After the deaths reported at HARD Summer, the Insomniac founder had something to say about the recent perception towards dance music.
Pasquale Rotella, founder of Insomniac, the company behind EDC, put out a lengthy Instagram post to voice his opinion about the media coverage of electronic dance music recently. The deaths at HARD Summer reflected on the festival and others like it badly and there is a lot of talk about curbing further such events.
(Image Courtesy: radio.com)
Here’s what the festival organizer has to say about it.
I’ve been incredibly saddened by yet another loss of life that’s been attributed to our culture, and I have spent the last week reflecting on how the story has played out in the media. First and foremost, my heart goes out to the friends and family of those two young women. We don’t condone or tolerate drug use, but the problem here isn’t raves or dance music, or even festivals in general. The health impact of drug abuse in our country extends far beyond what happens at our events. I lost five friends to drug overdoses at a young age, none of which occurred at dance music festivals; most of them weren’t even fans of the genre. No one wrote about them.
Dance culture has survived for decades and has never been more popular. Banning these events at facilities where we are able to provide first-rate medical care and emergency services is not the answer. I hope that policymakers and the media do not turn their backs on a cultural movement that is thriving and brings so much happiness to a generation that, quite frankly, needs an environment where they can feel loved and accepted. Most just want healthy interaction with their peers. I know that if I didn’t have access to this community growing up, my life would have taken a much different turn.
I see nothing but great opportunity within large gatherings—the opportunity to promote health, happiness, individuality, and human connection. If we’re trying to create a safe and secure environment for these passionate fans, sending them back into the unregulated underground isn’t a step in the right direction. We all need to do our part in creating a national dialogue that educates our youth and encourages them to be accountable for their choices—especially when it comes to drugs.
While it seems easier to hold a public event responsible for a decision made by an individual, we’ve already discussed repercussions of such before. Stay put for more festival-related news.