Museum offers history, tunes, internships

University of Texas professor and museum employee, Clay Shorkey, lead a tour and played the original 1915 Edison Phonograph while he sang along to a tune from the legendary Texas artist Vernon Dalhart. Shorkey said, "The Texas Music Museum is about the history and culture of Texas through its music."

Throughout the halls of the Old Anderson High School building located at 1009 East 11 lays an important part of local history: the Texas Music Museum, incorporated in 1985. There are amazing biographies and photographs of Texas greats such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and the Dixie Chicks lining the halls of the museum.

Currently, the Museum is featuring an exhibit on the most influential musicians of Country and Western music.

It focuses on many genres of Texas Music, including Blues, Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, and Gospel.

Due to their space limitations, the museum is not able to showcase all of their items. According to Shorkey, they have quite a few original recordings, Victrolas, and pre-WW2 radios that they do not have the capacity to display.

The volunteers that run the museum are dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and presentation of over a 100 years worth of artifacts and memorabilia. The time of the staff and the location are all donated, shows and tours are free of charge.

It is no surprise that a town hailed by many in the industry as the "Live Music Capital of the World" contains an archive of the greatest songwriters and musicians this state has ever seen, but it is curious that this archive is struggling with a lack of community support

The Texas Music Museum accepts donations, and they have a fund set up through Randall's grocers that gives a part of sales, upon customer request, to the museum. They are presently taking applications for internships and they have staffed many local students, including those studying commercial music at Austin Community College.