David, Actually electronic music industry trade organizations like AFEM <https://www.associationforelectronicmusic.org/initiatives/> are tackling issues like diversity and inclusivity from the inside, but from my experience issues like this are a tough slog to get festival organizers, promoters, and even hiring managers at labels, distributor, and other industry employers to truly commit to bring on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and women artists and executive / staff roles. It's very much a white, largely straight old boys network.
I acknowledge that these are for-profit businesses who have shareholders, investors, and sponsors to answer to, but it's got to start *somewhere.* Peter On Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 11:10 AM David A. Powers <cybo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Those are good points, I don't really have much perspective on what the > broader American scene is, having lived in Kalamazoo/Detroit/Chicago over > the years, the majority of events that I have attended do feature a lot of > black DJ's, and the three headliners I personally booked as a promoter were > Omar-S, DJ Qu, and Rick Wade, so as far as that I'm trying to be part of > the solution. If I ever throw a party in Austin TX before I move, and have > cash for a headliner, I'm gonna bring in someone I know from Detroit, like > Mike Clark, Alton Miller, or Norm Talley. > But as someone committed to growing the techno ecosystem and trying to > create more opportunities for musicians and artists, and making sure a > diverse range of people are included, I actually think that this topic is > worth exploring. > Techno is a DIY scene and that means any of us have the power to > participate and at least attempt to implement that vision, and so it's > worth having serious good faith discussions about the best ways to do that, > because it's not just a topdown corporate thing, and the choices I and > others make can potentially make real differences in small ways to the > trajectory of where things are going, whereas the question of who gets > featured in industry publications, or gets the best gigs is a realm that is > totally outside my control. > If I have the cash, though, I can throw an event, so in that sense looking > at questions of audience diversity is not just a theoretical question. I > could potentially do a good job or a shitty job with that depending on my > vision and choices, so I think it's worth reflecting on. If I did it here I > would definitely partner with some nonwhite friends to collaborate on > the event so that it wouldn't just be one white guy's personal vision. I > DEFINITELY would not want to go to a party full of people just like > me---ugh!!! ;-0 > Of course, individuals cannot fix systemic problems by making personally > virtuous choices. On the diversity in hiring as it pertains to nonwhite > DJ's, ultimately, I believe that DJ's themselves need to organize and solve > the problem together, collectively. Call me crazy, but I think there should > be a "techno trade union" that engages in collective bargaining to ensure > more fair outcomes for all everyone involved. I think it should be racially > integrated, but work to clearly and systemically address industry racism > and when necessary should privilege nonwhite artists, in ways that > ultimately lead to better outcomes for everyone. (ALSO--while I'm at it: > the existing US musician's union should actually help working musicians, so > that skilled musicians have enough work and the average musician income is > more than $20,000 a year.) > > ~David > > > On Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 10:22 AM kent williams <chaircrus...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> The thing about solving problems is that you do what you can do. >> Projects like House of Altr do what they can: showcase and promote black >> artists. >> >> Techno - and the wider world of dance music - originates in the music of >> Black americans. What black audiences listen to is a separate matter. They >> may be more likely to connect with techno if they see people that look like >> them up on stage. >> >> Labels and promoters CAN address the problem black erasure in dance >> music. It's more an issue in Europe than the US, since in the US dance >> music is less of a commercial phenomenon, but even here, white artists >> crowd out Black music. >> >> You are right that when DEMF was free, it re-introduced techno to Black >> Detroiters. I think Paxahau is doing a decent job, but the fact that the >> festival is now an expensive ticket excludes a large audience who are >> economically distressed. With the $200+ ticket price for the weekend, it's >> absurd to think that the festival is even for the Black citizens of Detroit >> any more. >> >> And not to put too fine a point on it, the subscribers to this list are >> overwhelming middle class white people. At this point this is not a place >> to go to get a Black perspective on anything. Is this list still worthwhile >> and relevant? >> >> >> On Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 10:00 AM David A. Powers <cybo...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Still, the idea that you can fix the problem of diversity on the >>> producer/performer side, without increasing the diversity of the audience >>> itself, seems super sketchy to me. >>> >>
