So here's the dealio.  I'm beginning to mess around with some winter percussion ideas for next year (concert, not WGI styled stuff) and I've had three ideas which, in my head, are going to work amazingly, but I've got to throw em into finale to check it out.

These being...
-La Villa Strangiato by Rush
-Roundabout by Yes
-Frankenstein by Edgar Winter Group
-Erotomania by Dream Theater

Now, I pretty much could throw these together, not tell anyone and 99.9% get off with it scott free of having to do anything such as paying copyrights, getting permissions etc - despite the potential illegality of that.  However, I think it would be awesome to actually put these pieces together, do what I need to do and perhaps work at getting them published or something.

So, for those of you out there more knowlegdable than this padawan learner, what must I do?  Something about a permission to arrange?  And then if I get that permission and arrange it, where do I go from there?  basically, I know how to write music and know nothing in the realm of rights and such - and seeing as Ive actually composed some original stuff as well (percussively) I'd like to work at this and see what I'd need to do.

Thanks in advance!

They have some info regarding the use copyrighted material at the wgi website( www.wgi.org ) Hope this helps.
www.wgi.org/percussion/copyright//perccopyright.php


-Darryl Jones

There are companies that will handle that stuff for you for a fee but, in a nutshell, you basically need to contact the publishing company that holds the rights of the piece and request permission from them. They will let you know of any special requirements, etc.

here is a good link from Hal Leonard to use for requesting permission for any pieces that they publish.

http://www.halleonard.com/permissions/

Some publishing companies will alllow you to arrange their music for a relatively small fee but some places will want to charge you hundreds of dollars for permission.  I know this from getting permission for marching band shows.  Even though the temptation to not get in touch with the copyright holder and just arrange away, ethically, you really need to get the cash to the people that hold the copyright on the pieces (imagine of it were [b]YOUR[/b] pocket that was losing cash).

Just my 2 cents...

This link has some great information:
http://www.mpa.org/

Permission to Arrange forms can be found at:
http://www.mpa.org/copyright_resource_center/forms

You might also contact Jeni Paulson. She started a company to help in this specific area since it can be a little confusing. She knows the marching activity and could probably answer any questions with good accuracy.
http://www.copycatlicensing.com/

To search for publishers who own certain pieces, usually ASCAP and BMI are a good place to start:
http://www.ascap.com
http://www.bmi.com

2 seasons ago my friend's drumline did a Rage Against the Machine show.  They dealt directly with the band's agent to get permission and weren't charged a fee- they were just asked to provide a video of the show after the season was over. 

And while you might think you have a 99.9% chance of getting away with it, all it takes is one person to write a letter or make a phone call and you're in trouble.  When I was in high school, a rival marching band did an unauthorized arrangement with samples and had to give back all trophies, repay prize winnings, and pay fines.  This was in the midwest, where people assumed you could get away with anything.

Awesome, that's another option.  Pretty much all the music I'm considering doing is from groups that, at least seem, like they'd not be a stick up their ass.

On average, what usually happens when you contact the ppublishing company or anything like that?  Is there usually a cost involved to do it?

[quote author=Cadet311 link=topic=1214.msg5228#msg5228 date=1151975995]
Awesome, that's another option.  Pretty much all the music I'm considering doing is from groups that, at least seem, like they'd not be a stick up their ass.

On average, what usually happens when you contact the publishing company or anything like that?  Is there usually a cost involved to do it?
[/quote]

It is the [b]lawyers[/b] that [b]do[/b] have a stick up their arse [i]and rightfully so[/i].

When you contact the publishing company, the person that handles the ";permission to arrange"; will ask you a few questions like ";Exactly what type of arrangement are you making?"; (meaning marching band, percussion ensemble, indoor drum line show, etc.), ";How many times will you perform the arrangement?";, etc.  They will then let you know the amount they will require for you to arrange the piece(s) and give you the information needed to complete one of the ";Permission to Arrange"; forms readily available over the net.

Again, I say, the bottom line is that ethically, you [b][i]should[/i][/b] get the permission.  Period.

Dave, that is my plan - to get permission and do it the right way.  I'm just wondering about the logistics and all and asking one billion questions about it.

For anyone who has done something like this, what have you payed?

[quote author=Cadet311 link=topic=1214.msg5230#msg5230 date=1151985342]
Dave, that is my plan - to get permission and do it the right way.  I'm just wondering about the logistics and all and asking one billion questions about it.

For anyone who has done something like this, what have you payed?
[/quote]

Right on.

As for the amount - it [i]COMPLETELY[/i] depends on the publisher that holds the copyright...

WGI has also put together a list of some pieces that are either difficult or you will never get permission for.

http://wgi.org/colorguard/copyright/cgrestrictedlist.php

Basically, Stephen Melillo will cost at least $2500.00 and don't even ask about James Bond. The Cavaliers had to jump through hoops and we extremely lucky to be able to use any of it for their 2004 show.

Here is basically the same thing from the BOA website:

http://www.bands.org/public/resourceroom/copyright/copyright_guide.asp

If you go to the link above and read through some of it you can see the price can vary from $480 up to $2,500 per work and some are flaty denied.  Not [i]all[/i] have to go through this but this and the WGI list will give you an idea of the process and the ";worst case scenarios";.  Hope this helps...