From Chicano soul and heavy metal, San Antonio has had a rich music history. Now, researchers at UT San Antonio are working with the local music community to preserve the soundtrack of the city through a new digital project, Sounds of San Anto.

The new digital project from UT San Antonio Libraries and Museums uses data, storytelling, and community voices to bring life to the music scene that birthed Augie Meyers, Jim Cullum, Girl in a Coma, and La Tropa F.

It's been a busy year for project leaders, who recently unveiled a round of oral histories. Researchers have also been working with the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures to publish A History of Music in San Antonio later in 2026, a book featuring contributions from musicians, scholars, crate diggers, and more.

The digital project contains three user experiences. One part explores the history of live shows in San Antonio since 1970. A second holds personal stories from artists and fans. And a third delves into the lyrics of the famed regional folk song "El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez.”

The tune was inspired by the real-life Cortez, a South Texan folk hero who went on the run from the Texas Rangers for 13 days after killing a sheriff in self-defense, then the largest manhunt in U.S. history.

The section on the ballad fits into Sounds of San Anto’s multi-pronged effort to preserve lived experiences, making locally created music more accessible and personal.

“We really wanted this to be inclusive; this city has so many pockets of rich musical culture that we felt it was important to try reflecting that,” said Veronica Garcia Rodriguez, head of digital humanities and user engagement at UT San Antonio Libraries and project lead.

Mapping history
In a city often skipped by national tours, Sounds of San Anto’s interactive map argues Alamo City’s place in music history. Locals browsing the concerts — spanning 1970-2010 can select a genre and time range to see early sets from artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Judas Priest, and Ramones.

Besides mapping the global music acts, the guide also chronicles shows by smaller local and regional acts at mostly long-gone clubs and venues, such as Cameo Theater, Randy’s Ballroom, Rock Island, and Hemisfair Arena.Student interns helped organize helped identify missing venue locations, and aided with geolocation data.

While the map is not comprehensive, researchers said students’ contributions ensured the map reflected a wider scope of San Antonio’s musical history.

DJ Alyson Alonzo was among the locals who contributed oral histories.Alyson Alonzo/ Facebook

Sharing memories
30-plus oral histories tell a more intimate story. The participants covered an array of musical memories from a now-closed dance club, a major live music venue, a record store, a music instrument shop, and even a school band.

Some of the interviewees include Jeff Smith of Flagship Records and the band The Hickoids, Anya Grokhovski from the classical music group Musical Bridges Around the World, DJ Alyson Alonzo, Robert Esparza from Janie’s Record Shop, University of the Incarnate Word music director Bradley Kent, KRTU radio general manager JJ Lopez, and local music enthusiast Misha Ortiz.

Project team members said the oral history collection offers a glimpse into the places and experiences that reflect how music has helped to shape San Antonio’s culture.

“There are also what we call music enthusiasts, people that have been connected with various music scenes included in our project,” Rodriguez said. “We also interviewed a couple [of] music nonprofit folks in the mix.”

The shared stories connect different generations. Sounds of San Anto even drafted Tex-Mex punks Pinata Protest and Conjunto trio Panfilo's Güera to record versions of “El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez.”

What’s next?
Rodriguez said, thus far, Sounds of San Anto demonstrates that San Antonians are supportive of local arts and culture, and that the city remains both a hub of creativity and a place where musicians can afford to make a living doing what they love.

“This means that people can devote time to their musical passion without having to compromise,” she added.

Rodriguez said there is still plenty to do to grow the Sounds of San Anto project.

“The most immediate thing is to create social media reels for each of the interviews so that we can highlight cool insights our interviewees shared with us,” she said. “We also are planning on creating a few K-12 lesson plans so that the project might be incorporated as activities within the classroom. Finally, we still have some people we would like to interview, and we are thinking of ways to segment different music themes to create small digital storytelling videos.”