by Stephanie Graham-Stacey
In Tyler, Texas, live music isn’t just background noise – It is becoming part of the city’s identity, partly due to the efforts of the Tyler Music Friendly Advisory Board. Local music can be heard almost every night of the week. Community support for music isn’t incidental here; it’s intentional. Grant Ingram, Chief Operating Officer of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, says, “This year, the Music Friendly Board is focusing on finding ways to connect musicians and venue operators, provide clear and practical information, and support a stronger, more coordinated live music scene in Tyler, Texas.” He further states, “There’s a real momentum in Tyler’s music scene right now. Live music is happening across the city in a variety of spaces. We want people to know Tyler is a community where talent is supported, and the music culture is growing.” And that fostering of local talent isn’t just culturally rich; emerging research shows it may also be good for our health.
For decades, music lovers have described music as something that “feeds the soul,” and today, science backs it up. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy helps speech, but also motor skills, memory, and balance, and is also emotionally uplifting. These benefits aren’t limited to formal therapy. Simply listening to or participating in music can reduce stress and elevate mood.
In a clinical context, research published in the Southern Medical Journal explains how music “exerts direct physiologic effects through the autonomic nervous system,” helping to regulate heart rate, ease anxiety, and improve emotional outlook. Clearly, music engages both body and mind. In Tyler’s vibrant music scene, those benefits are happening every week in venues and public spaces across town. This kind of local support doesn’t just grow audiences; it grows community connection, a key ingredient to emotional wellness.
Tyler’s commitment to music culture helps make those experiences accessible. In a community that values hometown talent, musicians aren’t just performers – they become part of people’s personal stories. And that’s important: emotional health researchers note that connection to place, to people, and to shared experiences, significantly improves mental well-being.
All of these benefits, emotional, physical, and communal, are not abstract ideas in Tyler. They show up in the work of the artists who shape the city’s sound every day. Nowhere is the relationship between music, community, and well-being more visible than in the artists who create it. One of those artists is Tyler-based musician, Heath Walker.
“It’s been a dream since childhood to play and perform,” says Walker. “I feel like God put a love for music and a desire in my soul at a young age that couldn’t be tamed, even before I had the ability.” In 2021, Heath started playing music at church and was heavily encouraged to pursue music further. He started playing acoustic shows locally in 2023 and put the band, Heath Walker & The Stray Bullets, together in February of 2025. Band members consist of his brother and other members from his church. “We have had the opportunity to open for historic acts such as the Bellamy Brothers, Sammy Kershaw, legendary Texas Country musician, Gary P. Nunn, as well as Texas music heroes like Stoney Larue, Aaron Watson, Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, Wade Bowen, and Josh Abbott,” claims Walker. “We have been able to play at numerous local venues and been part of the growth of Texas music in East Texas area such as Blackhawk Creek, Cargo Tx, Brisket Love, Manny’s , Tia Juanita’s – Henderson, Catch Me If You Can, Rowdy Creek Ranch, Twisted Pines Winery, Big Pines Lodge, and other live music venues. We’ve also started breaking into other areas, such as 2920 Roadhouse in Houston, and had the lifelong dream come true, playing at Texas’ oldest dancehall, Gruene Hall, where my wife and I spent many years watching our favorite Texas artists play.”
This past year, Heath has written nine original songs, released an acoustic single, and is in the process of recording a full-length, full-band album, which will be released this spring.
Walker agrees that music is good for the soul. He states, “Music has a direct line to the heart like nothing else, and I’m honored and humbled to have the possible opportunity to impact others like my heroes have impacted me.”
You can follow Heath Walker on social media: Facebook at Heath Walker, on Instagram @heath.walker.music, on TikTok @heathwalkermusictx, and on YouTube @heathwalkermusic.
What’s happening in Tyler reflects a broader truth: when a city embraces music not just as entertainment but as culture, health and connection grow too. Whether it’s a single acoustic guitar at a local restaurant, a jazz trio on a brewery’s patio, or a gospel choir at a Sunday service, the shared practice of music becomes a source of comfort, community, and joy.
As the American Music Therapy Association simply puts it, “Music can heal people.” And in Tyler, Texas, that healing doesn’t wait for an appointment; it happens every night of the week, right here at home. Music is good for the soul, and it’s good medicine.
To help you locate where local live music can be found, go to www.visittyler.com and click on Live Music. You can also go to www.theeasttexasweekend.com, click on Music, and then click on Live Music Lineup for more live music options. And you can get the East Texas Symphony Orchestra’s schedule at www.etso.org.