Disklavier

----- Original Message -----

From: Art Goldberg

To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 9:56 AM

Subject: RE: [disklavier] I was wondering...

Todd,

;

That was really helpful. I have one additional question. Many of the files are in a “.fil” format. I can’t find anything that would “play” those or convert them to midi. Do you know of any program that will convert them to midi or some other format so that I can convert them into files that are playable on my pianomation system?

Thanks again for the help.

Art

From: Todd Muncy [mailto:inbox1@...]
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 1:41 PM
To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [disklavier] I was wondering...

A lack of good sources for songs still under songwriter’s copyrights (post 1925) was one of the driving reasons I founded this group in 1999. The Harry Fox Agency, which represents the majority of independent songwriters, initiated a major crackdown in 1999. They were writing threatening letters to any public website that offered midis of copyrighted songs (not performances). They didn’t care who the performer was, even if it was you. As a result, popular music became much scarcer and only classical performances and ragtime could easily be found.

By being a private members-only group, the midis we share in the file vault http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/disklavier/files/ come under the private performance exemption to the copyright law. This basically says that if you perform a copyrighted song for a private group of friends and don’t charge them admission, you don’t have to send money to the songwriter. On the other hand, if you are paid to play the same songs at a piano bar, the piano bar must license any copyrighted music. Please note that putting copyrighted commercial midi files (like PianoSoft disks) into the vault is piracy and patently illegal (we don’t do it).

The other benefit the file vault gave us was the fact that we were all interested in piano centric music to be played on a disklavier and not a sound card. Much of the crap that is available on the web is real hokey sequenced stuff using a strange variety of voices (like the background midi on my home page http://MuncyFamily.com). I don’t recommend it for the disklavier. We have all benefited from each others efforts in searching out and many times tuning up the midis that sound best on the disklavier. The best stuff by far, is some brilliant donated performances by members of the group.

As for links to sites that are still up, I have two on my links page http://muncyfamily.com/links.htm. One is Australian (fantastic jazz) and the other is a Japanese child prodigy. There are also a number of links on the group site http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/disklavier/links but many may be out of date by now.

Todd Muncy

-----Original Message-----
From: Art Goldberg [mailto:artgold@...]
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 3:24 PM
To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [disklavier] I was wondering...

;

If anyone had found a good source of midi piano arrangements of more current and popular songs; stuff like Elton John, John Denver, Faith Hill, etc.

Art

To Post a message to the group, send it to: disklavier@...

To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and moderator, send it to:
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To reach our group's web site go to:
http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier

Todd's family web site was completely updated 012/22/03. It contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among many other things, The url is:
http://MuncyFamily.com

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Know someone who wants to join? Have them send a blank email to:
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To Post a message to the group, send it to: disklavier@...

To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and moderator, send it to:
disklavier-owner@...

To reach our group's web site go to:
http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier

Todd's family web site was completely updated 012/22/03. It contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among many other things, The url is:
http://MuncyFamily.com

THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead. That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group. If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
disklavier-unsubscribe@...

Know someone who wants to join? Have them send a blank email to:
disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join

To Post a message to the group, send it to: disklavier@...

To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and moderator, send it to:
disklavier-owner@Yahoogroups.com

To reach our group's web site go to:
http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier

Todd's family web site was completely updated 012/22/03. It contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among many other things, The url is:
http://MuncyFamily.com

THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead. That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group. If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
disklavier-unsubscribe@...

Know someone who wants to join? Have them send a blank email to:
disklavier-subscribe@eGroups.com or give them this link:
http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join