We offer a $25, $50, $100 and $200 discount for performance of new compositions as specified below. Participation is purely optional. There is nothing to buy. This is not a contest. There are no prizes.
We use musicians and musical organizations as focus groups for new compositions we are publishing. In return for your "test drive" evaluation, we offer a reduction in the cost of various items sold through internet venues such as eBay. If you'd like to participate in our "test drive" discount program, please read the conditions and terms described below, contact us if you have any questions, and then submit an application.
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4 Steps To Participate:
- Select the music you want to evaluate from our inventory.
Sheet music, evaluation forms and CDs are provided free.
- Learn the music
- Video tape a performance
- Return a video copy of your performance and your evaluation to us to receive a discount.
We need your comments as to the difficulty of these pieces, the skill required for performance, suggested fingerings/bowing (for piano and string instruments), the length of time it took you to prepare the piece for performance, etc. We will send a list of questions along with the sheet music.
We are not seeking an artistic evaluation -- praise or criticism-- of these pieces. This is a focus group research project, not a solicitation for endorsement.
Please do not offer any new compositions of your own. We have already made our investment in the compositions contained in our inventory.
The total amount of your discount is based on the number of compositions you submit and the final purchase price of the item. There is a maximum amount of discount set for different price ranges, as shown in the following chart.
Discount Structure $ Discount Amount Final Purchase
PriceMaximum
Discount$25 Discount
per Performance
Submitted and Approved$100 - $200 $25 $50 Discount
per Performance
Submitted and Approved$201 - $400 $50 $50 Discount
per Performance
Submitted and Approved$401 - $1,000 $100 $50 Discount
per Performance
Submitted and Approved$1,001 - $2,000 $200 Please remember, you will still have to pay the shipping expenses for the items. Shipping expenses are not subject to a discount under this program.
The music is not easy, but it does not require the talents of professional musicians. A good sight reader will be at an advantage.
In every community there is always one talented musician who is an outstanding amateur. It may be a teacher, a performer at your church, a professional in some unrelated field, a friend of a friend attending college, or someone on their way to becoming a professional musician. Or, you may be in a school system with an accelerated music program that can perform at a high level. Only you can answer this question by examining our inventory.
Most of the pieces are intended for encore performance. As such, they are short (approximately 3 minutes in length), contain only one theme or style and are rather "showy" in nature. These pieces are like dessert at the end of a fine meal and are designed to rekindle the applause of the audience at the end of a concert.
No. You may read from the score during the video taping. But we do ask that you learn the piece to the extent that you would consider it close to performance ready. In other words, your evaluation doesn't help us if you can barely get through the piece at half tempo.
The pieces are open to interpretation and the application of individual skills and artistry. The scores are deliberately void of "composer markings" so that we may receive a variety of interpretations and impressions. General tempo markings are indicated.
We are not looking for professional, studio-quality recordings. Any home video camera of reasonable quality will do. We require a video recording rather than just an audio tape because of the nature of encore music. This music has certain visual performance aspects written into the design. You will understand the video requirements once you examine the music.
Standard VHS or S-VHS are fine. We can also accommodate the consumer digital 8mm format (Hi8 Digital). If you are at the cutting edge of technology, a DVD video recording is fine. We cannot accommodate the professional digital formats, like DigitalBeta or D2, D3 etc. If you have any questions, just email us.
We ask that you do not make a video recording of the performance on your computer and transmit it via the internet for us to download. Why? Because this submits the recording to possible theft by anyone who might access the file while it is on the internet. We must protect the copyright of the composer. You may certainly make a video recording of the performance on your computer and send us a copy of that file on either CD, DVD, VHS or Hi8 Digital.
- We provide two copies of the sheet music: one for your use and one to mark up and return to us.
- We provide a CD recording of the piece to be used as a general reference, something to reduce the learning curve. Some people play by ear much easier than they sight read. The CD recording is not to be considered as a definitive performance. It is only a guide and a quick reference. We ask that you return the CD to us along with the video and the performer's comments.
The music score and the CD are copyrighted, and you may not make any copy or reproduction of these items in any form. You may not cause the music on the CD or the images from the score to be distributed, offered or disseminated on the internet in any form at any time in the future. No performance or usage rights are granted under the terms of this program.
All we ask is that the piece be performed from beginning to end without interruption, just as it would be performed at a concert. If you want to comment on certain passages in the video, please do so after the performance is completed.
We reserve the right to reject any video submission that is less than a serious, competent effort, or that incorporates computer-assisted trickery, e.g. scanning/converting the score to MIDI and playing it back through a synthesizer (or similar device), or copying the music from the CD, modifying it with digital technology, and syncing to the playback during the video recording.
We require that the video tape show the actual performance without editing.
For solo performances, a close-up shot is preferred. For piano pieces, we want to see the hands and the keyboard, not a view from the balcony. A close shot of the instrument showing finger positions and bowing would also apply to string compositions.
We are not looking for "pretty" images, MTV style productions, or music videos. Tight shots are best. Consider these videos like audition tapes; just one perspective from start to finish. No fancy video effects, please.
There is one exception to this "plain video with tight shots" requirement. A few of the pieces were written for additional on-stage performers. In these instances, the video should show the participation of these extras along with the performance of the principal artist. Please refer to our inventory for these exceptions.
For solo compositions, the answer is yes. However, our experience has shown that this puts a lot of pressure on just one person to learn and perform multiple pieces. We would prefer a different artist for each piece submitted, but in smaller communities, we understand that this is not always possible. We will work with you to achieve the maximum discount allowed.
When the composition requires performance by a large group, e.g. such as an orchestra, band, wind ensemble, etc., we naturally allow more than one piece to be performed by the same organization. It all depends on the availability of new compositions in our inventory listing.
When applied to a single purchase, the answer is yes. The same composition can be submitted by different musicians for multiple discounts. Our focus is on the composition. While we prefer a different artists be assigned to a each new composition, we will work with you to achieve the maximum discount allowed.
We will show them to the composers and use them to develop our marketing strategy. As such, they become our property in perpetuity as the product of work for hire.
We agree not to sell the video performances or use them as an endorsement without your permission. However, we do reserve the right to use the video performances as a marketing tool for promotion of the compositions and as a visual/audio demonstration of the compositions and their skill requirements.
Then you would pay the full amount. The discount program is purely optional.
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