What's New? .... 8th February 2010

It's been a while but here's some new art ...
Abstracts 2009-2010

Kookaburra sits on the barbed wire fence

Copyright Comment: As at this writing, the word on every musician's lips is COPYRIGHT! ... The recent legal ruling in regards to the use of the children song "Kookaburra" in the classic Men at Work song "Land Downunder" shouts in capital letters, whether people agree or disagree, is RESPECT PEOPLE'S COPYRIGHT.

I personally believe that the claim of a 60% royalties is exorbitant, it would be easy to find the percentage of the song that uses the Kookaburra quote (I have read where it would be 2-3% of the song) ... I would think this fair, the people pay it, remix it, rerecord it and go on tour and get the song back in the charts without the offending quote ... they do say any publicity is good publicity.

I have no doubt that Men at Work thought that the much loved Kookaburra song was in the public domain ... all they or their managers needed to do was check.

In the Music Publishing Business, Copyrights are bought and sold the same way anybody else would buy a 2nd hand car or Real Estate; Imagine if you bought a car from someone then somebody else pinched it. This is what copyright is about.

Larrikin Music bought the rights fair and square, to buy a much loved children's song by tender was a good business deal in the same way any building company would make a winning bid for the construction of a block of flats or Joe Bloggs to make the winning bid on a much loved relic on Ebay.

I have watched this case with interest. This has been a bit personal for me. I am an author of 20+ music books; I am in a position where I have had my work stolen via rampant photocopying and people using and selling my work without any permission from me to do so. Most reasons why composers and authors don't take legal action is because they simply can't afford too. Copyright Thieves and their lawyers like to rely on this tactic of stalling and clouding the issue with bullshit in a well practiced attempt to run people out of money, hoping that the Copyright Owner gives up. Music being such a passionate business, these tactics only reflect on the character and Moral Bankruptcy of the Copyright thieves.

So, imagine this: You come home and somebody has pinched your Plasma TV, you would be rightly upset, after you had calmed down, you would be philosophical, claim the insurance, buy a bigger and better one and perhaps add a few more locks on your doors.

However, when someone steals copyright to use in something else, they don't just steal a song once, they steal it again and again and again. Every time someone buys a cd, or photocopies music, they steal the composer's royalties ... again and again and again ...

Royalties are what musicians live on, Licensing fees are what authors and creators of works live on when someone else likes the idea enough to use it, whether they be the solitary musician in a one bedroom flat, the designer of a new playstation game or a more successful musician who has managed to form a company.

The man who invented the metronome had his idea stolen, the man who invented the intermittent car windshield wiper had his idea stolen. How would you feel if you had something that you purchased fair and square, stolen? Imagine again if you were in a position to buy an investment property, perhaps a two bedroom flat you can rent out to help put the kids through school; then someone decides to squat in it and not pay rent, then trashes the place when they piss off ... so ... what's the difference?

Most composers have mortgages, kids at school, and bills to pay ... remember this, every time somebody takes something for free via illegal download, photocopy, using something without the owners permission, that means someone out there doesn't get paid.

To think it's ok because music companies have millions already or that everyone else is doing it, is a bullshit defence to do something illegal ... most people who try to scratch out a living with music, do exactly that, scratch, scratch scratch away ... think about all the rock and roll ripoff stories out there. (the lyrics to AC/DC's "Long way to the top" says it all).

What this decision has really done has put the wind up anyone who has used "Kookaburra" in a songbook or Grade Book without first checking to see if someone owned it. Men at Work quoted a snippet of the song and look at the trouble.

What lies in wait for those publishers who have copied the whole song (without checking) into their guitar and piano books and sold thousands of copies over a period of years?

This will be the continuing story in the coming months.

In closing, I do not think it "was a win for opportunistic greed" as was quoted; Neither do I think a claim for 60% of the royalties is fair either. My opinion, as a composer who knows well the feeling of having his work stolen from him and used again and again without any permission by me to do so .. is that Copyright comes back to simple RESPECT, if you want to use something, ask permission, factor the cost into your budget and move onwards and upwards. Everyone is happy then.

