"Blackout Tuesday"? Is This a Joke?

[Anderton]

So the music business is going to pause business as usual on Tuesday, June 2 to reflect on...well, as far as I can tell, to reflect on how they can look like they're reflecting on something.

 

Can someone explain to me how this is anything more than an exercise in self-promotion, that will accomplish nothing of significance?

[Groove On]

Virtue signaling is the scourge of our times. This one is ingenious, it catches your attention because it sounds like it might be a Black Friday sale, but no it"s somebody"s half-assed social agenda. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

The irony is that the music companies are so tone deaf. Didn"t they notice we"ve been on pause for the last two months?

[KuruPrionz]

To be brutally honest, they could all close down for the month of June and I doubt I would even notice.

 

The joys of being oblivious are many!

[Doerfler]

Can someone explain to me how this is anything more than an exercise in self-promotion, that will accomplish nothing of significance?

I do not believe so.

[Joe Muscara]

Did you go to the link? Right on the homepage:

 

What can you do on Tuesday, June 2, 2020?

 

If you have been impacted by the recent events, take a break - there is a lot going on and sometimes we all just need a minute. Take that minute.

 

Help the family of George Floyd HERE.

 

Fight for Breonna Taylor HERE.

 

Help the family of Ahmaud Arbery HERE.

 

Want to help protesters? Donate to one or more community bail funds HERE.

 

Visit Movement For Black Lives for additional ways you can help the cause.

 

Want to connect with leaders building grass roots campaigns? Click HERE.

 

Are you an ally and want to learn more? Here are some anti-racism resources.

Get the actual links there if you're interested.

 

It also says, "This is not just a 24-hour initiative. We are and will be in this fight for the long haul. A plan of action will be announced."

 

That being said, I'm not completely grokking "Blackout Tuesday," but maybe it's just to draw attention to the movement they're trying to start.

[Greg Mein]

So the music business is going to pause business as usual on Tuesday, June 2 to reflect on...well, as far as I can tell, to reflect on how they can look like they're reflecting on something.

 

Can someone explain to me how this is anything more than an exercise in self-promotion, that will accomplish nothing of significance?

 

Support domestic terrorism and anarchy, how can they actually be serious?

[Notes_Norton]

"The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people." - Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953)

 

While I don't condone violence in any form except self-defense, I understand that the demonstrating people are desperate.

 

Not to many years ago we had a fine drummer, a nice guy, who got shot by the police because his car broke down and he was black. The officer was not jailed.

 

There are scores more examples. How many more can a group of people take before they feel helpless and have no other solution? I remember being of draft age in the Viet Nam war. Fortunately for me I was 4F but friends of mine were sent over there against their will and never came back. One was a guitar player in a youth band that I was a member of.

 

I would venture to say that most policemen are doing their job to the best of their ability. But as in any group of people, it takes all kinds, and a few of them are the wrong kind.

 

I excuse the police for poor judgement calls because they have a stressful job and there are times when a delayed call could mean their lives. On the other hand, when the guy is telling the cop he can't breathe and the cop won't let him up until he is dead, the officer should have been arrested immediately and then investigated it to the fullest. Then there would have been no demonstration.

 

But so many police have been fired for things like this only to get their jobs back or get work in another force that the community saw yet another race killer going free to do it again somewhere else.

 

I also think most of the demonstrators, like the cops, are not trying to provoke violence. But there is that small percentage or the wrong kind in any group. Add to that the opportunists that as Craig pointed out will seek out the opportunity to loot in any disaster whether it is a demonstration or natural disaster and things can get way out of hand.

 

I don't think Black Tuesday will make a difference. We are not producing chaos by not making music today. We are saying "you African Americans have a valid point." though.

 

I think the only thing that will make a difference is a fair trial and if found guilty punishment to the fullest extent of the law.

 

Neither the people who make the laws or enforce the laws should be above the law. In the US, the laws are supposed to apply to all of us equally.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[KuruPrionz]

I see now that this does have meaning to many, including myself.

 

Since it is poitical in nature and MPN rules discourage political discourse, I have little to say here.

 

But I will not forget these times. Novemer is coming soon, we can make changes...

