Not your average political gig

New York City weather drops below freezing in the winter. This
became painfully obvious to anti-war protesters Dan Droller and
Franz Hartl, who took to the streets Feb. 15, 2003, to counter the
Iraq war ““ a war they viewed as an oil dispute that was
endangering the lives of their friends.

After hours of labor in the cold, the two youths (22 and 24 at
the time, respectively) took their almost frost-bitten fingers to a
local Chinese restaurant to warm up over a few beers and some
political conversation.

That day of protest saw the participation of 15 million people
worldwide ““ larger than all of the Vietnam protests combined
““ but according to Hartl, “it did absolutely
nothing.”

As the men talked, it became obvious the voices of American
youth were not being heard ““ at least not through rallies.
They decided it was time to try another strategy.

Then and there, the seed was planted for a revolutionary means
of political mobilization, one which would educate the youth masses
through music. It became Music for America.

“When people say that the youth are apathetic, we think
that’s (stupid),” said Droller. “We care;
it’s just that no one’s speaking to us.”

Music for America’s basic strategy is to “have a
concert, get people involved, give them the facts, (but)
don’t be aggressively preachy,” said Hartl.

Over the past year, MfA has been involved with over 150 music
events ““ sometimes simply setting up a voter registration
booth, other times organizing the whole event, from the artists to
the venue. This Friday’s show at the Henry Fonda Theater,
featuring the hip-hop act Blackalicious, was organized from the
ground up by MfA.

“We’re trying our damn’dest to keep ticket
prices down and keep shows affordable,” said Hartl.

Money from tickets, which sell for $25 each, goes to support the
artists and to pay for the venue. MfA stays afloat through private
donations.

The organization only consists of eight members in their 20s,
interns and a legion of at least 100 volunteers around the country.
Volunteers do the grassroots networking at concerts by talking to
people, registering voters, and helping people find outlets to take
actions on the issues that are important to them.

“People might be like “˜Oh yeah, Bush sucks,’
but (we want to) focus that energy, by showing them how stuff
relates to their personal lives,” said Droller.

One issue MfA is trying to educate people about is that of the
egregious monopoly in the music industry, specifically by the
corporation Clear Channel.

“The reason why people say that radio stations suck is
because of Clear Channel,” said Droller.

The behemoth corporation owns over 1,200 radio stations, 37
television stations and 135 music venues in the nation and hundreds
more radio outlets globally. It controls 60 percent of all rock
programming, and literally owns the tours of such acts as Pearl Jam
and *NSYNC.

MfA believes that in order to change the current political
situation, a change in Washington would be required, which is why
MfA is encouraging the youth to get out and vote, especially in the
upcoming primaries.

According to Droller, “(These are) issues that affect
people’s lives that they feel powerless over. We’re
trying to give people a sense of empowerment that they can make a
difference.”

Music for America’s concert series “Party and
Politics: Not Your Average Party Politics,” featuring
Blackalicious and more, will take place Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. Tickets are $25. Go to
www.musicforamerica.com for more information.