Florida: Music Tours and Cultural Tourism

Rev. N.L. Williams (left) plays blues guitar while “Blind” Johnny Brown plays a resonator guitar in 1978. Photo from State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, courtesy Florida Division of Arts and Culture

State arts agencies seek to showcase the rich tapestry of culture that exists within each state. Highlighting cultural traditions not only educates the public about the depth and diversity of cultures present in the state but encourages cultural tourism and positive economic impact. For Florida, music resonates through much of the state’s history and cultural traditions, and the Florida Division of Arts and Culture recognizes and celebrates this through its Florida Music Tours program.

Florida Music Tours, conducted in partnership with the Florida State Library & Archives and Florida Folklife program, combines multimedia education and traditional ethnography to highlight the rich cultural assets that constitute Florida’s sonic landscape. Florida Music Tours currently features three genres—blues, rock and the newly added Latin—through dedicated web pages that provide an overview of each genre’s history and significant Florida venues and practitioners. Related points of interest and annual cultural festivals are presented with details and dates to encourage statewide tourism.

The online resource also includes musician profiles, which provide short histories of the artists and related landmarks around the state. Visitors to the site can listen to archival recordings of a few of these artists 24/7 through Florida Memory Radio, part of the Florida Memory program, which seeks to provide free online access to the state’s archival resource collections. For more information on Florida Music Tours or promoting cultural tourism, contact the state folklorist at 850-245-6470.