[Doerfler]

from NPR this morning

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867371758/music-companies-promise-a-tuesday-blackout-for-black-lives

[Anderton]

The irony is that the music companies are so tone deaf. Didn"t they notice we"ve been on pause for the last two months?

 

To be fair, many have contributed to the COVID-19 relief fund started by MusiCares. Virtually all the streaming platforms have donated, as well as many record companies (Amazon Music, Facebook, SiriusXM-Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music, the Latin Recording Academy, StubHub, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, City National Bank, Bill Silva Entertainment, George Harrison"s Material World Foundation, the Michael Jackson Estate, Alicia Keys and She Is The Music and Yoshiki Foundation America, among others). In our corner of the world, during "May Is MIDI Month" The MIDI Association, working with the MMA, raised over $18,000 from individual members combined with matching contributions from sponsors, with every penny going to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

 

But the issue I want to touch on has nothing to do with the events that precipitated Blackout Tuesday, but what it says about the record industry trying to be relevant at a time when it really doesn't appear to be all that relevant. Those who lived through the 60s will remember that musicians spoke out loudly and often about the events that were going on; that seems curiously absent these days.

[KuruPrionz]

The irony is that the music companies are so tone deaf. Didn"t they notice we"ve been on pause for the last two months?

 

To be fair, many have contributed to the COVID-19 relief fund started by MusiCares. Virtually all the streaming platforms have donated, as well as many record companies (Amazon Music, Facebook, SiriusXM-Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music, the Latin Recording Academy, StubHub, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, City National Bank, Bill Silva Entertainment, George Harrison"s Material World Foundation, the Michael Jackson Estate, Alicia Keys and She Is The Music and Yoshiki Foundation America, among others). In our corner of the world, during "May Is MIDI Month" The MIDI Association, working with the MMA, raised over $18,000 from individual members combined with matching contributions from sponsors, with every penny going to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

 

But the issue I want to touch on has nothing to do with the events that precipitated Blackout Tuesday, but what it says about the record industry trying to be relevant at a time when it really doesn't appear to be all that relevant. Those who lived through the 60s will remember that musicians spoke out loudly and often about the events that were going on; that seems curiously absent these days.

 

This is true. It is also true that there is nothing to stop us from speaking out. In fact, lowly unknowns like myself have more opportunity to reach other people than at any time in history.

Can't blame the record companies for that.

 

Some of us are stunned, still sorting out our feelings. I know I am. There is a song that will come to me. It is important to me that the lyrics go beyond dissertation or preaching, there needs to be depth.

That's not always easy.

Fortunately, it does not have to happen today. If the song is good, there is time for it to be heard.

[ToddP]

 

But the issue I want to touch on has nothing to do with the events that precipitated Blackout Tuesday, but what it says about the record industry trying to be relevant at a time when it really doesn't appear to be all that relevant. Those who lived through the 60s will remember that musicians spoke out loudly and often about the events that were going on; that seems curiously absent these days.

 

Of course one big difference is that there are no concerts going on. I doubt networks would touch a telethon for bail relief for protesters or anything of that sort.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I don"t want to run afoul of our forum policies. Not that what I would say would be against the rules at all, but it might turn this thread into something needing deletion. Because that"s just how people are.

 

Let"s just say that I live in Minnesota, was born and raised 45 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul, and though I now live five hours outside of the area, almost all my relatives live there and most of my friends are in the area still - I know what"s happening there. And I still live in this state and my town is surrounded by extensions of the mess. FYI there"s a lot more to the situation than national news is reporting. Hence the music industry doing this is a meaningful gesture (among many other groups - it"s all over the Internet, not exclusive to the music business, they"re just jumping on the bandwagon). There are a number of misconceptions in this thread too. With permission of Mr. Anderton I will explain, but only if given permission because I don"t want to turn this into a firefight unintentionally.

[Groove On]

... Those who lived through the 60s will remember that musicians spoke out loudly and often about the events that were going on; that seems curiously absent these days.

 

We live in a Category 5 Hurricane of Information.

