Blog
Time, Music and Space (or How To Audition a Drummer) - Part 1
There are great places in a few recordings where the sound and pulse come to an end. Usually this is only for a second or a few seconds but the lack of drums / lack of drummer / lack of percussion can be suspenseful - why is there this unusual space in this musical context? In most popular music, this space - this quiet, empty space - is infrequent and often undesirable to many. I find it the opposite. I also find it a brilliant means to determine if a drummer (as well ash other musicians) can reenter at the same speed.
Cloud Branding Using Pinterest, Part 2
A fun Pinterest opportunity/challenge is which side will win - will photographs, the visually stunning, always be more attractive than un-stunning text? Is the posted photograph much more important the text that surrounds the photograph? For me one of the fun challenges is to make the surrounding text as or more important than the photograph.
Adding Resources to EMichaelMusic.com - My Digital Hoarding On Display
I have created the first version of a bibliography/collection of my favorite and/or essential resources entitled, "Music, Entertainment, Technology & Legal Resources." My definitions/stretches of meanings and category-creating allow me to squeeze "Business" and "Communication," significant and stand-alone-worthy fields, into "Technology." I hope that this listing of thousands of resources will be helpful to others as well.
Twitter In The Classes I Am Creating
I am creating a master list of Twitter accounts to follow for students in the classes I am creating. These Twitter accounts are from the eleven (11) categories of Twitter users I follow and from one, two or three of the following fields: Music/Entertainment, Technology, and Intellectual Property. To my way of thinking, selecting and categorizing, MusEnt subsumes "art" & "arts," Tech subsumes "business" & "communication" and IP subsumes intellectual property & law that interests me. I am trying to keep this master Twitter list at or near one hundred (100) members.
Cloud Branding Using Pinterest, Part 1
This post begins the story of my first encounter with Pinterest - how I went from being appalled and horrified at seeing an onslaught of photographs of shoes, weddings and handbags, to a neutral acceptance of Pinterest, to creating a board or two and then becoming a passionate Pinterest pinner, all in the span of an hour or so. I consider Pinterest to be one of the finest cloud services, repositories of knowledge and brander of brands.
New Compulsory License & The USPTO Green Paper Roundtable at Vanderbilt Law School - May 21, 2014
A Compulsory License to Sample Master Recordings is a very good idea. A fair, respectful and business-happy aspect of this license would be that a recording MUST be at least ten (10) years old. That way, the recording has had ample time to be sold in its original form, sales of the original recording have greatly decreased (or stopped), a new version will draw attention to the original version, the public has more art and options, and money will be generated from the rebirth of a 10 year old recording.
Is There More Copyright Infringement In Pinterest Or Led Zeppelin II? My DMCA Takedown
I received two (2) identical emails this week from Pinterest. They were very professional, respectful and kindly. Because the emails were in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, one shouldn't expect adjectives such as professional, respectful and kindly but they were. I guess that's just how Pinterest is - the kinder, gentler hub for copyright infringement. The softer side of federal law enforcement.
Why 10 Ft Ganja Plant, Gibson Brothers, Booth Brothers & James Ingram Should Sue Rick Ross For Copyright Infringement
Today we turn the tables and illustrate a few recordings released prior to Rick Ross' Hustlin' (2006) which also feature the lyric, "Everyday I''m." Using the soft and breezy music of The Gibson Brothers, gospel music of The Booth Brothers, the cannabis reggae-tinged music of 10 Ft. Ganja Plant and the sexy love stylings of James Ingram we will turn the tables on Rick Ross and illustrate why Rick Ross can be sued for copyright infringement.
Will Rick Ross Sue Other Artists For Copyright Infringement?
Using a minuscule degree of evidence and logic similar to that used to sue LMFAO, it would follow that Rick Ross could initiate three (3) more copyright infringement lawsuits - against Maysa, Jeremy Fisher and Little Big. This post examines these absurd possibilities.
A Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over 2 Words - "Everyday I'm"
Rick Ross' lawsuit against LMFAO is ridiculous and one of the most foolish I've seen. Welcome to Part 1 of my thoughts. I spoke about this briefly at the Harvard Law School recently. Unsurprisingly, no one voiced support for the Plaintiff in this stupidity.
Happy St. Patrick's Day from Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Lennon, The Band, The Rolling Stones, Chieftains, Van Morrison, Govinda & Mary & Mars
For St. Patrick's Day 2014, I have compiled six (6) musical works I own that are in a direct or indirect way pertinent to Ireland, Irish music or St. Patrick's Day. The music is from The Band, The Chieftains, Govinda, Mary & Mars, John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Van Morrison and The Rolling Stones.
My Take On Pearl Jam's Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
My take on the Pearl Jam song, "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town," a beautiful but poignant portrait of a woman who has lived her entire life in the same small town. I chose the cover photograph of this attractive woman who would only be considered "elderly" by someone young writing a song about an elderly woman. She is elderly to a teenager.
Making Music Make Sense; Making Music Make Evidence
How do we make music make sense or make music make evidence? What will best convey the message, i.e., make the evidence most effective? What is/are the most important factor(s) in making the message understandable and persuasive to listeners, jury, judge, students and audience?
Putting It My Way But Nicely - There Should Be No More Lawsuits...
This is my 100th post and will be the 5th and final post/adventure about the short 3-4-5-8 melody used in music of many composers and songwriters from 1730-2013 (Sebastian Bach to Sebastian Mikael), and the copyright issues surrounding this melodic gesture. In this post I will state my opinion about the matter discussed in previous posts about 3-4-5-8 and provide links to the music of Bach, Badfinger, The Beatles, Toby Keith, Sebastian Mikael, Rodgers & Hammerstein, The Rolling Stones and XTC.
Blind Lemon Jefferson - The Big Bang Of Blues
Many songs in addition to "That's All Right" and "Matchbox" can be traced to Blind Lemon Jefferson who in turn learned many songs from his contemporaries and those who came before him. Authorship, sole authorship and copyright were not relevant to many practitioners, songwriters and composers of many styles of music.
Names Of Songs Used As Names Of Bands - Can't Think Of A Name For Your Band, Copy One
Even though many do not believe this, and some even suffer fear and trepidation over the subject of copyright and copyright protection, it is LEGAL and COMMON to copy a name and use it as another name. In fact, copyright does NOT protect names, titles, or short phrases or expressions.
Should The Rolling Stones Sue Badfinger?
Should The Rolling Stones sue Badfinger over the 3-4-5-8 melody that was so prominent in their Street Fighting Man and so prominent in Badfinger's Come And Get It? As I've stated before, there are music copyright infringement lawsuits in the courts in 2014 that involve NO melodic similarity. So what do you think should happen in this instance?
Should Badfinger Sue XTC?
Does XTC's Then She Appeared (1992) infringe the copyright of Badfinger's Come And Get It (1970)? Are four (4) prominent and clearly-heard notes in common between songs reason enough to instigate a copyright infringement lawsuit?
Too Many Frivolous Music Copyright Infringement Lawsuits
If a consultant/expert ALWAYS sides with the side that approaches her/him, that consultant/expert is considered by some to be a hired gun. When a consultant/expert turns down the person/side approaching her/him, the consultant/expert is turning down employment. Some will credit a person who can say "no" to money as having some virtue. That person can have virtue but will not have income stemming from virtue or that potential source of income.
Should XTC Sue Toby Keith?
XTC's Then She Appeared (1992) is a song written and recorded almost twenty (20) years before Toby Keith's Red Solo Cup (2011). It also prominently features the 3-4-5-8 melody. The 3-4-5-8 is the opening vocal and the hook throughout the entire song. Are four (4) prominent and clearly-heard notes in common between songs reason enough to instigate a copyright infringement lawsuit? Should XTC sue Toby Keith for copyright infringement?