Mission

 

The Modern Dance Music Research and Archiving Foundation’s mission is to preserve and document the phenomenon of dance music from circa 1970 through modern day and to highlight the significance of this genre of music.  This not-for-profit organization exists to educate the public and encourage study of this art form and its effects on popular culture.  This mission will be achieved by archiving and digitizing private collections, documenting contributor’s lifetime achievements, and by hosting events and exhibits.

 

 

 

Vision

 

The Modern Dance Music Research and Archiving Foundation’s mission is to preserve and document the phenomenon of dance music from circa 1970 through modern day. This period in the history of dance music may be referred to as the “Modern Dance Music” period or the “Era”. 

 

We will achieve the aim of preserving and documenting Modern Dance Music by archiving and digitizing private collections of historic recordings, pieces of original artwork, memorabilia and items which were insignificant at the time but now have historical significance (i.e. lease agreements of significant dance clubs).

 

We will document the lifetime achievements of living artists (both past and present) by interviewing them and archiving significant pieces of their legacies. We will document the lifetime achievements of deceased artists by interviewing their relatives and work partners and by archiving historic work and memorabilia from their lifetime. The Foundation will also host events showcasing the performances of significant dance music artists, DJ’s and live performers from around the world.

 

The Foundation will preserve dance music history which has impacted the dance and popular culture of Tokyo, Detroit, Chicago, New York, London, Miami, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin, Manchester, Hamburg, and more than a dozen other cities worldwide.

 

We will document and archive history as it is being made worldwide at dance music festivals such as Miami’s Winter Music Conference, the UK’s Southport Weekender, Chicago’s House Music Reunion Picnic, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Music Festival, and at EDM festivals around the world such as Chicago’s Wavefront and Northcoast music festivals and at Lalapalooza’s dance music stage.

 

We currently have a one day symposium scheduled for Spring 2014 at Columbia College Chicago and a two week exhibition scheduled for summer of 2014 at Northwestern University; and we will program and schedule additional worldwide tours of interactive exhibits.  We will program seminars which will include speaking engagements of pioneers, contemporary artists and significant contributors and historians in the history of dance music. The seminars and speaking engagements will be educational presentations discussing how musical movements were created, the creative process behind the making of songs important to the history of Modern Dance Music and the impact that that music had on popular culture and the dance music industry.

 

We are dedicated to opening a world-class dance music museum to showcase this rich history and we are committed to partnering with arts organizations. We will finance the achievement of these goals by soliciting donations, crowd funding sources, corporate sponsorships, and by partnering with organizations and individuals who also value this history.

 

Outlined below is a more comprehensive, though not exhaustive list of goals which the Foundation is committed to accomplishing.

 

The Foundation’s goals include but are not limited to

• Collection and display of artifacts relevant to dance music from the Era,

• Collection of in-person interviews with relevant historical figures from the Era,

• Creation of a dance music museum in Chicago and/or in other Cities,

• Scholarly study of the Era,

• Collection of periodicals, literary works, motion pictures, and audio-visual works regarding the Era,

• Collection of historic recordings from the Era,

• Collection of marketing materials from the Era,

• Developing timelines for significant events from the Era,

• A study of the advances in technology particularly in regards to the emerging art of the DJ as well as technological advances in sound engineering in regards to professional sound and the standards set and exceeded during the Era, and

• Study of the architectural design of historic venues and creation of a virtual reality reproduction of historic venues from the Era.

 

The Foundation may partner with other organizations with a similar purpose to engage in lawful business which is in furtherance of similar goals. In addition to amassing the referenced collections the Foundation will also endeavor to paint a picture of the Modern Dance Music period and explain the importance of the period and how modern dance music has influenced the past and continues to influence modern pop culture and how dance music has helped shape cultural norms and bridge cultural gaps.