Super Single of the Week: Maria Creuza, Toquinho, e Vinicius de Moraes; and Hareton Salvani
Posted on August 28, 2006You are in luck kiddies, because not only do we have a regular single of the week, but as a bonus, a whole album to gift. First off, a classic from Brazil, as performed by brilliant guitarists Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes and vocalist Maria Creuza, “Canto de Ossanha“. Aside from the excellent guitar playing, the percussionwork is fantastic as well, and the vocal harmonies between these three are great.
And as a bonus this week, thanks to Loronix, an mp3 blog run by a parrot from Manaus Brazil that tracks down Brazilian LPs from the ’50’s, ’60’s, ’70’s, and ’80’s, that may otherwise be lost to time, and puts them as mp3 form to share with us. This offering from Hareton Salvanini is the soundtrack to “The Virgin of Saint Tropez”, a ’70’s soft-core porno flick from Brazil. It’s an interesting mix of fusion jazz and, umm, porno music. And you get the whole album for free! Thanks Zecalouro!
Filed Under King of Internets, Music, Single of the Week | 1 Comment
Why the Music Publishers are Stupid.
Posted on August 22, 2006Today we at jwiltshire.org are proud to bring you a rant about the big music publishing houses, such as MPA, ASCAP, etc., and how they are boning musicians.
First of all, some background on the Music Publishers Association. These are the guys that are responsible for publishing sheet music, tablature books for guitarists, and I think, but I’m not sure, fake books. Out there on the internets, there are fine resources for musicians wishing to learn to play their favorite songs, that offer music in tablature or “fake”-style chord format, as well as resources for learning scales, styles, etc. One of these sites, which is the oldest and probably the best such site, the Online Guitar Archive or “OLGA” has recieved shutdown notices from both the MPA and the NMPA. OLGA had faced legal threats before, and at the time it was argued that because the tablature offered is an artist’s interpretation of the original, it was not to be considered copyrighted material. That’s why almost any tab out there comes with a big disclaimer at the top. However, last December the music industry decided that this is not the case, so they threatened lawsuits if some sites weren’t taken down (See the OLGA link for .jpgs of the threat letters.)
Some of the arguments made by the publishers were that the tab sites were releasing unauthorized, amateur interpretations that may not be true to the way the artists plays it, (regardless of the fact that most official tab books are transcribed by transcriptionists and not the original artists, and are in fact often times wrong.) They argue that it steals profits from the artists (and more importantly the publishing companies who get a big cut of that. This is also ignorant of the fact that the majority of songs out there on tab sites aren’t available in published sheet music form, and most likely never will be.)
They also say that tab sites disencourage original composition. Ask any musician how they learned their instrument, and you will be hard-pressed to find anyone who learned solely through original compostion. Every musician out there learns his instrument by playing other people’s songs that inspire them. They may then go on to make songs similar in style, that gives rise to what we call musical genres. I defy the MPA to go to any of the bands, singers, and performers that they represent that did not start out playing other people’s songs.
The claims get even more outrageous from there. Looking at a tab is equivalent to stealing sheet music from a store. Apparently browsing sheet music from a store is okay, they don’t say. Tab sites that make money from advertising or sign-ups (some sites do require paid registration, I avoid those ones) are wrong. There, they have a valid complaint. OLGA and sites like it run off of donations, and some t-shirt sales, but even then that only goes to support the site, and even that isn’t enough to cover all of the costs.
Finally, the music publishers are arguing that those that run tab sites should not only be fined heavily, but should also face jail time. That seems like a pretty heavy-handed threat to me, and I doubt they would be able to find a judge who would actually go for that kind of sentencing. And where is the line drawn? If I figure out a song by myself and write it down, and put it on the internet, it’s illegal. If I give my transcription to a friend, is it illegal? Is the very act of transcribing itself illegal? Those are pretty lofty charges, and very difficult to prosecute.
This greedy grab at free tab websites will only serve to hurt music fans, musicians, and music innovation overall. The publishers have been fought off once before, and hopefully the tab sites will succeed again, with help from organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Time will tell.
My New Desk Setup
Posted on August 5, 2006
You, kind reader, may remember my previous desk setup at my old apartment. But with new equipment and a new place, I’ve got a new setup. There’s the same old iMac and iBook, but new to the club is my 19″ widescreen monitor hooked up to the iMac, and the iMac G3, donated by Shelby. I plan on fixing it up a little and running OSX 10.2 “Jaguar” on it. Soon enough….
