Respecting Art and Artists - The Creative Commons

For as long as the printed word has existed, the protection of a creator and their work has been a struggle. With the arrival of the "technology revolution," a new copyright struggle has been born! This has led to the formation of the Creative Commons that allows artists to specify exactly how the public or other artists can use or distribute their work.

As a future music educator, I will need to bear in mind the impact my example will have on my students when it comes to treatment, dissemination and use of musical examples, scores, or even worksheets. It is not respectful to the artist or their creation to simply appropriate a work for my own purposes, even if they are well meaning. Many of my friends are artists or musicians and I want children to remember that art and its creator are deserving of respect. It is generous of them to share their work through the Creative Commons and we should adhere to the guidelines they have created for their work.

I am of course fallible, I admit I was ignorant when it came to understanding all the nuances invovled in music copyright. I think it's safe to say my generation does not like to pay for music or movies or even TV. I was not aware of the many rules for copying a score! I am still learning.

Ribeiro, L. (2008, June 30). Children at School (Online Image). Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/ehBnRE

Lodder, J. (2014, June 17). One measure of "doctor gradus at parnassum" (Online Image). Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/o3wN4Z

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/11/david-byrne-internet-content-world