WE FOUND OUT 24HRS AGO THE UNDERGROUND DANCE SCENE HAS BEEN UNDER INGESTION BY CHANNEL 10 NBC UNDERCOVER REPORTS. THEY HAVE ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW,THIS IS OUR STATEMENT. STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN!!!
It goes without saying that electronic dance music is more a part of the mainstream now than it ever has been in the past. However, our culture – that is to say, the culture surrounding electronic dance music – is perpetually marginalized and stigmatized. Members of our community have been rejected, discriminated against, and even physically victimized by the mainstream; they are forced feel like outcasts in their own world. This fact is ugly and unpleasant but it is the truth and it has been nothing but detrimental to our youth. It is for this reason that we do the events that we do: we provide an outlet, a home, for those would otherwise be culturally homeless. We welcome people of all races, creeds and sexual orientations without the slightest judgment. We do not ask that you join our culture, we do not even ask that you like our culture; but we humbly ask that you recognize it for what it is: a culture, founded upon a communal reverence for arts and music, with nothing but the most positive values as its moral core. The central tenet of our culture is P.L.U.R., an acronym that stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect, and these values are the cornerstone of the way we live our lives.
With my company, Tru Skool Productions, I have sought to do nothing but be the embodiment of this credo. As is evidenced by all of our print promotion, I have worked in cooperation with numerous charities on numerous occasions; my company has sponsored – and I have personally participated, on my company’s behalf – in walkathons and marches; I have held clothing, food and toy drives on behalf of the facility which has been gracious enough to provide us with a location at which to hold our events. Many of the young men and women who are currently overseas with the United States Armed Services would, if they were at home, support what we do; quite a few of them are even absentee members of my staff, being entertainers or security. This company has gone to great lengths to give love and support to these individuals. We have sent them letters, music, and video footage; we stay up until all hours of the night so that we can talk to them online; we do everything in our power to make sure that they know that they are in our thoughts and loved. I feel confident in saying that any of these young soldiers would state without hesitation that one of the freedoms for which they are fighting as we speak is the freedom to live within their culture – our culture – openly and without fear.
Many people in this community consider me to be somewhat of a champion of disenfranchised youth. I look to what the individual has to offer, not the way in which she may be perceived by the world at large. I am, as it were, very much an equal opportunity employer – there are members of my staff who are gay, minorities, physically disabled. I freely give these individuals the opportunity for acceptance; I give them the opportunity to participate in an environment where they need not fear prejudice or discrimination. And for these people – for everyone on whose behalf I do what I do – these events are of tantamount importance and significance. Our culture is central to our lives; without it some of us would have nothing.
My job, then, is to ensure to the best of my ability that these people have the liberty to be who they want to be. My company puts a great deal of time and effort into creating a secure environment at my events. We are very much aware of the fact that Lancaster Hall is located in a neighborhood of Philadelphia that has a very high crime rate; we have such concern for the well-being of our patrons that with no difficulty we have been able to put together a volunteer security staff comprised of professional bouncers and guards from multiple other mainstream clubs and concert venues. On countless occasions my security team has joked that my events are the easiest to manage that they’ve ever encountered, in stark contrast to their other positions at mainstream clubs and venues where extreme acts of violence and aggression are the norm. In nine years we have had only two violent outbursts. The first, instigated not by one of my patrons but by a local inhabitant of the neighborhood, occurred outside the venue, after the event had already ended, with the majority of the patrons already gone from the premises. In response to the second, in which only one punch was thrown, my security team immediately ejected the guilty parties and banned them from all future events; furthermore, so as forestall even the possibility of further violence, the event was shut down three and a half hours before its scheduled ending. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have total control. But at every event we take all the precautions that are within our power to insure that these incidents do not occur. At the door, security conducts an extensive search of everyone who enters the building; I employ both male and female security guards so that no one is excluded from these procedures. In addition, my staff is instructed to be a formidable presence in the crowd, so as to make it known that we are watching everything that goes on in the building. Public announcements are made at random intervals throughout the night, by both staff and entertainers, stating in no uncertain terms what behavior is and is not acceptable. Practically speaking, my security and I do absolutely everything we can. The first, instigated not by one of my patrons but by a local inhabitant of the neighborhood, occurred outside the venue, after the event had already ended, with the majority of the patrons already gone from the premises. In response to the second, in which only one punch was thrown, my security team immediately ejected the guilty parties and banned them from all future events; furthermore, so as forestall even the possibility of further violence, the event was shut down three and a half hours before its scheduled ending. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have total control. But at every event we take all the precautions that are within our power to insure that these incidents do not occur. At the door, security conducts an extensive search of everyone who enters the building; I employ both male and female security guards so that no one is excluded from these procedures.
