Join Rock Corps, Then Take Back the Music

Rock Corps works around a simple concept, "You've got to give to get." In this case, Give four hours of volunteer work, and get a ticket to a concert. There are some great bands on tour this year and tickets can be hard to get and expensive. Why not join Rock Corps and do some good for your community and for your self? Visit boostmobilerockcorps.org to learn more, find your volunteer opportunity, and get your concert ticket.

Rock Corps hasn't spread all over the US yet, so contact Rock Corps at info@rockcorps.org or 1 (888) ROCK - 889 to get it started in your area. Remember, you can't buy or win a ticket for Rock Corps concerts, you've got to earn a ticket. Rock on!

Before you choose a concert, be sure to consider what you'll be listening to. Every now and again, I find myself in a home or hotel that has cable television. Since I don't have cable in my home (or satellite or dish) in my home, I miss out on a lot of the music videos that garner so much attention these days. But when I happen upon music videos, I'm convinced that's a good thing. Music videos have changed a lot since the days of "Friday Night Videos", and in many ways, not for the better.

In response, Essence magazine ("The magazine for today's black woman") launched Take back the music in January 2005. Here's their mission:

"•provide a platform for discussion about popular music's more extreme images of Black women;
• explore the effects of such imagery on our children, especially our girls;
• seek greater balance in how Black women-and Black men-are portrayed in popular music and culture;
• encourage readers to examine their own attitudes on the subject;
• promote artists who deliver positive alternatives so that readers can vote with their dollars;
• give readers a blueprint for how they, too, can get involved in our campaign in whatever ways make sense for them."

Readers and other concerned people are asked to "bombard the cable music networks with calls, letters and E-mails that tell them just how you feel
* Visit Essence to learn more about the campaign and to find a letter you can send to all three networks with the click of your mouse.

* Write BET at tvviewerscomments@bet.com, call them at 1-800-711-1630, FAX them at (202) 608-2595, or send a letter to BET, 1900 W. Place, N.E., Washington DC 20018.

* Write MTV at mtvfeedback@mtvn.com, call them at 212/258-8700, FAX them at (212) 258-8100, or send a letter to MTV, 1515 Broadway, New York NY 10036.

* Write Fuse at fuseinfo@fuse.tv, call them at 212/324-3400, FAX them at (212) 324-3445, or send a letter to FUSE, 11 Penn Plaza 17th floor, New York NY 10001.

This is an important issue, particularly considering the amount of violence against women that occurs these days. Voice your opinion and hold these networks accountable for the programming they air. Let's take back the music!

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky." - Jimi Hendrix