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To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
From: Eva Zuber
Subject: Re: Photocopying Music (long)
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Hi All,

At 1/14/00 07:45 PM , Dale Gillespie wrote:

>I myself have no problem with photocopying music. For one thing it sits
better on the paino when the sheets are taped together, which eliminates
page turning for the accompanist.
>

Same here. I find it ridiculous to require the use of the original score
if: 1) I own the original, and need to use a photocopy for a practical
reason - page turning, song available only in the bulky anthology or an
opera score; 2) the song/aria is out of print; 3) the song is available in
a sheet version but not in the key I need - in which case I should be
allowed to have it transposed, and photocopied for myself and the pianist.

>I feel the same way as some of you seem to about purchasing a book of
music for just one song.

Exactly! Why, you the consumer, should be forced to purchase the whole
volume when you know that 99% of it you'll never use. A good example here
are all kinds of "anthologies". Most of them have a selection of
songs/arias by composer rather than by fach. So for example, in a soprano
operatic selections, out of 20 or so arias, you may find only 2 or 3 that
are really good for your type of soprano. Lieder collections are even
worse! Not only they disregard the voice types, they also throw in the
songs for men and women together! Personally, I find these collections
absolutely useless - unless you are a teacher, and you use them for your
students. For the performers, though, they are a total waste of money!

In the case of the opera arias, my decision whether to buy the whole vocal
score or just a sheet depends on whether the whole role is for my voice
type or not, and whether I have the prospect of singing it in the next 5
years, etc. As I said, I stay away from the anthologies as much as I can.

Re: the requirements in the competitions.

I was told that in the Canadian Music Competition the singers are required
to prepare 12 songs/arias! There are multiple judges at each level - I did
not bother to count how many original scores one needs! It's too outrageous
even to contemplate. Why the organizers have to be "More Holly than a Holly
Grail?". Would it not be more sensible to let the contestants bring one
original and however many copies are needed, and then destroy the copies
after the competition is over? After all those competitions are meant for
young people who 1) are still students, and entering a competition is for
them a learning process, 2) usually have very limited financial resources,
and mostly rely on their parents to finance it all, 3) do not get paid for
singing in a competition, therefore as non-professionals have no means to
claim the costs as a business expense.

Lastly, did you ever see a big-name-singer dragging in a truckload of
scores during their recitals? I did not! Their pianists seem to do with
very neat, slim portfolios. Is the music in those portfolios all original?
I doubt it!

The outrageous demands make us all unwillingly to become resourceful
cheaters. Feel guilty? Not me! When you are put in a position between a
rock and a hard place, what are you supposed to do?

Ciao,
Eva Zuber
Toronto
ezuber-at-bigfoot.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I'm an enemy of the average"
- Ganna Walska, singer
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