Every word of this post is true except for the first name of the subject.
Kyle lives in a town not too far from here. I have paid him to play in my pit orchestra three out of the past four years. He always brings one of his kids with him to get some experience in the pit, which is an irreplaceable experience for a musician of any age.
Kyle played with some big names back in the eighties. Made a pretty good living at it when he was single. Today he is married, has kids in high school and college, and he and his wife both teach. His oldest son worshiped Miles when he was in high school, and now plays classical trumpet at a major university. His youngest is a promising guitarist and following in his dad's footsteps.
Kyle has cut six albums during his career, all original music. He never acheived the recognition that Clapton or Beck (the first one!) did, but he did tour and gets airplay in several markets around the country. It is also likely that when you are in a supermarket, department store, office building, or "any"-Mart, you will hear his music interspersed between Kenny G. and old BeeGees tunes.
How does Kyle support his family and save college tuition for his talented kids? Well, if you think it is from his concert appearances and combined teaching income you are living in a fantasy. That doesn't even pay the monthly bills for their lifestyle, which any one of you who can afford Vegas would consider modest.
You see, every time one of Kyle's songs gets played in an elevator, a supermarket, a radio station or dentist office, he gets a penny or two. Every time someone buys one of his CD's, he gets a few more cents. And anytime someone performs his music at in public or records his music, he gets a few more cents, that is if they pay the royalties. That's how he can put his oldest kid through college. That kid could make it as an orchestra musician. Or become the next Maynard. His other kid deserves college too.
But no one will ever hear their talents unless we all do our part. You see, Kyle's business is music. And unless he gets income from his music, his dreams for his family will never come true. Kyle can't send out a bill every time someone performs his songs in public, or uses them in a wedding video, or tapes their amateur talent show and distributes it to twenty of their friends. That's why we have a system that is designed to get Kyle a few cents when you use or record his music. It's not a perfect system, but without it Kyle's kids wouldn't have the opportunity to join the next generation of performing artists, and Kyle might be working in an office building.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. A lot of you with kids in school are in business for yourselves or someone else. But what if your clients took your products and services without paying you? How long would you be in business or be able to afford to put YOUR talented kid through school?
You see, copyright regulations are not in existence just to protect wealthy record producers and publishers. Usually, it's the artist or their family that owns the right to the music that we all too often take for granted. And as often as not, their living depends on those pennies.
So, rather than seeking validation by asking if you really have to ask before using someone else's music, because you aren't making any money off it, or you are in business as a struggling videographer, and you don't see why something that's played on the air shouldn't be free, think of your kid and that school talent show and what it would be like if your living depended on income from that song he or she is singing tonight. On the other hand, if you write music, feel free to give it away. That's what everyone expects, right?
By the way, Kyle doesn't drive a Lexus to his kid's performances, doesn't own Vegas, and doesn't borrow money to send his kids to school. He's also one of the most down-to-earth, honest, and truly dedicated people I know. Enjoy his music on your way to work tomorrow.
Kyle lives in a town not too far from here. I have paid him to play in my pit orchestra three out of the past four years. He always brings one of his kids with him to get some experience in the pit, which is an irreplaceable experience for a musician of any age.
Kyle played with some big names back in the eighties. Made a pretty good living at it when he was single. Today he is married, has kids in high school and college, and he and his wife both teach. His oldest son worshiped Miles when he was in high school, and now plays classical trumpet at a major university. His youngest is a promising guitarist and following in his dad's footsteps.
Kyle has cut six albums during his career, all original music. He never acheived the recognition that Clapton or Beck (the first one!) did, but he did tour and gets airplay in several markets around the country. It is also likely that when you are in a supermarket, department store, office building, or "any"-Mart, you will hear his music interspersed between Kenny G. and old BeeGees tunes.
How does Kyle support his family and save college tuition for his talented kids? Well, if you think it is from his concert appearances and combined teaching income you are living in a fantasy. That doesn't even pay the monthly bills for their lifestyle, which any one of you who can afford Vegas would consider modest.
You see, every time one of Kyle's songs gets played in an elevator, a supermarket, a radio station or dentist office, he gets a penny or two. Every time someone buys one of his CD's, he gets a few more cents. And anytime someone performs his music at in public or records his music, he gets a few more cents, that is if they pay the royalties. That's how he can put his oldest kid through college. That kid could make it as an orchestra musician. Or become the next Maynard. His other kid deserves college too.
But no one will ever hear their talents unless we all do our part. You see, Kyle's business is music. And unless he gets income from his music, his dreams for his family will never come true. Kyle can't send out a bill every time someone performs his songs in public, or uses them in a wedding video, or tapes their amateur talent show and distributes it to twenty of their friends. That's why we have a system that is designed to get Kyle a few cents when you use or record his music. It's not a perfect system, but without it Kyle's kids wouldn't have the opportunity to join the next generation of performing artists, and Kyle might be working in an office building.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. A lot of you with kids in school are in business for yourselves or someone else. But what if your clients took your products and services without paying you? How long would you be in business or be able to afford to put YOUR talented kid through school?
You see, copyright regulations are not in existence just to protect wealthy record producers and publishers. Usually, it's the artist or their family that owns the right to the music that we all too often take for granted. And as often as not, their living depends on those pennies.
So, rather than seeking validation by asking if you really have to ask before using someone else's music, because you aren't making any money off it, or you are in business as a struggling videographer, and you don't see why something that's played on the air shouldn't be free, think of your kid and that school talent show and what it would be like if your living depended on income from that song he or she is singing tonight. On the other hand, if you write music, feel free to give it away. That's what everyone expects, right?
By the way, Kyle doesn't drive a Lexus to his kid's performances, doesn't own Vegas, and doesn't borrow money to send his kids to school. He's also one of the most down-to-earth, honest, and truly dedicated people I know. Enjoy his music on your way to work tomorrow.