Copyrights & Contracts: Everything You Need to Know

Entitled, "Everything You Wanted to Know About Copyrights* But Were Afraid to Ask", a sly reference to the title of a famous self-help book about sex and it subsequent Woody Allen parody, the Copyrights & Contracts session certainly lived up to the ChoralConnections byline of providing professional development for choral composers and conductors of all ages and experiences.

Scheduled for what many participants initially believed to be a daunting three hours and fifteen minutes, Bill Holab, the music publishing guru, nevertheless carried the day by presenting an engaging, entertaining and informative take on the numerous facets of copyright law and contracts for commissions, complete with snippets from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Claude Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and even to "Hail to the Chief". Despite the initial apprehension, the participants were easily won over, bombarding Bill with many practical questions such as "When can I set a copyrighted text to music?" and "Can I refuse to grant a mechanical license?" 

In any event, the participants left the session happily entertained, better informed, and ready to navigate the complicated world of copyright and contracts.

Photo (above): Bill Holab introduces his session.

Contributed by Lydia S. Lui >>