[Harp-L] Re: Plagiarism

[MilwHarmonica@xxxxxxx]

Hello, plagiarists. Yes, you and I are plagiarists. We took Glenn Weiser's  
post, tore it apart for our own purposes. However, we did credit Glenn as the  
original author, and I don't know if his statements were copyrighted. Never  
mind.
 
By the time everyone had their say, the original content was changed.
 
The same happens when we steal others' creations without or with credit.  The 
content is never exactly the same as the original, even when performing  
music written down by the composer, verbatim, as in classical, symphonic  music.
 
Here are my opinions on plagiarism. 
 
1. Taking another's creation and using it as your own, for profit, without  
compensation to the copyright owner, or without giving credit to the composer,  
is legally and morally wrong. However, taking an improvisation of an  
original composition, and using it as your own, without credit, is rude,  and stupid, 
but can't be considered stealing an original composition. 
 
The improviser was taking an original, and in his or her opinion, was  
improving it. A person who takes the improvised transcript and plays it  verbatim, 
may be doing that for any number of reasons. The "copier" is certainly  not 
hurting the reputation of the original composer, or the improviser, as they  both 
have already displayed their unique talents.
 
2. An improviser changes the music on the moment. The improvisation is not  
meant to be the only version of the tune. Improvisers never play the piece the  
same way twice, if they are improvising. It would be impossible to police all 
 the versions of "Oh, When the Saints Go Marchin' In."
 
3.Although I'm a mediocre player at best, I would never use transcripts for  
performance. I feel that my performance would be an insult to the composer or  
improvising artist. Also, my ego is so big that I would only perform a piece 
in  my own way. My harmonica performance is for my gratification, not for the  
audience.
If I played harmonica for pay, I wouldn't play a transcrit, either. But I  
use transcripts for teaching or my own personal study, after I've paid for  them.
 
John Broecker



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