Millon DJ March - WHY???

A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays prerecorded music for an audience.
There are several types of disc jockey. Radio DJs introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, shortwave, digital or online radio stations. Club DJs select and play music in a bar, club, disco, a rave, or even a stadium. Hip hop disc jockeys select, play and create music with multiple turntables, often to back up one or more MCs. In reggae, the disc jockey (deejay) is a vocalist who raps, toasts or chats over pre-recorded rhythm tracks while the individual choosing and playing them is referred to as a selector. Mobile disc jockeys travel with portable sound systems and play at a variety of events. Who will be at the Million DJ March?

Questions:

1. What will this march accomplish?
2. Who will lead this march and where will it end?
3. What are the criteria to become a DJ?
4. Who determines these criteria?
5. What is the financial gain to this march?
6. Who will collect the finances?
7. Where will the finances be held?
8. What purpose will these finances be used for?
9. After the march what will happen?
10. What is the mission of the March organizers?
11. Is there a national or international agenda?


I have been bombarded with email recently concerning a Million DJ March on Washington DC. I have no idea where this is coming from but it raises a lot of questions in my mind. Having been raised in the civil rights era I know the power of placing a million men on the streets of Washington DC. I have witnessed the strength of community purpose and solidarity a million Black men can create. So I am at a complete lost as to why anyone would want to have a million DJ march.

First and foremost there are not a million DJ’s within this country that could be organized to start a march. Where is this concept coming from? Who will ultimately gain from this event?

The role of the DJ (Disc Jockey) is changing around the world directly influenced by technology and the mp3 format. Clubs are using premixed mp3’s in lieu of the traditional record spinning DJ, and where there are DJ’s club owners are starting to dictate play list restrictions and requirements. Outside of the United States night clubs are playing dance music from many different cultures and the Hip Hop dance club is no where near as popular as these cultural dance clubs.

As I started my research on the Million DJ March I found a recurring theme. Labels and major businesses that reap the reward of default publicity should reward the DJ. Tell me what this means? Club DJ’s are paid to move the crowd so that the club owners can sell more liquor. Radio DJ’s are paid a salary to make more people listen to the radio so that the station can sell more advertising. Mixtape DJ’s make money on other peoples music, without paying royalties to the musical creators. Where is the default publicity?
This sounds increasingly more like the radio station owners saying that they shouldn’t pay royalties on the music they play because the record labels get default publicity from the songs being heard.

Who is approving this march? The Million DJ March website says that civil rights leaders and the people that started the Million Man March have given approval, who are these people?

The civil rights era was about equality, human rights and a better life. What is this march about? DJ’s getting better pay? Recognition from major labels, that don’t really need DJ’s, makes no sense to me. Labels are more concerned with the advent of direct to consumer sales, the disappearing of the retail outlet and the inability of TV to sell product. Why would they be concerned over the perceived injustice of a few DJ’s? And what record label headquarters is in Washington DC?

My next questions concerns who are really involved in this fiasco? Have the DJ’s from the Gay and Lesbian coalition been contacted? Have the international DJ’s in the United
States been made a part of this march preparation or is this directed at a closed minority? Who are the speakers and what are there affiliations?

And finally what will a DJ union consist of? Who will be the operating officers and what will be the agenda? What will it take to join this union and how will it protect DJ’s from being fired or moved due to new technological advances? And what about the new VJ and the concerns they may have over the mixing of video?

Something just doesn’t feel right about this one.