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Re: Can I purchase an indivual part to a quartet?

Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-12-21 14:06

In about twenty per cent of the "big band" arrangements that I buy (usually through a large music firm), one or more of the parts will be missing as shipped.

There are three ways to deal with this effectively. The first is to send it back and get a refund. Obvious, but you end up with zero music with that approach.

The second is to contact the publisher/sales point, point out the error, and ask for the replacement part. With large commercial houses (Warner Brothers, say), this can be problematic. The last time I looked for a replacement for a WB arrangement (missing vocal part as shipped), I ran into a reorganization of their sheet musci division, and ended up spending an hour or so on hold with various "I used to handle that" folks before working my way through to the one person in the world who could produce the part.

It may have been a lot of trouble in that case, but it was worth it (very busy vocal part - lots of notes). Most would have given up half way through.

The third approach is to go after market. It may be that someone else you know has the same arrangement. If you can't purchase the part through appropriate means (but you have originally purchased the music in the first place), you have the right to the music. Replacing it through "other means" is in the grey area of the law, but you are not "cheating" the composer/publisher out of a copy.

(The other side of this argument - having a friend dub off a copy (which is most likely a copy of a copy in the first place) of an entire arrangement to "help you out" - is clearly wrong on all levels.

The prudent approach is to not let stuff stray as it did in this case. Better control of the music in the first place ensures that it doesn't get lost. But, this takes some discipline. The publisher/composer could make the argument that it's your fault that you don't have the music you purchased, not theirs, and that they should be entitled to sell you that replacement. Fair enough - as long as they are there to do the selling.

leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com

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