THE MILLION DJ MARCH


On August 30, 2008 DJs will descend on Washington to celebrate decades of service to the entertainment industry. They will listen to speeches from leaders of music groups, founding DJs, and Civil Rights activists all on the dawn of a new election year.

The March and activities will take place from August 29 - 30, 2008 in Washington DC, with the actual rally taking place on the 30 at 10 am, on the National Mall, extending from the Capitol Building to the Washington Monument. Disc jockeys will gather from all over the world to discuss the current state of the DJ, and highlight the true integral importance of their role.

The organizer of the historic event, A. Shaw, felt compelled to address her concern for DJs after noticing they weren't often adequately compensated for their time, effort and dedication in working with labels, promoters and artists. "DJ's do not get recognized for the work that they do. Labels and major businesses who reap the rewards of default publicity, need to pay more attention and give more recognition to DJ's for the promotion they provide," she said. The march, which has already been approved by both civil rights activist and those who founded the Million Man March, has already caught the attention of thousands of DJs and DJ organizations. The Million DJ March will express the history of the culture and show appreciation to the people that are truly the backbone of the music and entertainment.

DJ's have been regarded as "underground" since their beginning in the early 1970's with founders such as Kool Herc and Grand Master Flowers. They were the "Band" to acts until tracks were just played in the background with little to no live presence. DJ's then went on to "spinning" these records bringing extra life to parties after and during performances adding to fads and trends in music. Using the turntable as an instrument, DJ's found new ways to utilize their talent by blending, scratching and sampling, giving longevity to the music we hear today. DJ's are able to give variety to an otherwise 2 or 3 act performance, hyping up the crowd and making night life quite the experience. Influencing what individuals listened to in Clubs and parties effected what individuals wanted to hear personally. Since the beginnings of DJ, technology has advanced, morphing the standard turntable in to a modern engine full of possibility. DJ's are a community that promote for many forms of corporation, the music industry being just one of them. What DJs say and do can be compared to the effects of a modern day commercial, as we notice on radio broadcasts and their choices in the music they play. Due to the advancement and sudden metamorphosis of their influence in music, there are very few laws protecting this art form as a craft and career. Self sufficient machines threaten this career choice, as so many fear to lose their jobs to in this advancing society. Depending on the audience, a DJ can custom blend the airwaves, to censor otherwise, "restricted" music and control what the masses hear. It is the responsibility of the DJ to make sound decisions based on the age and the want of the audience. The Million DJ March supports all forms of live music and will donate all proceeds from the march to keep music alive in Public Schools. The Million DJ March event August 29- 30th. Nationall Mall Washington, D.C
The Foundation Magazine, the first and only full-size mixtape magazine, has been selected as the official magazine of the event. More information can be found at www.foundationmag.com.
More information and mailing list registration can be found by visiting: www.themilliondjmarch.com.
For Performance info: sommer@themilliondjmarch.com For Magazine Ad info: Foundationmagazine@themilliondjmarch.com
The Million DJ March
"If not one, then nothing."