[Dixielandjazz] SESAC, BMI and ASCAP are helping OKOM

[Stephen G Barbone]

Just opened the morning mail, got this from the County Commissioners  
of a county wherein we are playing a public park concert.

"The ----- County Solicitor's Office was previously contacted by SESAC  
(Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) concerning the  
musical concerts being performed in the County parks. I know of two  
other organizations (BMI and ASCAP) that are also contacting local  
municipalities about paying for a customer license to play music that  
is copyrighted by their organizations."

"As a result the County is in the process of determining whether or  
not this applies to our concerts. THerefore we have been asked to  
contact our musicians to find out the following information. -  Name  
of each song to be performed - Writer of each song - Publisher of each  
song."

"Please return the enclosed form by May 15th etc., etc., etc."

What I am doing is listing 30 Public Domain OKOM songs (pre 1923)  
along with a statement that every song we will perform is in the  
public domain and therefore not subject to musical license, and that  
the arrangements are unique to  us.

This, by the way, is a GREAT MARKETING TOOL for those bandleaders who  
go after the "public venue" market. Like parks, street fairs etc. You  
can play Public Domain tunes while a lot of other bands (non-OKOM)  
cannot. And these bands, Rock, Rap, etc., are your real competition  
there.

Three cheers for SESAC, BMI and ASCAP. They are making our marketing  
job easier. I don't know about others, but I am e-mailing some 200  
local municipal music  venues that BSJB performs concerts using public  
domain music. I bet I get 10 more gigs from it, over the summer months  
at our newly raised concert price..

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband