Nondramatic music performance: Section 110 (4)

From: Randal Nieuwsma <Nieuwr[_at_]calvin.edu>
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 18:00:01 -0400

Hi,
 A student club wants to put on a show. It would consist of 10+ 'showtunes' sung and danced by performers onstage. There are no characters, plot, story, or dialogue. The songs are introduced, but only tied together by a theme of 'showtunes through the 20th century' or the like.  This strikes me as non-dramatic performance which is allowed under Section 110 (4).
 My questions are:
1. Does dancing/choreography make it 'dramatic'?  There is no definition of 'dramatic' in Section 101.  Nimmer says "Fundamentally there seem to be but two essential elements for a dramatic composition: (1) that it relate a story, and (2) that it provide directions whereby a substantiol portion of the story may be visually or audibly represented to an audience as actually occurring, rather than merely being narrated or described."

2. Do our ASCAP/BMI/SESAC licenses cover this, also? Are we covered twice, or do the ASCAP/BMI/SESAC licenses give us additional flexibility for charging admission outside of what is specified in Section 110 (4)?

Thanks,
Randy

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Randy Nieuwsma, IRC Director
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
nieuwr[_at_]calvin.edu (616) 526-6076

How is Calvin College distinctive?
www.calvin.edu/about/distinctives/ Received on Thu Oct 12 2006 - 02:00:01 GMT