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Dropping the Bass:

Electronic Dance Music Festivals as a Forum for Community and Cultural Identity
Development

Ivanna Tucker
Linfield College
Communication Arts Program
itucker@linfield.edu

Submitted to the
Northwest Communication Association Annual Conference
February 2015

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Dropping the Bass: Electronic Dance Music Festivals as a Forum for Community and Cultural
Identity Development

Abstract
This critical essay focuses on Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festivals and how attendees
perceive the event as a forum for community and cultural identity development. Fantasy
Theme Criticism was used as a frame to look at the overall themes and visions that are
presented at the event to explore how the experience creates the attendees' reality. The goal
of this study was to see what aspects draw attendees to be a part of the EDM community and
how the event helps establish a collective cultural identity through music.

Keywords: electronic dance music, rave culture, music festivals, fantasy theme, criticism

Introduction
Neon lights, lasers, and smoke float over the crowd as the main stage performance
begins. Thousands of creative, eccentrically dressed people are intimately enclosed within the
barriers of a fairground. All of them want to share the same experience and environment
the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festival. Throughout the two or three-day festival,
attendees meet others who share the same values and passion for EDM. This music
influenced millions to become a part of a worldwide community. The genre has grown vastly
in popularity in the past decade in commercial music. It features the use of electronic
instruments and musical manipulation that focuses more on movement rather than sound.
Electronic Dance Music was first brought to life in the 1970s. Disco became a way to focus on
the personal experience on the dance floor (Butler 36). The sound of this genre transformed
over the decades into a mode of experimentation and personal exploration. For example,
Juan Atkins recorded the song No UFOs that featured strong bass lines with chant-like lyrics
(Butler 43). The DJ became an important figure in the underground genre as people gathered
together to hear the music. These concerts were first considered raves; however, the name
has been changed to Electronic Dance Music Festivals in hopes of transforming the
environment from drug-infested events to positive, engaging experiences (Reynolds). Around
the world, Electronic Dance Music festivals are filled with thousands of fans coming together
to share the experience. Fans look to these festivals as a way to express their love for the
genre and share it with others. EDM fans consider themselves part of a community, with
groups and organizations being developed for support and personal development. Fans
connect to the event for more than just the entertainment value. They consider it a forum for
community and developing their own cultural identity.

Previous studies have looked at Electronic Dance Music and its connection to the
audience. Ferrieita found that there is a distinct connection between the DJ, the music, and
the audience. Research has been done on how music creates ideological messages and
influences for its listeners. For example, Hesmondhalgh discovered how people look to EDM
for a personal connection with others who listen to the same music through live or recorded
performances. Studies have also been conducted on the significance of music festivals for
attendees. Sharpe discovered that music festivals have the potential to be forums for social
change.
As EDM Festivals become more prominent in popular culture, we need a more in-depth
understanding of the type of community that the event produces. Music has the potential to
influence listeners personal and cultural identity. Electronic Dance Music is becoming a major
part of popular culture even with the previous negative connotations surrounding the rave.
Few, if any, studies have been done that explore the community and cultural identity
development of this cultural space. This study will look at the positive aspects of the music
festival to determine its impact on cultural identity and community for attendees.
Using Ernest Bormann's Fantasy Theme Criticism, the purpose of this study is to
explore the elements that make Electronic Dance Music Festivals forums for the development
of community and personal identity.
Literature Review
A review of previous studies revealed three major areas of investigation pertinent to this
research project. They include analysis of the characteristics of electronic dance music and
raves, music and its impact on listeners, and music festivals as forums of community.