Yours Sincerely

Chris Quinlan f.dip.a
Author: Melbourne Musos Drumset Curriculum and Books
Creator: Melbourne Musos TV Show
8th February 2010

Copyright Clarification

With the release of the Melbourne Musos Drumset Curriculum, all previous permissions to use my Copyrighted material have been withdrawn. As of 18th February 2009, no examining body or publisher have any permission to use, print or sell my copyrighted work.

If you have purchased any material NOT marked "M.M.D.C." or entered any music examination other than M.M.D.C. that is my copyrighted work after the 18th February 2009, please contact me urgently.

I fully support all efforts by the Australian Copyright Council and the Australian Federal Police in respect to copyright theft and fraud. (This includes illegal music downloads, illegal photocopying and the use of any author's work without their permission).

A simple question to any music student and teacher ...

What is the worth of a Music Certificate if the examiner taking your drumset exam was not experienced in playing the drumset at any competent level and the organization he or she was working for did not have any permission from the author to use their work?

New Melbourne Musos episode mm462 - Celtic Guitar Styles

DW Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Evans Drum Heads

I would like to acknowledge DW, Paiste, Vic Firth and Evans; I have had my current Drum kit and Cymbal set since 1997 ... 14 years, 350+ Melbourne Musos episodes, you can hear anyone crap on about the new big thing, but you can't beat time :)
Paiste website page showing my drums, cymbals, sticks and heads

All new and revised MMDC Grades Five, Six and now, Seven Drumset Manuals now completed!

Grade Five deals with New Concepts in Hybrid Rudiments; extensive paradiddle based rhythms; more latin rhythms; odd-time rhythms and stickings; double bass exercises and grooves; with thirteen solos to keep you busy as hell!

Grade Six deals with polyrhythms against two; Quintuplet and Septuplet Stickings; ParadODDles; Brushes, Reggae and World Music (Celtic and Burundi) with Seventeen Solos for recitals and concerts.

Grade Seven deals with Polyrhythms "against three"; Advanced snare techniques; Jazz Polyrhythmics; "rates" in five and seven; solos in five and seven; practical and possible ostinatos; more double bass drumming .... 20 Solos ...... 57 pages to get your teeth and sticks stuck into!! ... yep ... advanced stuff ... beyond year 12 VCE ... beyond Tafe!

Buy the Books, watch the Shows, Contact for Drum and Guitar Lessons

I have completely rewritten the first seven MMDC Drumset Manuals and they are now available for sale on this website; everything you see on Melbourne Musos can be sourced back to the MMDC Drumset Manuals.

The MMDC Booklist

Contact for Drum and Guitar Lessons

The Melbourne Musos Drumset Curriculum ...

The M.M.D.C. is a fully integrated programme for Drumset from Preliminary/Grade One through Eight and on to Diploma levels. It is designed to deliver a co-ordinated approach to Drumset Tuition, Assessments and Ensembles in both Secondary Schools and Private Teaching Studios, offering a fully tried and proven Curriculum, Book range and Workshops to aid Drumset Students from Primary School age through to Secondary, VCE levels and beyond.

Click on The M.M.D.C. for a rundown of this exciting new project designed specifically for Secondary Schools, Music Teachers, Students and Parents.

Melbourne Musos
Watch the latest shows, here (complete shows) and on YouTube (excerpts)

Photography

New photo gallery .... Weather1

New Photo Galleries ...
Weather1
The Gig 2
Drive2 (B&W)
The Tower 2
The return of the Son of a Beach!

Art

Since the start of the Mural painting in 2004, more and more paint has been thrown at canvas; so I've added an Art Gallery to the website .. go have a look, hope you like it. Art Gallery

Classical Music

Symphony One - Everyday Anxieties

mm418 - Symphony Number One - Everyday Anxieties

What's it all about?

.... With this work, aired June 2008, I tried to convey the sense of "Everyday Anxieties" we have to live and deal with: The constant threat to our Security, Environment, Fears ... to our Loves and Passions .... the long road we are on to so-called "fullfillment" ...

Technically speaking, the music is written for full Orchestra, the video footage comes from my travels over the last 5 years ... I hope you enjoy it. I've also written music in three movements for dance called "The Inner Child", and String Quartet No.1 ... you can also hear a few other pieces on the MySpace Music Page