Defining the D.I.Y Scene

I’m a social journalism student at the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism, working with the Do It Yourself music scene in the greater New York area. While “D.I.Y” has been used to describe the underground music scene for years, it’s hard to describe what D.I.Y is to someone who is unfamiliar with the community. I asked a couple of people what they think alongside what I’ve gathered from reporting on the scene for a year. The term “Do It Yourself” in the context of music is closely related to the underground punk scene. At its bones, D.I.Y encompasses an ethos that shies away from mainstream influences and acts as a safe haven for people who feel marginalized like women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. They are willing to collaborate, have the ability to self-organize and are typically passionate about social justice issues. Local artists and grassroots movements are what binds them together and separates them from other kinds of independent artists like YouTubers and buskers. <a href="https://medium.com/edge-of-sound/defining-the-d-i-y-scene-40496456e542">Click Here</a>