Electronic Dance Music and Raves

A number of research studies have investigated Electronic Dance Music and its role in
creating the listeners experiences. Researchers have found a connection between the music
and listener. Ott and Herman found that an important aspect of EDM is the consumers
experiences and their personal connections to the music (250). Individuals look to raves and
concerts as a forum to become an artist through body movements as a means to escape a
focus on personal struggles (257). The DJ has become a major cultural icon in attempts to
make EDM a part of popular culture.
Ferreita found that music produced in EDM represents the importance of movement
and the connection between the DJ and the audience (18). Audience members play a key
role in the performance and form a new location for reality. In their study Riley, Griffin, and
Morey looked at how important the personal experience is for the audience at festivals. EDM
festivals serve as an opportunity for resistance of everyday politics and challenge audience
members to experience sovereignty (356).
McLead looked at how Electronic Dance Music includes a variety of subgenres within it
that help people differentiate the various types of sounds the DJs produce. Some examples
are trap, hardstyle, trance, and dubstep. Each sound appeals to different members of the
community (McLead 66). The label of each subgenre is based on the groups shared social
understanding of the music. The names of these subgenres help rectify the significance of
otherness. These terms also help establish who is a part of the culture and who is not by
recognizing their knowledge of the constantly evolving genres and their names within
Electronic Dance Music.
Goulding, Shankar, and Richard found that raves have become a new source for
community. Within the rave community there is a focus for individuals to make a statement

as a standard for being accepted (271). They characterize themselves as rebels or misfits.
Members of the community tend to not feel like they belong in their normal environments. The
lived experience of attending raves has brought people together into a temporary neo-tribe
that separates them from the masses (273).
Music and Its Impact on Listeners
Researchers have looked at how music itself has an impact on listeners and how it
convinces them to be a part of the musical experience. There is a definite connection
between music and the listeners identity in a multitude of ways.
Morris discusses how music resonates in listeners because of their sense of collective
experience (114). Those experiences help establish communities of individuals who have
shared experiences through the same music. Hesmondhalgh looks at how music helps
develop self-identity and helps listeners feel emotionally connected to the content. Listeners
have a combined collective experience that they share with others through live concerts or
owning the same record (335). Music has become a part of the identity of many and brings
up memories that resonate in the mind.
Firth discusses how music becomes a representation of the people who listen to it.
There is a sense of shared values and symbols that are expressed in music that personally
connect to listeners (121). This draws them to build their own self-identity from their music
consumption. They connect to a sense of displaying freedom through self-expression and
control.
Music Festivals as Forums of Community
Researchers have looked at how music festivals have become a forum for establishing
community. Their research focuses on the consumer experience while at these events and
what attendees may gain from participation in the festival.

Gardner examined why people leave to become a part of portable communities, such
as music festivals. He looked solely at a bluegrass music festival and found that audience
members wanted to escape their home situations to become a part of an intimate, safe
community due to lack of connection with their home environments (173). Sharpe found that
music festivals could also be used for promoting social change, which often are masked by
the leisure activities available. Music festival organizers design the events with the clear
intention to achieve their goals to promote a message; in some cases its political (227). This
has become a form of pleasure-politics that helps liberate attendees to become a part of a
social change by going to music festivals.
Definition of Terms
Electronic Dance Music is an umbrella term used for describing different types of
music, including house, techno, trance, and many other genres developed in the past two
decades (Butler 32). Music that falls into this category is produced with the use of electronic
technologies. The term Electronic Dance Music was originated in popular culture in the
United States in the late 2000s (Greenberg).
A rave is a large festival or party that features live Electronic Dance Music by DJs
(Reynolds). The performances typically include laser shows, smoke, and other visual effects.
Recently, members of the community have started to refer to raves as Electronic Dance
Music Festivals (Reynolds). This was an effort to remove all of the negative connotations
constantly attached to the term rave and to produce a new idea for consumers to appeal to.
Throughout this paper, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festivals will be used for positive
connotations of the event. Rave will be used for negative references.

