The Music of the Hill Country
by Phil Houseal
(From inaugural Full House column, August, 2005, Fredericksburg TX Standard - Radio Post)
Listen.
That sound you hear is the music of the Hill Country.
This is a column about that music.
My goal is to bend an ear toward the incredible wealth of live music we have access to almost every day of the week, every week of the year.
(On any given weekend, there are about two dozen choices for live entertainment, plus the special events that seem to arrive every weekend.)
I plan to share stories of the people who write the music; the people who play the music; and the businesses and organizations that provide a stage for musicians.
There will be stories of famous, successful musicians, and the seasoned professionals playing the club circuit. There will also be stories about the guy singing over the Friday night buffet; the young dreamer writing songs in his bedroom; the retired rancher who picks up his fiddle again. I want to feature the pit musician as well as the conductor of the choir.
All together their voices make the music that is becoming known as the Hill Country sound.
Along the way I hope - with your help - to define “Hill Country music.”
My only guide is that I am going to write about what I find of interest. That should not be limiting, as I find most everything in life interesting. The challenge and hope is to make readers share that interest.
To start things off, you will find a weekly listing of community events and live music on this page. Every week you can turn here to see what is happening and who is playing, when, what, and where.
I hope it will encourage you to venture forth and add your voice to the music of the Hill Country.