Original Music?

[skajerk]

One challenge is that rights, particularly for audio recording and video synchronization, are sometimes owned by large entertainment corporations who cannot be bothered to respond to the requests of small not-for-profit organizations (or not in a timely fashion: I've heard of more than six months passing before even a preliminary answer was forthcoming), and when they do, want to charge the same fees they'd charge a commercial producer. Also, as I understand it such companies will often buy up lots of rights and hold on to them for years or decades, so they have a library of material they can use at little or no cost, material which is thus unavailable for anyone else to use, even if the rightholder never does anything with it.

But it never hurts to try.

Towards the end of April, our (now 8th grade!) daughter competed at the Lone Star Toss-Up CG solo/ensemble competition. I video'd her routine (with my phone so it's not the best, but hey... it works!) and wanted to upload it to YT. At the end of the performance part of the video, I wanted to add pics of her first full year of color guard with our HS marching band and winter guard and wanted to use Queen's "It's A Beautiful Day" as background music. Being the musician I am, I wanted to go about this the right way and get permission to use the song. I figured, let's go straight to the horses mouth so on APR 30, I emailed Brain May and explained to him what I wanted to do. The very next day, I got an email back from him saying that he had no problems with the idea and would talk to his manager about getting permission. On May 1, I got an email from Bruce New, a licensing/synchronization exec at EMI, asking for a link to the video which I sent to both him and Brian. On MAy 4th, I got an email from Bruce with permission to use the song.

Now, I understand this a completely different situation but, within 5 days, I got permission to use a song by Queen, no money exchanged hands and I have an email from Brian May signed, "All the very best - and please give your daughter my very best wishes and good luck! Bri"

Lke I said, it never hurts to try.

And just to be a proud dad, Sarah (who also made the all region band on clarinet) has only been doing this a little over a year and didn't start working with a rifle and saber until last January. She was the only Jr. High student in the competition (70 students over-all and 11 in her division). Students who scored between 90-100 were given a I or Superior Rating and medal. She came away with a I. The cool thing was, a lot of older girls and directors came up to her and said how great she was. A boost she really needed.

Here is the video. "It's A Beautiful Day" starts around the 2:43 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzGmfXKGQl8

[ranintothedoor]

Kind of a famous example, but David Maslanka pulled the rights for Children's Garden of Dreams for the Cavaliers 1989 "Gloria" show. Cavs ended up writing an original drum feature to match the drill that was already in place. (Don't know if the handheld drums were in the original plan for Maslanka or added later - if later, then thank goodness for him balking!)

Mike

So what happened?? Why did Maslanka change his mind?

Or did it just take that long to get back to the Cavies with a decision?

[ranintothedoor]

But it never hurts to try.

Towards the end of April, our (now 8th grade!) daughter competed at the Lone Star Toss-Up CG solo/ensemble competition. I video'd her routine (with my phone so it's not the best, but hey... it works!) and wanted to upload it to YT. At the end of the performance part of the video, I wanted to add pics of her first full year of color guard with our HS marching band and winter guard and wanted to use Queen's "It's A Beautiful Day" as background music. Being the musician I am, I wanted to go about this the right way and get permission to use the song. I figured, let's go straight to the horses mouth so on APR 30, I emailed Brain May and explained to him what I wanted to do. The very next day, I got an email back from him saying that he had no problems with the idea and would talk to his manager about getting permission. On May 1, I got an email from Bruce New, a licensing/synchronization exec at EMI, asking for a link to the video which I sent to both him and Brian. On MAy 4th, I got an email from Bruce with permission to use the song.

Now, I understand this a completely different situation but, within 5 days, I got permission to use a song by Queen, no money exchanged hands and I have an email from Brian May signed, "All the very best - and please give your daughter my very best wishes and good luck! Bri"

Lke I said, it never hurts to try.

And just to be a proud dad, Sarah (who also made the all region band on clarinet) has only been doing this a little over a year and didn't start working with a rifle and saber until last January. She was the only Jr. High student in the competition (70 students over-all and 11 in her division). Students who scored between 90-100 were given a I or Superior Rating and medal. She came away with a I. The cool thing was, a lot of older girls and directors came up to her and said how great she was. A boost she really needed.

Here is the video. "It's A Beautiful Day" starts around the 2:43 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzGmfXKGQl8

That's awesome!

[skajerk]

So what happened?? Why did Maslanka change his mind?

Or did it just take that long to get back to the Cavies with a decision?

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. Anyone?

[hostrauser]

The story I heard was that one of Maslanka's agents/editors/assistants/whathaveyou was the one who initially granted the rights, and Maslanka pulled them back when he found out. David Maslanka has always been anti-arrangements of his work, and refuses to grant rights to anyone, no exceptions. He's on the BOA "Don't Even Bother Trying" copyright list, along with Vincent Persichetti and Charles Ives.

[actucker]

The story I heard was that one of Maslanka's agents/editors/assistants/whathaveyou was the one who initially granted the rights, and Maslanka pulled them back when he found out. David Maslanka has always been anti-arrangements of his work, and refuses to grant rights to anyone, no exceptions. He's on the BOA "Don't Even Bother Trying" copyright list, along with Vincent Persichetti and Charles Ives.

That stuff makes me sad. As a writer and arranger, I'd be freakin thrilled if someone liked my work enough to want to use it. Obviously I'd want to be compensated, but the fact that someone would ask would be a huge compliment. Music is supposed to be about sharing ideas. I'm all for the business side of the industry, but it makes me sad that so many of us have forgotten what music is about.

[zachariaswmb]

That stuff makes me sad. As a writer and arranger, I'd be freakin thrilled if someone liked my work enough to want to use it. Obviously I'd want to be compensated, but the fact that someone would ask would be a huge compliment. Music is supposed to be about sharing ideas. I'm all for the business side of the industry, but it makes me sad that so many of us have forgotten what music is about.

Well, keep in mind that Maslanka is an...out there dude. Definitely odd. Brilliant composer, and I love playing his works! However, still very odd. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure you can't buy sheet music for "A Child's Garden of Dreams". You have to ask him to perform it, and he'll loan you the music.

[actucker]

Well, keep in mind that Maslanka is an...out there dude. Definitely odd. Brilliant composer, and I love playing his works! However, still very odd. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure you can't buy sheet music for "A Child's Garden of Dreams". You have to ask him to perform it, and he'll loan you the music.

Yeah, I'd heard that Maslansak was a little out there as well. My comment is more a general statement. There are a lot of composers on those "don't bother" lists. That makes me sad.

[jjeffeory]

The story I heard was that one of Maslanka's agents/editors/assistants/whathaveyou was the one who initially granted the rights, and Maslanka pulled them back when he found out. David Maslanka has always been anti-arrangements of his work, and refuses to grant rights to anyone, no exceptions. He's on the BOA "Don't Even Bother Trying" copyright list, along with Vincent Persichetti and Charles Ives.

You know, a LOT of the music on that list has been performed... I'm not sure it is still a relevant guide.

[hostrauser]

You know, a LOT of the music on that list has been performed... I'm not sure it is still a relevant guide.

There are a few 0% chance items on that list, but I've found that getting rights is very much a matter of "who you know," regardless of who the composer is. And, of course, a DCI drum corps is going to have more resources and in-roads than a high school marching band. But most of these are difficult, if not impossible to get arranging rights for.