Research Questions
This paper will focus on the following research questions: 1) How do individuals look at
the Electronic Dance Music festival and do they see it as a forum for community? 2) How do
EDM festivals help attendees establish identity through their experiences at these events?
Method
Communities develop a distinct set of mutual understandings. This helps members
share their experiences from a social reality that they have constructed. Communities are built
around common perspectives and interests. By looking at the messages in which groups
recount their experiences, people can predict future behavior and attitudes. Bormanns
Fantasy Theme Criticism (FTC) helps critics provide insight about views of specific groups by
analyzing what the communication promotes about the group (Foss 97). This section will
focus on the fundamental aspects of this method of criticism and the steps critics use to
analyze an artifact. Then, it will look at how FTC has been applied by other critics and how it
will help provide an understanding the EDM festivals.
The FTC concept was developed from symbolic convergence theory, which is based
on Bales idea that there is a dynamic process for group fantasizing (Bormann, Fantasy
399). This idea is based on two assumptions: communication helps create individual's reality
and that individuals meanings for symbols can converge to create a shared reality or
community consciousness (Foss 97). Communication can be interpreted to help critics
understand rhetorical communities.
Fantasy theme is the basic unit of communication (Sellnow 98). These units normally
center around a problem faced by a group and focus on how to release the tension in some
way. These themes typically chain out through a group, indicating participation in a group

drama (Foss and Littlejohn 319). Fantasy themes are shared through chaining. Then
themes become a part of a shared importance or dramatization among a large group. Fantasy
types are an essential aspect of analysis. They represent scenarios constantly repeated by
the same characters when similar fantasies are constantly being presented (Golden, Berquist,
and Coleman). This makes group members take on new experiences and events with the
similar patterns of the fantasy types.
Next, the themes are brought together to create a rhetorical vision. A rhetorical vision
is the way in which a group views its reality. According to Bormann, once a vision develops it
contains dramatis personae and typical plot lines that can be alluded to in all communication
contexts and spark a response reminiscent of the original emotional chain (Fantasy). Group
members build a rhetorical community that shares a similar vision and responds to messages
in relation to the overarching vision presented.
The first step in conducting a fantasy theme analysis is to find evidence that a shared
fantasy is present within a group. Critics determine if the group uses specific terms, slogans,
or catch phrases (Foss 97-100). They also look at frequently mentioned specific themes or
narratives by group members that help build a fantasy (Sellnow 2014). Then, critics code all
references in the artifact that deal with settings, characters, and actions. The setting is where
characters designate what their roles and actions are within the environment (Foss 97-100).
Then, the critic looks at the characters involved in the action, including any nonhumans
involved in interactions. Characters should be categorized into themes (Foss 99). These
themes help establish a picture for each character within the narrative. For example, a theme
within a romantic comedy would be the love-seeking female or male. This can represent a
specific character or a group that plays a role in building a vision. Lastly, the critic has to label

which action is connected to what characters. For example, the love-seeking female may be
attached to searching for a potential love interest or asking friends for love advice.
After completing this process, critics look for patterns that help build a rhetorical vision.
The themes found are placed into two categories major and minor (Bormann, Fantasy).
Analysis usually focuses on looking at the major themes that are present because of the
frequency in which they appear.
Scholars in recent works have applied FTC in a number of ways. In The Day After:
Rhetorical Vision in an Ironic Frame, Foss and Littlejohn looked at how nuclear war is
presented in personal statements and the film The Day After. They argued that irony serves
as the source for developing the rhetorical vision of nuclear war, which makes the viewer see
themselves as potential victims without blatantly placing them in that position. Foss and
Littlejohn found that the artifacts rely on questioning of our entire existence and the
conclusion that coping by the means of irony (330). Their means of analysis shows how films
can provide two separate ways of looking at the nuclear war as a means of control and
superiority or placing oneself in the role of a victim.
On the other hand, A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Political Cartoons on the ClintonLewinsky-Starr Affair presented how rhetorical visions from different sources can sometimes
compete against each other, making the audience establish moral judgments of the political
figures involved. In this case, the authors looked at how cartoonists portrayed the rhetorical
visions of Bill Clinton and Ken Starr in order to convey their own vision. After looking at
multiple political cartoons about the affair, impeachment, and trial, Benoit, Klyuskski, McHale,
and Airne found that people presented with similar fantasy themes had similar attitudes about
the case (391). Thus, the separate works created complex layers to build one complete
rhetorical vision for the community.