 

I think more people are speaking out more loudly and more often than at any time in history; but we have so many communication channels, nobody can make sense of it anymore. The "digital reverb" is dialed up to 11; every bit of emotional/dramatic news echoes a million times past it's actual relevance - immediately falling into an infinite vanishing point of irrelevance. E.g. look what happened to COVID coverage after George Floyd and the riots. Can you even remember what the heck was important in Dec 2019 before this all broke out?

 

In comparison, it was easy to rebel in the 60s. The culture of the 50s was clearly defined. You could pick any counter-culture idea and stand out in stark relief to the rest of the world. Plus you only had 3 TV channels, and 10-20 radio stations to broadcast it. Try that today and you're just one voice in a sea of thousands of online channels all shouting and echoing variations of the exact same ideas.

[Doerfler]

"Blackout Tuesday backfired spectacularly. Five ideas for actually supporting Black Lives Matter"

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/blackout-tuesday-backfired-spectacularly-five-185137645.html

[J. Dan]

I have to admit I had no idea about this until I started seeing all of my FB friends change their profile pictures to black squares. I didn't know what was going on and eventually had to do some searching. Will it bring awareness? Maybe. Awareness is funny to me (not funny "ha-ha"). Is anybody at this point unaware? Everybody is really eager to get on board and make sure everybody knows it publicly. What can we REALLY do? Nobody is promoting REAL solutions. I doubt that making my profile picture black is going to end police brutality.

[Anderton]

Hence the music industry doing this is a meaningful gesture (among many other groups - it"s all over the Internet, not exclusive to the music business, they"re just jumping on the bandwagon). There are a number of misconceptions in this thread too. With permission of Mr. Anderton I will explain, but only if given permission because I don"t want to turn this into a firefight unintentionally.

 

I really didn't want this thread to go down any road other than whether the music business was genuinely helping the situation, or just jumping on the bandwagon with a self-congratulatory gesture that would ultimately not move the needle in any way.

 

However, I also don't want factual errors in this thread. PM me with what you wanted to say. If the errors you've found are sufficiently egregious but cross over the line into excessive politics, I'll post them myself, and then close the thread.

 

I am glad to hear, however, that you think the record companies are doing something meaningful, not just patting themselves on the back. I think a more positive direction for a post would be why you think that's the case. Remember that I started this thread with a question, not a statement. I'm interested in any posts that answer my question.

 

With permission of Mr. Anderton I will explain, but only if given permission because I don"t want to turn this into a firefight unintentionally.

 

I've been giving people a fair amount of slack lately, but only because these are very trying times and I think people need to express themselves. However, there are boundaries, and some people push up against those boundaries more often than others. I do not want any firefights, and have no problem with closing a thread or deleting posts.

 

I have to say I expected the worst from the Coronavirus thread, and was ready to delete or close at a moment's notice. But frankly, I'd say that most of what was said made a positive contribution to understanding not just how this was impacting us as musicians and artists, but some of the latest news that got buried in, as Groove On stated so accurately, a "Category 5 Hurricane of Information." I would say that on balance, I learned more from that thread than just about any other source, because it was real people talking about how they really felt, and what they had found of interest.

[Anderton]

Will it bring awareness? Maybe. Awareness is funny to me (not funny "ha-ha"). Is anybody at this point unaware? Everybody is really eager to get on board and make sure everybody knows it publicly. What can we REALLY do? Nobody is promoting REAL solutions. I doubt that making my profile picture black is going to end police brutality.

 

Yup. I'm not a fan of "feel good" stuff. What's more, there was the law of unintended consequences because the BlackLivesMatter hashtag got so overrun with black squares, the noise-to-signal ratio about things you might want to know was astronomical.

 

However, it is possible that if people make a big enough stink and it's public, politicians who want to get re-elected might pass some laws that make a difference. Remember, the Civil Rights Act traces back directly to three murdered people in Mississippi. The outcry that resulted did make a change.

 

Is anybody at this point unaware?

 

That's a really valid question. Perhaps we need to differentiate between "aware" and "front of mind." Sometimes it's a question of reminding people of things they've forgotten, or had been pushed aside by other concerns.

