[HANASHIR:4043] Re: Lower Keys

[Adrian Durlester <durleste...>]

You miss the point entirely. This issue is not changing keys. I'm all for
that. The issue is sharing print form music online.

 Law has everything to do with it. We are people of the law, and we are
commanded to follow the laws of the country in which we reside. We have
copyright laws to protect composers and songwriters. Making printed music
available in Finale files online is questionable if the music is
copyrighted. If, for personal use, you transcribe a piece and transpose it
for ease of use, that is one thing. And if you choose to share it privately,
that is another (whose legality I am uncertain of.) If you make it publicly
available without permission of the copyright owner, that, I am certain, is
legally problematic.

It is the policy of this list to encourage full and proper respect for
copyright. Many on this list make their livelihood as composers. I can't
imagine any who would object to singing their music in different keys (and
in fact much music is available in multiple editions for different vocal
ranges. I also imagine no one would object if you decided to transcribe the
music into other keys. It's possible some might not object to your making
those transcriptions (of their copyrighted works) available publicly
online - but that needs to be their call, and only done with their
permission.

Adrian Durlester
List Owner, Hanashir

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org]On
Behalf Of Ooweh (at) aol(dot)com
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 1:07 AM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:4040] Re: Lower Keys


ahem...legal ramifications? law has nothing to do with it.  prayer is about
opening the heart, and singing from your soul. it's not about a particular
key that someone  (who very likely has a classical voice that most daveners
don't have) deems as "legal". i am glad that the community i sing with, and
the communities that i have sung with, have all supported me on this. in
fact
i often hear, "wow, finally someone we can sing with!"  of course, as a
cantorial soloist and songleader i pay attention to what is right for my
kahal. but in order to lead them i need to sing the music in a key that
feels
comfortable and "at home" in me.
     maybe what we need to investigate is our attachments to certain
aesthetics that render much of our music unsingable to our communities, and
sometimes even to ourselves.  ooweh

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