Gauntlet Got Sampled

I discovered this clip on YouTube recently.  Some kid used Gauntlet as a sample for his hip-hop beat.  Check it out.

He's selling it online for $25.  I'm sure I get royalties for this... right?

Royalty Statement 2010 - Part 2

In my last post, I mentioned that most of my music sales come from within the US, but a small portion comes from other countries.  I can't be sure which other countries, but this blog has received hits from Canada, Sweden, Slovenia, Argentina, China, and Spain, just to name a few. I've also found my music for sale on German and Japanese online music stores, so that may also give some indication. 

As I understand it, many other countries don't have the same model of music education that is common here in the US and most ensemble playing is done in private after-school groups, so there's far less demand for string orchestra sheet music.

Anyway, here are my top foreign sellers for the past year:

1. Agincourt
2. Gargoyles
3. Gauntlet & Porcupine Pantomime (tie) 
5. Hot Potato

Interesting results!  It seems that my most popular pieces abroad are very close to my most popular pieces in the US.  Porcupine Pantomime and Hot Potato are relatively new, which may account for their higher sales. 

Something else to keep in mind: several pieces on the royalty statement are listed multiple times, because they're sold at different rates in different countries with different currencies and exchange rates.  There are four different listings for foreign sales of Gauntlet because it was sold at four different prices around the world.

There's no record of foreign sales of scores only or parts only, which leads me to believe that either those options aren't available in foreign markets or there's no demand for extra scores and parts.

Royalty Statement 2010 - Part 1

I got my annual royalty statement from Alfred Publishing recently, which outlines how many of each of my pieces they've sold in the past year, and first, let me just say

THANK YOU JAMES CAMERON!

You see, James Cameron decided to name what would become the highest-grossing movie of all time after a piece of music I wrote five years ago (kidding - the fact that we used the same titles was a complete coincidence).  Anyway, it seems a lot of people mistook my music for James Horner's film score. Or they really enjoyed my music on its own considerable merits.

Here are my top five sellers this year (4/1/09 - 3/31/10):

1. Avatar
2. Gauntlet
3. Gargoyles
4. Agincourt
5. Quicksilver

So Avatar comes out of nowhere to become this year's number-one seller.  Gauntlet and Gargoyles are perennial favorites and always seem to make the top five and I'm pleased to see that Agincourt has retained its popularity.  Quicksilver was a new one last year and music often sells well in its first year.  Plus, Quicksilver was performed at the Midwest Conference last December, giving it a huge boost.

Last year's other new pieces were Porcupine Pantomime, which would have come in sixth place, and A Hero's Welcome, which has a place further down in the rankings.

Now, this is just domestic sales of scores and parts. Scores are sold separately, for when orchestras go to contest and the judges need to follow along.  Here are the sales of just the scores:

1. Avatar
2. Gargoyles
3. Gauntlet
4. Crusader
5. Westward Motion

Interesting - perhaps Avatar is becoming a contest staple like Gargoyles and Gauntlet.  Or maybe people just want to see the score to Avatar, thinking that it's the film score.

There are still foreign sales and mechanical fees to report on as well as a certain long-standing bet to settle, but that's for a later post.

Doug Spata at Indian Hill Middle School

Today I did a "Johnny Depp" and paid a surprise visit to the Indian Hill Middle School 7th Grade Orchestra.  I was invited by the director, Candace Putz, who always puts on a great Halloween concert and has programmed Gauntlet and Violet's Tango.  I showed up early to surprise the class and rehearsed both pieces with the orchestra on stage.  Mrs. Putz took this photo for me:

 

I realize that I don't put many photos of myself on this blog, but that's what I look like.  Sorry to ruin the mystery.

IHMS has a good-sized orchestra with a phalanx of 'cellos, three basses, and a small but enthusiastic viola section.  They play with all the passion required for Gauntlet and all the style necessary for Violet's Tango and I had a great time.  I can't wait to come back and hear them in concert on Thursday night!

I also regaled the orchestra with the story of the time I met Lemony Snickett, the inspiration for Violet's Tango.

Huge Gargoyles Performance

A friend of mine recently let me know about this YouTube video of a combined orchestra performing Gargoyles. Have a look:

This is really cool - I don't think I've ever seen such a huge orchestra performing one of my pieces.  They literally fill the floor of a gym and require four conductors (by my count).  Nuance goes out the window with an ensemble that size, but they make an impressive sound!  Well done, New Berlin Combined Orchestras!