 

I like to take walks. There was a cop in a police car on the side of the somewhat dangerous road, making sure people weren't speeding...which I appreciated (I would prefer not to be run over while taking a walk). I started walking toward him and saw true fear in his face. I don't think I look dangerous, although I am 6' tall. The look on his face was "Why is this guy walking toward me, is he going to pull out a gun, why is he looking at me, is he a nut job..." So I stopped and said "Hey, thanks for keeping an eye on the traffic. I appreciate what you do, I know you have a tough gig." And then I kept walking.

 

I think it made his day. But it reminded me that fear is a two-way street, which is something that had not been front of mind. It made me aware, tangibly, of something I hadn't really thought about much.

[Mighty Motif Max]

But the issue I want to touch on has nothing to do with the events that precipitated Blackout Tuesday, but what it says about the record industry trying to be relevant at a time when it really doesn't appear to be all that relevant. Those who lived through the 60s will remember that musicians spoke out loudly and often about the events that were going on; that seems curiously absent these days.

I don't see it as being irrelevant. I will say that I have been disappointed at the lack of overall statements from people with influence, considering they will jump onto almost any other bandwagon.

 

I am glad to hear, however, that you think the record companies are doing something meaningful, not just patting themselves on the back. I think a more positive direction for a post would be why you think that's the case. Remember that I started this thread with a question, not a statement. I'm interested in any posts that answer my question.

Okay, here goes. And ya know, I'm sure there's some smart marketers out there who realized that they could do two things - show support for the black community AND get more exposure. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

 

 

I have to admit I had no idea about this until I started seeing all of my FB friends change their profile pictures to black squares. I didn't know what was going on and eventually had to do some searching. Will it bring awareness? Maybe. Awareness is funny to me (not funny "ha-ha"). Is anybody at this point unaware? Everybody is really eager to get on board and make sure everybody knows it publicly. What can we REALLY do? Nobody is promoting REAL solutions. I doubt that making my profile picture black is going to end police brutality.

The idea of the "awareness" was to make people do exactly what you did - have to search and see what's going on, and why. A surprising number of people, myself included, never realize certain problems until they hit close to home. I agree that there is a lack of real solutions. That said there's something to be said about people taking an entire day to shut down and have only black community members telling what's happening. Now, here's the thing. The original idea was for people to post a black photo, opening the internet to the black voices. The problem is, people were using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, so it literally overran the very people that were supposed to be getting more exposure. We were SUPPOSED to use the hashtag "BlackoutTuesday" or a variant. Partway through the day it was suggested that rather than simply going dark, we were supposed to AMPLIFY only the voices and concerns of the black community, and share resources, petitions, etc. Basically shut ourselves off and amplify their message. Which was a great idea. There was a bit of miscommunication sadly.

 

BUT with regards to the music industry doing this, it was not a bad idea. Expressing solidarity by silencing the "noise" for a day to allow people to hear more from their communities and to show support for the peaceful protests was a good first step. Ideally those people would also share resources and petitions and the like to end some of the systemic problems here in the US. Some are saying that sharing a black square is "less than the minimum", but there was so much miscommunication that it was pretty hard to figure out what the exact instructions were. Not to mention multiple conflicting "official" versions of the directions. There are several conspiracy theories that have come out of it (because people have too much time on their hands and are always a little suspicious). But as far as the black people I know are concerned, it had good intentions and was a nice expression of solidarity. Hopefully there will be more people who do something lasting, but it was perhaps a little bit of a wake-up call as to the numbers of people who DO care (because the people who really don't give a crap didn't post anything at all or posted the opposite).

[Anderton]

Good comment.

 

I work a lot with Public Enemy's Brian Hardgroove, we met 13 years ago and have done a ton of projects together. He wasn't freaked out that I wasn't black, LOL.

 

We talked on Tuesday, not specifically because of Blackout Tuesday, and he said "This would be so easy to fix. No one has to give up anything, they just have to stop holding people down." Then we talked about the DSF Proteus 2000 patches, and whether they really could replace his Proteus 2000 rack unit

 

I was VERY lucky. My Dad was a jazz drummer, so black people were kind of like cars - I knew early on that cars came in different colors, and so did people. My daughter's life was pretty much saved by a black doctor, so no problems at her end.

