| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
 Posted - 02/21/2008 : 03:02:18 AM
|
I didn't want to muddy the other issue about purchasing Hawaiian music and supporting the artists with this tangent. But it is one of interest to me. I'd like to know what you all think...
How do you feel about copying/sharing music recordings that are long out of print? It's funny... Every few years, Disney takes another few classic movies out of circulation on DVD. You have to buy them up before you can't buy them anymore. Then another generation has to rely on Blockbuster and Netflix to see these classics.
There is no Blockbuster or Netflix for classic Hawaiian music. And as many of us here are students of our instruments and want to emulate the masters, there is often little of their material in print to hear. Do you feel justified making a copy of a long out-of-print Hawaiian music title (from a friend or, perhaps, that you checked out of the Kalihi Branch of the Honolulu Library System) if nobody makes money on out-of-print works anyway?
Choosing to keep a work out-of-print is partly an artistic decision and partly a business decision. There is simply not enough money in these reissues to make the tremendous expense of digital remastering recoverable. But in the case of Hawaiian music, hearing those artists who came before and paved the way is critical in perpetuating the tradition.
I am thinking about this in light of the program I just broadcast about Pua Almeida. I have about 6 hours - or more than 4 CDs worth - of Pua Almeida on vinyl. Only about a half dozen of these nearly 100 sides are available today on compilation CDs. So there are many young lovers of Hawaiian music who have never even heard Pua's voice. That is a crime.
The irony, of course, is that you can visit Jelly's, Rainbow Books and Music, and Hungry Ear and find the vintage vinyls relatively inexpensively (or on eBay, but a little more expensively). Many of us have been collecting these vinyls for years and we have even recommended to each other on this forum where to find them. But the artist and composers make no money off of the resale of out-of-print records, either. Should we feel guilty about this? Should we shut down all forms of used music resale? Food for thought...
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this issue...
|
Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
|
|
hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2008 : 07:50:03 AM
|
My guess is that if the artist or composer is still living, then permission can, at least, be requested. But for most of the recordings you are talking about, the artist, composer and probably the label are all gone. If you are not selling the material, it isn't outside of most definitions of "fair use", though the RIAA is getting draconian about copying of any kind.
Jesse Tinsley |
 |
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