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Endres Rhetorical Visions of Unmarried Mothers examined multiple pieces of rhetoric

and then had community members establish if the fantasy themes found related to their
rhetorical vision. This is different from other scholarly works using FTC because in the study
the community identified whether they accepted or denied dramas related to them. After
conducting his analysis, Endres found that even though artifacts may have consistent
messages, audience members only partially accept them. Then, the author implies that these
messages help unmarried mothers develop their personal image.
Kroll analyzed how interactions in the womens movements have changed since the
movements have become mainstream. She looked at how published newsletters voiced the
concerns about womens roles and what they wanted to change in their lives (141). There
was a transformation of fantasy themes from oppression to unfairness and social injustice.
They created a character called the heroine as someone who is a victim and devalued by
society. This description differed from the previous perspective of the heroine being a figure of
power and justice (143).
Simmons looked at websites of an ex-Christian organization to see how people within
this community engage with one another and understand their common beliefs (124). He
talked about the themes that relate to their renouncement of Christianity and also why that
action was the best decision for them. This study helped individuals understand individuals'
motives for removing themselves from certain religions and also reveals their perspective of
their reality within the community (Simmons 135).
Lastly, Broom and Avanzino discussed how rhetorical visions compete with each other.
They looked at community groups who have collaborated and analyzed common and different
themes between the two groups (486). There were common overarching themes that
connected the groups; however, the minor themes caused the tensions in collaboration.

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Broom and Avanzino found that there would be visions that describe success and also dictate
who is at fault for some decisions. These visions can complicate the interactions when groups
try to work to get together in a community.
The Fantasy Theme Criticism will help understand how EDM Festival attendees
develop their shared realities of the community. FTC will concentrate on how attendees
create their own shared realities within the displaced community. This method analyzes three
major parts of the event that establishes the experience of attendees the event, the
characters, and the actions. This helps build this fantasy type of the Electronic Dance Music
Festival as its own unique phenomenon rather than serving as just another name for a rave.
This method will facilitate comprehension of the aspects of EDM that drive individuals to
become community members and how they construct their cultural identity within that
environment.
Analysis
For artifacts this analysis uses a documentary called Under the Electric Sky and two
blog posts from EDM festival attendees. All the artifacts explore the experiences of attendees
as they go to EDM Festivals. Under the Electric Sky follows the personal stories of each
subject and also discusses their motivations for attending the event.
Three different elements play a significant role in the attendees experience at
Electronic Dance Music Festivals the setting, characters, and action. By looking at the
themes correlated with these areas, one may gain an understanding of the rhetorical vision of
the EDM Festival.

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Setting
Two main settings are essential to crafting the rhetorical vision. They are composed as
antithetical locations for attendees and provide a foundation for the rhetorical visions that are
presented.
The World
One of the main setting themes presented in the festival is the world. This traditional
obscure setting presents a vague interpretation for every aspect of life outside the festival
grounds. In the artifacts, there is a repetition of negative connotations of the world.
Attendees refer to it as a place full of hate and worries. There is a sense of feeling like one did
not belong and being lost in the world beyond the EDM Festival. Nick talks about how he
didn't think [he] belonged to anything until [he] found rave culture (Under the Electric Sky).
The documentary showcased the places outside the festival as dull and disconnected from
the individuals. The world is thought of as reality and positioning within society. When careers
and experiences within the world are discussed people labeled it as a center for struggle
and constant judgment. It became a counterbalance for the opposing setting theme.
The Festival
The opposing setting theme was the festival. The location is presented as a world of
fantasy and escape. Attendees discuss the beauty and artistic elements of the space. It is
presented as euphoric, vibrant, and colorful. The stages become a location of expression of
the overall experience and a part of the interconnecting performance. This plays a major role
in their experience and vibe of the event. The festival becomes a forum for all the interaction
and development to take place. Its description from attendees paints it as a magical world for
all those who go and depicts it as more than just a music event (Bonney). Attendees think of
this setting as a place to unite people who are different but all of whom face some sort of