 

Ultimately what will end racism is when people have enough contact with each other to realize that a) all races have people who are complete a-holes, b) all races have totally cool and wonderful people, and c) we're all just trying to muddle our way through a complex and sometimes confusing world as fragile, flawed humanoid bipeds. But like cars, we come in different colors.

[Notes_Norton]

I was in Michigan during the late 60s and doing some work at Motown among many other gigs. In Motown, as in all the bands I ever played with, race never mattered. All that mattered was how you played the music. Back then the black and white races were about as divided as they are now, and the unrest was similar.

 

Our manager owned a bail-bond office in Flint. During the Detroit Riots both black and white musicians were holed up in the bail bond office with firearms to protect ourselves if necessary. Fortunately it wasn't necessary. Being in an active shooting situation is not a good self-preservation situation. People marched by, made a lot of noise, but didn't riot where we were.

 

It seems that so many years after MLK had his dream, it still hasn't arrived, and I see that as a sad situation.

 

I know evolution has made our instincts tribal. For much of human prehistory, the "others" might want to come with their clubs to invade our caves, steal our food, and rape our women. Millions of years later wehave a brain and can reason that in this day and age it's no longer always the case, but the instinct seems to survive.

 

The Blacks, the Jews, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Democrats, the Republicans, the Fundamentalists, the Catholics, the Atheists, the Irish, the English, the Germans, the Puerto Ricans, the Mexicans --- the "others".

 

I have no solution, but realizing the problem is a step in the right direction.

 

Blackout Tuesday didn't hurt anyone and was a peaceful protest. As long as the protest is peaceful, it's OK with me.

 

Notes

[Greg Mein]

It tends to annoy me every time I see people bending over backwards to prove they're not racist, as if you can. Growing up in North Hollywood there appeared to be every type of person imaginable except green people and just because I didn't see any doesn't mean they weren't there. As certainly as everyone here I have friends, family and co-workers of different races whom all get along just fine. Whether it's popular or not my belief is that a lot of the problems of this nature that we see lead directly back to the family, or lack thereof.

[Joe Muscara]

As always, it's a shame that it had to get this far, but I have been seeing a LOT of people, organizations, and institutions talking about this, more than I ever have, and that's a great thing. Or maybe I should say people talking and listening. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but every journey starts with a single step.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I actually did send you a PM Mr. Anderton earlier on when you asked, but it doesn't look like you ever saw it.

[Anderton]

I was literally just about to post it...I saw nothing incendiary or political about it, it was more like an eyewitness news segment. I edited it a bit to concentrate on what I felt was the most crucial point that needed to be communicated. It also got me thinking about who benefits the most from societal instability, and what you're saying seems to posit that it's neither Republicans or Democrats. That instantly takes the post out of the realm of partisan politics.

 

FWIW based on eyewitness accounts from my daughter in Los Angeles, and my experience of what's happening here in Nashville, what he says is the case in Minneapolis is happening elsewhere. Obviously this may, or may not, apply to other hot spots where rioting is occurring. However, it does not surprise me that groups whose goal is to divide society would take advantage of a situation that would further their goals. I feel the following part of what he sent is what's most relevant to the thread, and short enough that most people will read it

 

"My issue is with the pervasive idea that supporting the black community was supporting anarchy and destruction - sadly this is what many of the national news agencies seem to be stuck on - that the damage is being done by the people upset over George Floyd's death. Those of us who live in or near the original hotspots know otherwise. The amount done by African-Americans is a very small percentage. Even the surveillance footage from my friends' businesses shows mostly white people*. I don't think we want to fall victim to that lie.

 

