2008 Woodie Awards
Class teaches musicians to protect their work
Aubrey Fenton
Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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WCC's entertainment law class (MUS 147) offers musicians and others an understanding of how to protect and profit from their music. With the growth of the performing arts department, the entertainment law class has become increasingly popular, though the class has been around for more than ten years, says John E. Lawrence, director of the Music Performance Program.
"They want to learn more about the legal aspect so they can protect themselves and their songs," says Lawrence in e-mail. The class goes over licenses, contracts, royalties, copyright laws, and other legal portions of the entertainment business.
"This class is a marriage of law and music," says attorney John Reiser, the primary teacher of the class. Reiser, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Washtenaw County, has been teaching the class for roughly four to five years. Reiser says that the type of student that would most benefit from this class would be "A student who is serious about music as a career choice, whether that's as a singer, song writer, recording artist, or producer."
The class typically starts out with Reiser reviewing recent news articles that are based on entertainment law. This includes anything from record deals to additions to copyright laws. Reiser ties the articles into different aspects of the class. Everything from Michael Jackson losing the Beatles Catalog in 2008, to copyright infringement by college students can be tied into the class.
Another class for students in a music career may be interested in the Self Management for Working Artist (MUS 285) class taught by Lawrence, who is also Instructor and Chair of the Music Department. This class is relatively new, and has become increasingly popular with music students, said Lawrence.
Unlike the Self Management class, the Entertainment Law class is not required for the completion of a program. Though according to Reiser, it is important for musicians to not overlook the legal facets of their craft.
"They want to learn more about the legal aspect so they can protect themselves and their songs," says Lawrence in e-mail. The class goes over licenses, contracts, royalties, copyright laws, and other legal portions of the entertainment business.
"This class is a marriage of law and music," says attorney John Reiser, the primary teacher of the class. Reiser, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Washtenaw County, has been teaching the class for roughly four to five years. Reiser says that the type of student that would most benefit from this class would be "A student who is serious about music as a career choice, whether that's as a singer, song writer, recording artist, or producer."
The class typically starts out with Reiser reviewing recent news articles that are based on entertainment law. This includes anything from record deals to additions to copyright laws. Reiser ties the articles into different aspects of the class. Everything from Michael Jackson losing the Beatles Catalog in 2008, to copyright infringement by college students can be tied into the class.
Another class for students in a music career may be interested in the Self Management for Working Artist (MUS 285) class taught by Lawrence, who is also Instructor and Chair of the Music Department. This class is relatively new, and has become increasingly popular with music students, said Lawrence.
Unlike the Self Management class, the Entertainment Law class is not required for the completion of a program. Though according to Reiser, it is important for musicians to not overlook the legal facets of their craft.
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