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problem back at home. They use the festival as an escape. For example, one attendees says
EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) is uplifting. You leave your schoolwork and worries all behind
(Under the Electric Sky). The phrase electric sky was used to describe the environment filled
with LED lights and extravagant sets. It is a visually pleasing environment that triggers
sensory details with smoke, loud music, and bright colors. This is a transition from the
structure of raves because now the EDM community is adapting to mainstream culture while
finding ways to still stand out from other events. People look to EDM festivals to be lifechanging and emotional. It helps them connect to memories and individuals that they cherish
within their life. Some people bring items to the event to ensure others are spiritually there to
experience the festival with them. The event is structured to be fun and under the attendees
control. They choose what they want to listen to and what they would like to engage in. This
adventure creates an alternative universe that momentarily frees participants from the current
situations they may face at home.
Character
There are two major character themes depicted in the artifactsthe attendees and the
DJs. In addition to these, there is a nonhuman entity, electronic dance music, that performs
actions in the experience.
The Attendees
The individuals who attend Electronic Dance Music Festivals come from a variety of
backgrounds but connect for a unique experience. They are labeled as the forefront of the
EDM Festival experience and control how successful it is. Each has their own identity but
connects with others within the cultural space. Attendees believe in their connection with
others and the way in which they can engage in the experience together.

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Throughout the event, there is constant interaction with one another that helps
compose the dynamics and bonds within the community. Attendees refer to their group as a
community or family. They depend on taking care of one another and showing each other
respect. For example, Jose talked about how a group lifted his wheelchair to crowd surf
during one of the sets. He said, When I look down I see smiles, tears. I see people cheering
me on (Under the Electric Sky). Jose and other participants cherish the support of their fellow
attendees in making EDM Festivals a great experience.
Throughout the festival, attendees are designated as the performers for the event.
Their actions are what bring the event to life. They have a mentality that they must live their
lives for the experience and make the most of it. Attendees provide their own unique flair by
wearing costumes as their way to showcase individualization. Costumes become a way of
being expressive and represent their true sense of self. They do not follow a certain criteria
and are whatever comes to the attendees' imagination. Normal-day attire is more looked at as
a costume because it does not show who they really are. Nick talked about how his firefighter
attire does not show his true personality, but, in his EDM Festival outfits, he can truly show
who he is (Under the Electric Sky). The attendees believe in sharing common values and
beliefs.
The artifacts included discussion of drug use by attendees. They refer to it as a way to
escape from reality and enhance their experience. There is no direct admission to using it
personally, but they realize how it is negatively affecting their community. One group
mentioned that their friend overdosed and explained how the tragedy affected their outlook on
using. Most believe they do not need substances to enhance their experience. Many looked
to the music itself as their drug.

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During the festival, attendees make self-sacrifices to ensure they are getting the best
experience possible. They do not sleep or eat for long periods of time so that they can fully
engage in the event. In the documentary, attendees referred to the concept of eat, sleep,
rave, repeat for getting through each festival. They allow their health to deteriorate each day
because they feel that the experience of the event is more important than their immediate
health. Sadie had a hard time with her breathing, but would not allow her anxiety to prevent
her chances of experiencing the concert. Attendees understand the dangers of these
behaviors but do not want to lose a moment of the event.
There is a major focus on engagement with others and helping to develop the
experience of Electronic Dance Music Festivals. Attendees become the lifeline to the event
and its impact on the community. Throughout the artifacts, they talk about the importance of
the experience and how they want to be a part of it. They develop signifiers that help develop
their sense of connection with the event and what it represents for them. For example,
candies, otherwise known as beaded bracelets, serve as a symbol of connection with fellow
community members. Attendees create candies to trade with fellow attendees to encourage
engagement and love for one another. There is a handshake that is exchanged that helps
represent a sense of understanding and physical connection. This group is extremely
affectionate and engages in a lot of nonverbal, physical interactions with one another.
Each time they attend the festival, attendees look to it as a sense of reconnection with
their community and cultural space. Some members are so deeply connected with it that they
recreate the environment at their homes. They described as a bond that is similar to a
religious experience. The traveling aspect to the festival is parallel to that of a religious
pilgrimage. They go to be healed and gain a positive experience. Attendees tend to avoid
the goodbye aspect of the festival. In the ending of the documentary, the subjects talked

16

about how they would just say they will see each other at the next event. They focus on the
current moment and look forward to the next.
Dancing is a crucial part of the attendees participation in the event. The entire event
consists of dancing to the music that the DJs play. It is a nonstop action. Attendees talk about
how they need to feel the music and move their bodies based on where they think the music
is going.
The DJs
Throughout all the artifacts, the DJ is a character type that is essential to the EDM
Festival experience. They provide the musical component of the experience for attendees to
feed off of. At some point in their lives, the DJs were a part of the attendee experience but
now they are helping to create it for others. DJs help set the tone for the festival at each stage
and provide signals for dance movements. They are eager to be a part of the EDM
experience but due to celebrity status cannot be in the crowd with attendees. Hardwell, a
popular EDM DJ, talked about how he wanted to be out there dancing with the audience, but
he knows that is not possible. Their music becomes their way to connect with the audience.
Previously, the DJ was seen as a low-level celebrity. Over the past decade, the DJ has
become an icon for the experience. Attendees look to them as idols and have a sense of
emotional connection to them. In the documentary, a girl talked about how amazing it was to
have the chance to interact with one of her favorite DJs. There was a separation, but she still
felt deeply connected to the performance. The DJs main focus is the please the attendees by
providing the musical aspect of the festival. If they dont set the tone for the event, attendees
will not have anything to follow. They are seen as the idolized figures, a position others wish
to attain. Some unknown DJs attend the events so that they can dream of one day being at
the status of the EDM DJs who perform at these festivals.

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Electronic Dance Music

EDM stands as a critical nonhuman character theme in all of the artifacts. It is
presented as something that has great capabilities for impact. Attendees and DJs look to it for
inspiration. They consider it the reason they changed their lives and why they are a part of
this lifestyle. Electronic Dance Music is a genre of experimentation for the DJ and is not
concrete. They are able to take popular music and remix it to their tastes. Each person gains
a different experience. Each attendee is attracted to different subgenres for different reasons.
Bieniasz saw the set by Above and Beyond as beautiful because of the beautiful, soft trance
beats. The festivals are based around the music itself. It motivates the listeners to move
according to what the beats tell them to do. The listening experience is very sensory. It is
about what the listeners feel through the music. Each of the subgenres help create a unique
experience. Some people place their hands on their heart to connect with the bass. There are
some who close their eyes so they can focus solely on the music and not on what is going on
around them. At some points, EDM is referred to as a drug by some of the attendees. This is
not the normal connotation for music. It does bring to light the impact it has. In the artifacts,
EDM stands as its own being because individuals imbue it with great status and human-like
capabilities.
Rhetorical Vision
The rhetorical vision that is consistent throughout all of the artifacts is one that
describes what encourages individuals to become a part of the EDM festival community. The
EDM mantra PLUR serves as the overarching rhetorical vision that sums up the fantasy
themes presented. Peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR) drive individuals to attend and
appreciate the EDM festival experience. It connects them to each other and develops a way

