BOOK REVIEWS

BY GARY BARON

a phone call to a colleague. Text is concise, to the point, and contains no wasted words. Information is included that covers making paper copies, recordings, videos, your own arrangements, the internet, digital products, public domain, and any other factor that may arise. A glossary contains many surprising terms. With the thorough index, almost any question can be answered within a few seconds.

When I retired, our human resources manager gave me this warning: “Don’t look toward other retirees for advice. They are not experts. Only seek advice from the Teacher Retirement System office and their publications.” It seems so much easier to ask fellow directors for copyright do’s and don'ts, but why would they know more than you? Like retirement laws, copyright laws can be a confusing web of details.

Pam Phillips and Andrew Surmani have produced a book that lays out copyright information in a manner that helps you find answers even faster than sending an email or making

This Copyright Handbook will pay for itself in time saved and you won’t have to wonder if the information is correct. Phillips and Surmani have done us a real service. Highly recommended.

Gary Barton retired from the La Porte, Texas Independent School District after thirty-seven years of teaching in five states. He received the Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Louisiana-Monroe and the Master of Science in Education from Indiana University. A Past President of the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association and Past 2nd Vice-President of the National Band Association, he has written for numerous publications and has done clinics and presentations in sixteen states. He may be reached at bartonglp@gmail.com.

Copyright Handbook for Music Educators and Directors

by Pam Phillips and Andrew Surmani

Van Nuys, California: Alfred Music, 2017;

ISBN-10: 1-4706-3598-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-4706-3598-5

US $19.99; 72 pages

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Josh Gottry’s new little book, Freelance, is one that inspired me to share it as soon as I read it, which didn’t take very long at a compact seventy-three pages and ten chapters. Each chapter has its own topic and can be approached independently. Chapters are two to five pages and are followed by one journaling page with three questions that create the opportunity to brainstorm (use a pencil because you will be revisiting over time). Finally, each chapter is followed by a very brief discussion by a successful musician/entrepreneur (the essay by Patrick Sheridan alone is worth the price of the book). Some of the topics of the tightly-written chapters include life-long learning, how every gig is an audition, creating visibility, finding your unique abilities, diversifying yourself, the value of professional organizations to your career, the value of surrounding yourself with quality people, and knowing how to create your best financial practices.

Each chapter made me think, “Everyone needs to read this. A dentist, a lawyer, a plumber needs these skills as well as anyone who works with the public.” This book is for everyone. A bonus is that teaching tips are inadvertently peppered throughout the book. Freelance helps us work with the public. Josh Gottry has written a book that will help us work with large groups of students and booster groups, our most important clients. I promise every reader will benefit from this book. Highly recommended.

Book Reviews, Gary Barton, cont.

Freelance, 10 Common Sense Keys to Making Your Music Your Business by Josh

Gottry

Greensboro, North Carolina: C. Alan Publications, LLC, 2021; ISBN 978-1-955700-00-9; US $12.99; 73 pages