"If you are believing the national news reports of the black community here doing this destruction, be aware that they are not reporting everything factually. As I've said, I have many relatives and friends in Minneapolis and the surrounding area - a couple that are in law enforcement, and a few that were on the streets involved with the peaceful protests. The destruction is by and large being done by white supremacists, some drug cartels**, and militia groups, as well as other outside organizations and homegrown trash of all races. Three nights ago we literally had both confirmed members of the KKK (from out of state) and ANTIFA (not technically an organization but a group with common ideals) on the streets within a six-block area. We were hoping that those two groups would cancel each other out and be too busy attacking each other. Sadly, that was not the case - instead there were more burnings, multiple large explosions, kidnappings, and more. These people, besides burning buildings and looting, are filling the role of "agitators", inciting violence from within the peaceful protests. An example might be a white supremacist hiding in a crowd at a peaceful protest. He shoots toward the police in riot gear or the National Guard, and the authorities return fire into the entire crowd. The following night there were tons of cars with no license plates running dark, speeding around neighborhoods shooting people indiscriminately - not a sign of any "side" being involved. In addition caches of weapons and bottles of gasoline were being stashed in backyards of peoples' homes. Possibly drug cartel people, no one knows. We are still on alert to report the cars. I fear that the purpose is to make the peaceful African-Americans get the blame for this, and that is a long-term goal sadly of these groups. A secondary possibility is the goal of destabilizing regions so they can be more easily controlled by cartels or similar.

 

"This is what has happened in Minneapolis. Blackout Tuesday has very little to do with supporting "domestic terrorism and anarchy" and much more to do with the opposite - justice and peace. The African-American community is not doing the majority of the destruction and rioting. They're on the streets cleaning up their neighborhoods and peacefully protesting, and THAT should be supported."

 

* Note from Craig: this is also the case in Nashville. Also, my daughter says a considerable amount of the looting in LA and the resulting arrests involves relatively well-off kids from places like Orange County. Also, there are in fact peaceful protests that aren't getting a lot of attention (including several that have gone down the street on which she lives, with zero destruction or violence).

 

** The drug cartel angle is particularly interesting. If you look at countries where drug cartels hold significant power, they have often gotten there over time by sowing discontent and fear among the citizens, and reducing trust in law enforcement. This is because effective law enforcement, aided by the cooperation/trust of regular citizens, impedes their progress the most.

[KuruPrionz]

THANK YOU, Mighty Motif Max AND Craig for posting this!!!!

 

I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the truth of the situation.

It is very quiet where I live and I am grateful. For all that, Whatcom county has a dark history of racism and is primarlily white.

 

As an adopted brother of a Lummi Elder I hear and see firsthand how the tribes are treated as lower forms of life. I don't understand the blind hatred, who gets to choose their parents? And who does not want what all humans want - respect, trust, love and family?

[Doerfler]

I am writing this from downtown Washington DC. I work in a very nice, affluent area. CBS DC is directly across the street. I can walk to the White House in about 20 minutes. Every building is either boarded up already or being boarded up currently. CVS stores, liquor stores, jewelry stores, restaurants, all broken into and windows smashed. Protests are planned all weekend. Peaceful protesters are not doing the looting, obviously, but the media here call them "opportunists". Definitely not drug cartels here, just plain old anarchy. Curfews were in place as early as 6:00PM this past Tuesday. I think curfew is 11:00PM tonight, I'll roll out of town into Maryland around 10:00PM to avoid any potential trouble. Not going to come back into the city until next Tuesday. I'll wait to wait until then to see what's left of it.

[GovernorSilver]

I am writing this from downtown Washington DC. I work in a very nice, affluent area. CBS DC is directly across the street. I can walk to the White House in about 20 minutes. Every building is either boarded up already or being boarded up currently. CVS stores, liquor stores, jewelry stores, restaurants, all broken into and windows smashed. Protests are planned all weekend. Peaceful protesters are not doing the looting, obviously, but the media here call them "opportunists". Definitely not drug cartels here, just plain old anarchy. Curfews were in place as early as 6:00PM this past Tuesday. I think curfew is 11:00PM tonight, I'll roll out of town into Maryland around 10:00PM to avoid any potential trouble. Not going to come back into the city until next Tuesday. I'll wait to wait until then to see what's left of it.

 

Adding to the confusion is this rumor about bricks

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pallets-of-bricks-protest-sites/

[J. Dan]

Let's start a movement leaving random stacks of vinyl records and see if we can change the world.

[Anderton]

Let's start a movement leaving random stacks of vinyl records and see if we can change the world.

 

Given that record speeds are given in revolutions per minute, I see what you're doing there. Maybe you can fool some people with your thinly-veiled use of incendiary terminology, but you can't fool me.

 

And you're probably talking about records that go at 33.3 revolutions per minute - exactly half of 66.6. And what about your avatar? Coincidence? You decide!