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of being within the event. Individuals who attend these festivals describe how the experience
is one that resonates in their memories as a magical manifestation of what the world should
be like. Every person attending the festival is a part of the performance and provides a sense
of control of oneself and their experience. People come to connect with others who want to
share a similar experience and exchange their love for the music. This is done through
affection that is expressed through the handshake and candies.
The attendees are the experience. Their interactions with one another showcase what
the community is about. At EDM festivals, individuals are able to escape from societal issues
and become part of a community that accepts them for who they are. The DJs function as the
controllers of the performance. Both characters understand the importance and influence of
the event.
Conclusion & Implications
Electronic Dance Music Festivals allow attendees the chance to escape to another
world and leave all of their current problems behind them. Attendees maintain their focus on
the festival and the overall experience. EDM festivals are established as displaced
communities that allow people to travel to become a part of a group temporarily. This
environment becomes more of a home for them versus their actual living environments.
The PLUR mentality drives individuals to gain a positive experience and engage with
one another. This includes the connection between the DJ and the audience. Both parties
become important parts of the overall EDM experience. Individuals build a cultural identity
from the festival as they begin to share the same values as others who attend the event. The
EDM culture developed their own signifiers, such as candies and the electric sky. Both help
establish a sense of unity and understanding of their reality. It connects them with the
experience and showcases how they look to solve their sense of feeling lost within the real

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world. Attendees build their cultural identity by attending the festivals and engaging with
others who are also at the event. It becomes a place to advocate for their own personal
values and beliefs rather than accept the societal norms. This becomes an area to develop an
alternative ideology, which can confuse those who are not a part of the co-culture (Martins
81).
A significant limitation to this study was not being able to conduct personal interviews
with people who attend EDM Festivals. It would provide a more first-hand description, which
is different from those analyzed from the media. There was also only a limited amount of
descriptive materials that could be used for thorough analysis. Most of the pieces and
experience descriptions were about the Electronic Daisy Carnival. This study would be more
well-rounded if there were other EDM Festival experiences shared on credible sources. The
documentary that was analyzed was produced by the organization that plans the events, so
there is some evident bias from the organizers. This did not affect the results that much
because there is a heavy focus on the positive aspects of the experience rather than the
negative.
There are a number of other studies that could be conducted on this topic.
Researchers could compare how EDM Festivals are presented in the media under this term
and also under the label of rave. This could help showcase the different perceptions
connected with the terms and help explain why individuals within the culture are working to
eliminate the term rave. There is also the opportunity to look at the DJ perspective and
analyze how they perceive the EDM Festival experience and their motivations to become a
DJ. On that same note, there is a chance to analyze the experience of female and male DJs
to see how they may differ and to explain the lack of female DJs in the genre's mainstream.
This analysis shows that events have the potential to communicate values that

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persuade attendees to participate. It is established as an opportunity for persuasion. It can

help grow its popularity if there are core central values that drive individuals to be a part of
something. The study of communication is to look at how individuals are receptive to the
messages transmitted by the media and other sources. Blankenship, Wegener, and Murray
discuss how individuals are persuaded by attempts focused on their current attitudes rather
than attacking their values (607). This helps approach ideologies in a non-direct manner. The
study of communication looks at this aspect and locates the messages that are being
decoded and encoded by the sender and receiver.
Overall, Electronic Dance Music Festivals are continuing to grow in popularity and
more people are being inspired by their values. Each person hopes to find a place where they
feel that they belong. Some people found it in the displaced community of the EDM Festival.
Even with the evidence of drug-related issues, there are more positive aspects about the
festival that makes it a worthwhile experience. The festival continues to receive criticisms
from the media, and there is a lack of focus on what good can come from the event. It
revolves around the PLUR by being a community of acceptance that allows members to
embrace who they are. After the festival ends, attendees share how the EDM Festival has
changed an aspect of their lives and that influences others to come be a part of the event.
One subject summarized this idea as [EDC} has been such a positive experience. You can't
lose that. That's the whole point of it. It's an inspiration. You take it out to everyone you meet
(Under the Electric Sky).

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Works Consulted
Benoit, William L., Andrew Klyukoski, John McHale, and David Airne. "A Fantasy Theme
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