How Can I Use The Sheet Music and Recordings?

I get a lot of questions about how my work can be used.

The basic principle is: if you’re making something that I sell (as part of my living as a musician) available for free to the general public, that definitely isn’t ok. This includes the sheet music, and recordings of the harmony parts separated from the original melodies, even if they are your own recordings. If you deconstruct my work to make your own teaching materials, these may only be shared with your students, not the public.

The other basic principle is that you must always include my name and if possible a link to my website when you put any of your own recordings of my work anywhere on the internet or on a CD.

If you intend to use any of my arrangements in a commercial/for-profit product, this requires my permission and an additional fee and licence - you will need to contact me to obtain this.

Here’s a more detailed run-down of how my music can and can’t be used. If you’re still not sure, please get in touch!

What’s OK

• You may perform my arrangements/compositions in your musical group
• You may use my arrangements/compositions in your teaching
• You may give your students paper copies of my arrangements or harmony parts, as long as my name and website are included on the document
• You may make the sheet music and demo recordings for my harmony parts and original compositions available online IF the page can only be accessed in password protected area, and this area is only available to your students or bandmates.
• You may release a recording of any of my work for sale – e.g. on a CD – as long as you credit me as composer or arranger. If you’re making fewer than 500 copies, I don’t charge anything for this (but please contact me and let me know, as I’m always interested!). If you’re making more than 500 copies, please contact me to discuss terms and royalties. (Note: my music is not registered with MCPS, ASCAP etc.. If you are using this system for your royalty payments for a CD or other production that you are releasing, it does not mean that mine is free; it means you have to make a separate arrangement with me.)
• You may release you own recordings and videos of my arrangements and compositions on the internet as long as you include my name and website link on the attached information page.

What’s NOT OK

• You may not make the sheet music available, publicly on the internet, where anyone can download it
• You may not make recordings of the harmony parts on their own (i.e. soloed without the melody) available publicly on the internet as teaching materials. If you need to make these available to your students, please put them in a password protected area, or, if they’re on YouTube, make them “unlisted” or private so they’re only accessible to your students or bandmates.
• You may not release my “practice mix” recordings so that they can be heard publicly on the internet
• You may not remove my name and web address from any version of the sheet music for my original compositions, harmony parts or arrangements, and distribute these to anyone, either online or on paper.
• You may not re-sell my compositions, harmony parts or recordings.
• You may not make a video or recording that uses of any of my harmony parts or original compositions and release this on the internet or on a physical product without crediting me as composer or arranger.
• You may not record any of my work on a musical or other product that you are intending to sell more than 500 copies of, or broadcast commercially, without contacting me first to discuss terms and royalties.