There is, of course, the issue of illegal drugs. It would be misleading of me to say that there are none; however, they are neither condoned nor tolerated. As I mentioned before, everyone who enters Lancaster Hall for one of my events is thoroughly searched. Individuals who are caught in possession of illegal drugs and alcohol, using illegal drugs and alcohol, or distributing illegal drugs and alcohol are not permitted to enter the venue, or they are immediately ejected and permanently banned from any Tru Skool-related events. We do not confiscate drugs because that is not our job. It is not our place to confiscate, we are not law enforcement; but it is very much our duty to prevent negative elements from infiltrating our events, and we take every measure to do so. Unfortunately, drugs are very much a part of society as a whole, from homes to schools to entertainment, and we cannot do away with their presence entirely; but my company does everything in its power to keep them away. Know that everyone who attends a Tru Skool event is, to the best of our abilities, safe and cared for: because, in fact, I do care, very much.
The fact of the matter is that the persecution our culture currently endures is no different from the persecution to which every other major subculture has been subjected. Just as the hippies in the sixties persisted in the face of adversity to earn their place in history, so shall we; our way of life may be new and different to you but that does not make it wrong. And it is clear that society has begun to accept our music, even if they have not accepted our culture. Superstar DJs are the new rock stars. They tour with major rock bands; they are featured in commercials, movies and television shows; they have performed at political events and the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Their presence is felt in the global sphere. Tru Skool has been honored to be a small part of this growing influence: we have brought talent from three different continents, seven different countries, and twenty different states to a crowd who may never have had the opportunity to experience such international culture. Devoted fans have traveled just as far to hear the music they love. We may be a minority now, but we are strong and we are growing, and all I ask is the right to continue to contribute to the way of life that we love.
I’ll see you on the dancefloor.
Respectfully,
Mickey Fronick
It goes without saying that electronic dance music is more a part of the mainstream now than it ever has been in the past. However, our culture – that is to say, the culture surrounding electronic dance music – is perpetually marginalized and stigmatized. Members of our community have been rejected, discriminated against, and even physically victimized by the mainstream; they are forced feel like outcasts in their own world. This fact is ugly and unpleasant but it is the truth and it has been nothing but detrimental to our youth. It is for this reason that we do the events that we do: we provide an outlet, a home, for those would otherwise be culturally homeless. We welcome people of all races, creeds and sexual orientations without the slightest judgment. We do not ask that you join our culture, we do not even ask that you like our culture; but we humbly ask that you recognize it for what it is: a culture, founded upon a communal reverence for arts and music, with nothing but the most positive values as its moral core. The central tenet of our culture is P.L.U.R., an acronym that stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect, and these values are the cornerstone of the way we live our lives.
With my company, Tru Skool Productions, I have sought to do nothing but be the embodiment of this credo. As is evidenced by all of our print promotion, I have worked in cooperation with numerous charities on numerous occasions; my company has sponsored – and I have personally participated, on my company’s behalf – in walkathons and marches; I have held clothing, food and toy drives on behalf of the facility which has been gracious enough to provide us with a location at which to hold our events. Many of the young men and women who are currently overseas with the United States Armed Services would, if they were at home, support what we do; quite a few of them are even absentee members of my staff, being entertainers or security. This company has gone to great lengths to give love and support to these individuals. We have sent them letters, music, and video footage; we stay up until all hours of the night so that we can talk to them online; we do everything in our power to make sure that they know that they are in our thoughts and loved. I feel confident in saying that any of these young soldiers would state without hesitation that one of the freedoms for which they are fighting as we speak is the freedom to live within their culture – our culture – openly and without fear.
