ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota will be well represented next week at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

Students from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul are leading a road trip to the festival, stopping at high schools along the way to promote music education.

On Friday, the students will kick off the MN Nice SXSW Day Party at the Liberty Bar in downtown Austin. Twin Cities artists The Chalice, Wiping Out Thousands, Haley Bonar, BNLX and synth-poppers Carroll also are in the lineup. Indie-electronic band Knifight, featuring McNally Smith alum Nick Garrison, concludes the show.

St. Paul-based Red House Records also plans an SXSW showcase. Eliza Gilkyson, Ruth Moody, Ray Bonneville, Carrie Elkin, Danny Schmidt and Dale Watson will perform Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Austin.