The purpose of this study was to investigate selected landmark events in the historical development of the Texas Music Educators Association, 1938-1980, and the decisions which influenced their outcomes. A polling of twenty former presidents of TMEA selected the following landmark events that helped to shape the history of TMEA: (1) the change from a band organization to a music educators organization in 1938, (2) the University Interscholastic League takeover of contests in 1947, and (3) TMEA's separation from the Music Educators National Conference in 1976. In addition to developing a historical chronology from documentary sources, in-depth interviews were conducted with actual participants in these landmark events. The interviews utilized comparable questions, in order to identify decision-making patterns, while also capturing the atmosphere and visceral context of TMEA history. Literature from the social science disciplines on organizational decision—making was explored for help in understanding what happened, how, and why. In all three events the final decision was strongly influenced by factors external to the TMEA. The strong power position held by school administrators was evident in both the first and second events, while reinforcement from actively lobbying choral directors was also a factor in the first event only. The strong ultimatum from MENC, backed by their unchallenged charter authority, was a key factor in the third event. Still, TMEA continued to grow, and avoided debilitating organizational trauma. TMEA leaders often demonstrated a capacity to react quickly to sudden changes in the organizational environment, turning potential liabilities into assets. The TMEA was found to be an organization greatly dependent on the decisions of others, but strongly independent and self-sufficient in spirit. This independence has both negative and positive potential. It can become an unnatural barrier between Texas music educators and the MENC, or it can fuel the drive for professional excellence in music education.

The People’s Poets of Texas: Literature Born Within the Singer/Songwriter Tradition of the Last Forty Years is a creative nonfiction exploration of the poetry found within the songs of multiple generations of modern Texas singer/songwriters and a case for the consideration of their work as a genuine regional literature. Studying the roots of Texas music, the musicality of Texan manners of speech and storytelling, and re-examining the Austin, Texas music scene of the 1970s that brought a national focus to the organic, reciprocal manner in which Texas music is traditionally experienced, radically altered the ways in which the songs were written, recorded, and marketed. An examination of this phenomenon allows us to understand that, first, a proliferation of Texas singer/songwriters of unprecedented quality has emerged in recent decades and that, second, a legitimate people's literature is emerging from their song-craft.

The purpose of the study was to write a history of the professional career of D. O. Wiley as a music educator from 1921 to 1963. To give focus to the career of Wiley, answers were sought to three questions, stated as sub-problems: (1) What were the important events and influences in the professional career of D. O. Wiley as a college/University band director? (2) What impact did Wiley have on the development of Texas public school bands that earned him the title "Father of Texas Bands?" and (3) What role did Wiley play in the development of the Texas Music Educators Association and other professional music organizations.

The Germans who immigrated to Texas in the 1830s, 40s, and 50s brought with them many and varied cultural institutions which they had known and enjoyed in Europe. As soon as the initial hardships of the frontier could be overcome, they eagerly established singing societies in the Lidertafel tradition. These organizations were to have a profound impact on music in Texas from about 1850 to the time of World War I.

The purpose of this study is to give a historical account of the development of fine arts in Texas including music, dramatic arts, paintings and sculptures.

For a long time there has been a growing conviction among the music graduates from colleges in Texas that the training of music teachers has been limited both from the standpoint of the number of hours offered in music for a degree and of the adequacy of the training received. The trends in music teacher education in Texas need to be evaluated in order to determine whether or not teacher training in this state is adequate. In comparing the adequacy of the school curriculum as far as the number of hours and courses is concerned, McEachern's A Survey and Evaluation of the Education of School Music Teachers in the United States will be used as a source of comparison, since this study is inclusive of the curricula of colleges over the United States.

There is plenty of support for local musicians in Austin. It ranges from providing health benefits to receiving home loans to equipment insurance. The live music capital of the world has provisions for recording artists as well as street performers whose primary source of income is music. These facilities go a long way in maintaining Austin‟s identity as one of the major music cities in the world. They also bring together members of this community for benefits that help strengthen the local music industry, which has been an important part of the city‟s economy for several years. / text