I like to try and play some modern lute music. I also like to put these
efforts on youtube. Harmless enough, surely? My youtube 'channel' (as
it's called!) doesn't mention my actual name but a nickname that my wife
thought was funny: pluckedturkeys.
A few months ago a composer contacted me and he was very insistent that
I put my name on the youtube videos that I played of his music,
clearly indicating that it was not him playing. At first I put a link
to his website on my youtube channel but that was not enough. So I
thought that the simplest thing to do was to delete the videos and I did.
But now I'm wondering why I did that. I don't want to be impolite to the
composer but I can't understand what his problem was/is. And that's why
I'm asking advice here.
As I see it, if a composer publishes music then anyone who buys it
legally is free to play it and to play it in a public place - like
youtube. It must be very disappointing for a composer to hear his/her
music mangled/misinterpreted etc. But surely that is always a
possibility once the music is published and in public space. And once
the music is published it seems to me (that's why I'm asking for advice)
wholly unreasonable to expect control over the naming of whoever wants
to try and perform the music
So: is it in any way reasonable for a composer to ask/insist that I put
my name on youtube videos? The whole thing sounds so utterly ridiculous
and implausible that there must be some other explanation. The only
obvious thing I can think of is that the composer is worried that my
clunky efforts might be misunderstood as the composer's. Should I worry
about that? (More to the point? Why are they worrying about that?)
I really may be missing some point. Please tell me! Otherwise I'm now
thinking - I enjoy trying to have a go at some of this person's music -
I actually value it -so I'll just go ahead and stick it on youtube!
Stuart
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