Many people in this community consider me to be somewhat of a champion of disenfranchised youth. I look to what the individual has to offer, not the way in which she may be perceived by the world at large. I am, as it were, very much an equal opportunity employer – there are members of my staff who are gay, minorities, physically disabled. I freely give these individuals the opportunity for acceptance; I give them the opportunity to participate in an environment where they need not fear prejudice or discrimination. And for these people – for everyone on whose behalf I do what I do – these events are of tantamount importance and significance. Our culture is central to our lives; without it some of us would have nothing.
My job, then, is to ensure to the best of my ability that these people have the liberty to be who they want to be. My company puts a great deal of time and effort into creating a secure environment at my events. We are very much aware of the fact that Lancaster Hall is located in a neighborhood of Philadelphia that has a very high crime rate; we have such concern for the well-being of our patrons that with no difficulty we have been able to put together a volunteer security staff comprised of professional bouncers and guards from multiple other mainstream clubs and concert venues. On countless occasions my security team has joked that my events are the easiest to manage that they’ve ever encountered, in stark contrast to their other positions at mainstream clubs and venues where extreme acts of violence and aggression are the norm. In nine years we have had only two violent outbursts. The first, instigated not by one of my patrons but by a local inhabitant of the neighborhood, occurred outside the venue, after the event had already ended, with the majority of the patrons already gone from the premises. In response to the second, in which only one punch was thrown, my security team immediately ejected the guilty parties and banned them from all future events; furthermore, so as forestall even the possibility of further violence, the event was shut down three and a half hours before its scheduled ending. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have total control. But at every event we take all the precautions that are within our power to insure that these incidents do not occur. At the door, security conducts an extensive search of everyone who enters the building; I employ both male and female security guards so that no one is excluded from these procedures. In addition, my staff is instructed to be a formidable presence in the crowd, so as to make it known that we are watching everything that goes on in the building. Public announcements are made at random intervals throughout the night, by both staff and entertainers, stating in no uncertain terms what behavior is and is not acceptable. Practically speaking, my security and I do absolutely everything we can. The first, instigated not by one of my patrons but by a local inhabitant of the neighborhood, occurred outside the venue, after the event had already ended, with the majority of the patrons already gone from the premises. In response to the second, in which only one punch was thrown, my security team immediately ejected the guilty parties and banned them from all future events; furthermore, so as forestall even the possibility of further violence, the event was shut down three and a half hours before its scheduled ending. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have total control. But at every event we take all the precautions that are within our power to insure that these incidents do not occur. At the door, security conducts an extensive search of everyone who enters the building; I employ both male and female security guards so that no one is excluded from these procedures.
There is, of course, the issue of illegal drugs. It would be misleading of me to say that there are none; however, they are neither condoned nor tolerated. As I mentioned before, everyone who enters Lancaster Hall for one of my events is thoroughly searched. Individuals who are caught in possession of illegal drugs and alcohol, using illegal drugs and alcohol, or distributing illegal drugs and alcohol are not permitted to enter the venue, or they are immediately ejected and permanently banned from any Tru Skool-related events. We do not confiscate drugs because that is not our job. It is not our place to confiscate, we are not law enforcement; but it is very much our duty to prevent negative elements from infiltrating our events, and we take every measure to do so. Unfortunately, drugs are very much a part of society as a whole, from homes to schools to entertainment, and we cannot do away with their presence entirely; but my company does everything in its power to keep them away. Know that everyone who attends a Tru Skool event is, to the best of our abilities, safe and cared for: because, in fact, I do care, very much.
The fact of the matter is that the persecution our culture currently endures is no different from the persecution to which every other major subculture has been subjected. Just as the hippies in the sixties persisted in the face of adversity to earn their place in history, so shall we; our way of life may be new and different to you but that does not make it wrong. And it is clear that society has begun to accept our music, even if they have not accepted our culture. Superstar DJs are the new rock stars. They tour with major rock bands; they are featured in commercials, movies and television shows; they have performed at political events and the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Their presence is felt in the global sphere. Tru Skool has been honored to be a small part of this growing influence: we have brought talent from three different continents, seven different countries, and twenty different states to a crowd who may never have had the opportunity to experience such international culture. Devoted fans have traveled just as far to hear the music they love. We may be a minority now, but we are strong and we are growing, and all I ask is the right to continue to contribute to the way of life that we love.
I’ll see you on the dancefloor.
Respectfully,
Mickey Fronick
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Philadelphia
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