At 05:54 AM 2/8/03 -0500, David H. Bailey wrote: >However, I do think your suggestion IS a very nice touch
I agree. Several years ago (way back in the relatively early online music days 1997), Laurie Spiegel and I were trying to come up with a solution. At the end of this essay (http://maltedmedia.com/books/papers/s8-music.html) is the first of three options: ====== The Value-Added Composer. If music is the commodity, what is left? Just as each performance is unique, the composer could offer new and unique compositions to a list of 'registered' listeners--those who have paid a small royalty or subscription fee to download and keep a composer's music. The electronic equivalent of autographed manuscripts (with digital signature and limited-edition number) can be created. Access to the composer-as-personality becomes valuable, with loyal listeners waiting for more; the composer thus appears as a real person to the listener, always associated with the music; this would itself achieve an important goal of composers in this long century. Though not going as far as suggesting composer T-shirts and beach balls, this solution does imply the composer-as-product in a product-oriented era--while managing to maintain the art as art. ====== >I will be joining either ASCAP or BMI and would like to ask the list if >anybody has any suggestions either way, along with any reasons why. I've been a member of ASCAP for about 15 years. The reason I chose them is because they approached me and asked, and BMI didn't. They provide excellent bookkeeping, good royalty-chasing (venues, radio, etc.), quarterly checks, and -- important for my role as a composer -- the opportunity to apply for an annual ASCAP "award", described this way (I'm just filling mine out): "The ASCAPlus Awards Program is for writer members of any genre whose performances are primarily in venues not surveyed; and/or writer members whose catalogs have a unique prestige value for which they would not otherwise be compensated." My annual award has grown to where it now represents about two weeks' of my regular income -- not much overall, but certainly welcome. I've also represented ASCAP before hearings in my state legislature (along with pop composer & jingle writer [Burger King] Bobby Gosh) and participated on their Internet technology committee (in 1995, when they were looking ahead to issues that really arose more recently with the DMCA, Napster, etc.). Our Kalvos & Damian radio show won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for Internet Journalism in 2000, so we got to get good snacks and a nifty plaque at Lincoln Center. :) Overall, I've been very happy with ASCAP's activism for us nonpop composers! Dennis _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
