music culture, says the songs that are recorded and played at concerts are focused around the acoustic guitar or a fiddle. The lyrics to most of these songs have several themes: cowboys, being a Texan, drinking, romance, or just having a good time. The cowboy songs are probably the most stereotyped songs by those listeners that are not around the culture very much. Nearly every artist has a song about growing up a Texan or lyrics that state Texas is the best place to be. Alcohol is another big theme that occurs in many of the songs. This theme appears in songs along with just about all the other themes in the same songs. Texas Country artists also write at least one song about love usually inspired by one they have fallen in or out of love with. The beliefs of this culture is having fun and enjoying life to the fullest while remembering the ups and downs. Basically any life experiences will be sung about. The aesthetic qualities in this culture are not required but are seen as proper attire when going dancing at a dancehall or attending a concert. The “proper attire” consists of a cowboy hat (more for the guys), cowboy boots and denim jeans. The cowboy is the image that Texas Country music originated from. The cowboy came onto the scene when the term Texas outlaws were a big hit in theaters.
Activities involving this music culture contribute to the overall image of Texas Country music. Two-stepping is a big part in bringing people together and dancing to Texas Country music. Larry Bolding notes that he can always tell the difference between a “Top 40” country song and a Texas country song because Texas country songs are easier to dance to. The typical dance you might see in a place like the Gruene Dancehall is called a Texas two-step. The great thing about the artists in this music culture is that even if they play professionally, they know they got their start somewhere just playing as a hobby. Bolding says Texas country music artists usually start out by playing their guitar or singing with their buddies until someone starts to like the way their music sounds. The young artist then begins to either try and write their own songs or play other famous artists songs at local bars and clubs wherever they may be able to get a gig. Pat Green stated at his concert “it’s great to play music for a living”. So even though he still plays professionally now, he loves what he does and could do it, as a hobby if touring did not require money. Another great thing about the Texas country music culture is that anyone at anytime can work their way up the ranks to become a great Texas country artists; the culture welcomes most everyone.
The genre this music culture fits into would be the overall genre of country music. The music nearly always has lyrics that are very significant. The words usually tell a story and relates to the listener’s life experiences. The composer of these lyrics is typically the lead singer of the band but all band members can have input into any of the songs. The act of composition in the current day is very important in order to keep every artist unique. The actual repertoire of a Texas country music artists’ concert usually starts out by playing one of their more popular song, then playing some of their other songs that have not made the top charts of a Texas country radio station. Depending on if the band or artist is playing in front of a large crowd, the audience may request on encore if they have not heard the band or artist’s top hit.
The material culture of this music is just about the same as the aesthetic qualities of the culture. In order to really participate in the culture a hundred percent, you must have a cowboy hat, boots and jeans to play the part. These clothes can be bought from any country western store around town at places like Cavendar’s Boot City and much other small country wear shops.
My last question I had for Larry Bolding was “what artists of bands best embody the Texas country music culture?” I agreed when he gave me a list of Randy Rogers Band, Josh Abbot Band, Kyle Park, and Casey Donahough. These people or bands exemplify the local country boy who likes to have fun and is really laid back. The Texas country music culture is on the up rise and gaining popularity fast.
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