In the early 1920s, Lubbock was a town of only four thousand residents. The public schools had taught music for almost a decade, but residents mostly had to be self-reliant when looking for entertainment options. Two groups of musically-inclined individuals—initially all women—came together separately in the fall of 1923 to create organizations that would encourage classical music study across the South Plains: the Lubbock Music Club and the South Plains Music Teachers Association. Within months of their respective beginnings, these groups scheduled lectures, concerts, and festivals that would lay a foundation of music education and enthusiasm for the next century. These groups have sponsored innumerable educational and entertainment opportunities that have improved the overarching musical and cultural growth of the South Plains region. They have provided venues to elevate local talents through scholarships, special programs, and concerts, often working with the Texas Tech community. Both groups still exist today, and their work continues. This exhibit puts a small spotlight on the histories that are documented in processed collections within the Southwest Collection, acknowledging that there are many more stories left to be told.
On November 18, 1923, fifty-three women gathered to elect Frances Rix as the first president of the Lubbock Music Club. On the fiftieth anniversary, the goals of the club were said to be “the study of music as a means of intellectual culture and encouragement of the highest musical standard for the community.” The organization joined the Texas Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs in 1924. Meetings are held from September through May, and while initially they were held in women’s homes or larger venues depending on the program, since 2011 the club has met regularly at the First Christian Church’s parlor. In the early years, many programs were lecture-driven, educating members on general music principles. Today, meetings typically are a more relaxed venue for its members to perform for one another or to put a spotlight on local talent. As Lubbock grew, the club’s outreach evolved and adapted, starting with regularly inviting lecturers and musicians, then bringing together local musical talents for productions like Handel’s Messiah, and helping to sponsor the Lubbock Little Symphony. In the 1950s, a scholarship was established for Texas Tech music students (and has since incorporated other area colleges). Lubbock Music Club members have been active in various music endeavors in the region: they are music teachers, church organists, and accompanists, and the club has enabled many women to become involved in state and federated music activities. Members have been archiving their club records in the SWC/SCL since 1964, and in 1993 expectations for regular archival donations were written into the club’s bylaws.
The South Plains Music Teachers Association was founded on November 2, 1923 when twelve area music teachers met and elected Mary Dunn as president. Members that evening gave a concert in the high school auditorium and presided the next day over a music appreciation lecture and luncheon. In a 1926 speech, Mollie Ratliff (an early private music teacher in Lubbock) stated that the SPMTA was “conceived by doubtful and trembling hearts, cradled in the prayers and hopes of pioneers in the great art, [and] dedicated to the growth and advancement of a love for genuine music in this wide region.” From its inception, the organization has been affiliated with the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA) and the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and today members are able to be certified through the MTNA. At first, the SPMTA’s reach and connections allowed for music teachers from twenty counties in the area to be members, but in 1966 the organization focused its efforts more locally and changed its name to the Lubbock Music Teachers Association. Initially members only met once per year but now meet monthly during the academic year. This association has been a vital resource for area music teachers, providing them pedagogical assistance, a chance to network with other teachers, and opportunities for their students to perform and receive scholarships. Though organizational records are more sporadic than the Lubbock Music Club, donations to the Southwest Collection have been made since 1959, thanks originally to the efforts of Mary Dunn.
Touring Artists, Workshops, and Sponsored Concert Programs
An explicit goal for both organizations upon their founding was to sponsor and promote touring musicians travelling to Lubbock. Though the town did not have the best concert facilities in the 1920s (often concerts were held in churches, the high school auditorium, or the Texas Tech gymnasium), thousands showed up for classical pianists, violinists, and singers. Some of the more successful concerts in the 1920s included: the Henshaw Opera Company, the Smith-Spring-Holmes Orchestral Quintet, the DeMarco Harp Ensemble, the Imperial Mexican Symphony Orchestra, Efrem Zimbalist, David Guion, Edwin Hughes, Don Jose Mojica, Percy Grainger, and John Philip Sousa. Later concerts, workshops, and lectures featured: Hortense Ragland, Francis Moore, Clarence Burg, Stanley Chapple, Marion Keighley Snowden, Lota M. Spell, and Arlene Sollenberger.
Student Music Festivals, Competitions, and Scholarships
One of the initial goals of the South Plains Music Teachers Association was to start a student festival, the first of which was held in March 1924, and for the past one hundred years, both the SPMTA/LMTA and the LMC have sponsored various student festivals that enabled area music student who are taught by private music instructors (typically the teacher must be a member of the organization hosting the festival) a venue to show off their musical talents. Awards (often monetary) are given, in addition to ribbons and certificates. Differing classifications of students could enter these competitions (based on instrument, age, and gender), repertoire suggestions and further instructions were provided, and as the years went on, these categories and requirements became more defined and rigorous. Today these festivals cater primarily to South Plains region students, but in the mid-twentieth century, music students from across the state (and New Mexico and Oklahoma for a time) were travelling to Lubbock for these competitions.
In addition to festivals, the LMTA and LMC offer student scholarships for either graduating seniors or college students to pursue further their music studies. Both groups have opportunities for other scholarships and contests because of their connections with their state and national organizations.
Relationship with Texas Tech
Over the past century, the Lubbock area has seen the growth and evolution of these two music organizations alongside the tremendous growth of Texas Tech. In their early years, music teachers and Tech professors worked in tandem with LMC and SPMTA to help transition school-age music students to becoming college music majors (in particular, W.R. Waghorne was praised by both groups in the early years). Often facilities at Texas Tech were utilized for performances and festivals. Tech students wanting to gain experience worked with SPMTA as affiliate members teaching group music classes. And naturally, Tech School of Music students and professor continually offered their talents in performances, lectures, and ensemble work with both organizations.
Of note was The Twilight Music Hour: a concert series held Sunday afternoons at the West Texas Museum auditorium between March 1950 and February 1965. William Curry and Fran Holden, in collaboration with Gene Hemmle and other Lubbock music leaders like Mary Dunn, started the programs to encourage visitors and greater interaction at the museum. The first program featured the Texas Tech mixed choir. Countless ensembles and organizations performed at these music hours—including frequent appearances from Lubbock Music Club members and members and/or students of the South Plains Music Teachers Association; it was a way to spotlight local talents to the wider South Plains community, as well as provide “varied musical programs of universal appeal,” as was explained in a March 1950 Avalanche-Journal article.
Supporting Local Talent
While the South Plains region grew and developed over the course of the twentieth century, so too did its performing venues, technologies, and overall music talent pool. The SPMTA and the LMC capitalized on new people moving into the region and began to create opportunities for local residents to come together and enjoy classical music. For a time, both organizations utilized radio programming to broadcast their recitals and club meetings. Just two years after KDUB went on the air, the LMC created a six-episode television program called “Adventures in Music Land” that featured over 150 Lubbock School musicians. In the mid-twentieth century, LMC staged larger productions like H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, Sweethearts, and Fiddler on the Roof while the SPMTA had countless special performances, festivals, and recitals featuring talented students.
It is not known how many students of LMC and SPMTA/LMTA members have gone on to become professional musicians or teachers. But what is certain is that the musical landscape of Lubbock would look a lot different without the opportunities created by these two organizations. In 1946, the first program of the Lubbock Little Symphony cited the sponsorship of the LMC. And in 1951, the Symphony Guild was established with members of both organizations involved. Today’s Buddy Holly Hall and the modern Lubbock Symphony Orchestra would not have been possible without the foundation laid by these individuals in the 1920s to cultivate musical culture on the South Plains.