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I have been loaning out books and making copies of some music for students, but it is getting to be a hassle. Do you require your student buy christmas music books, or do you loan out books? Just curious.

Hi pianogirl1978,
For the past few years I have bought a variety of levels of Christmas music and let parents know that Christmas music would be available for purchase on first come, first served basis. But this year I don't feel like bothering. I am considering taking my leftover Christmas books, putting my name label on them and begin a lending library for Christmas books.

What hassles have you run into with lending Christmas books?

I've also considered asking parents to let me know if they would like Christmas book recommendations for their child. (I'd drop out of purchasing books, and just make suggestions to parents.)

For most of them I have them buy it. I purchase the book once we've selected a piece and give it to them and email the bill to their parents. That way the student gets the music with time to work on it (letting them buy it takes forever usually), and I've never had a student not pay for a book. They're cheap enough, and it beats having them lose pages.

I hope you don't mean that you routinely photocopy music from your own books to give out to students.... (shudder)...

I try to include a Christmas book as part of the collection of books my students will receive during the year. For very beginners I will create a version of 'Jingle Bells' or another piece on my computer that is at their level technically. At the later levels they may keep the same book for 2 years and learn the songs they didn't learn the previous year. I don't lend out books as I think it's good for students to build their own collection of repertoire, even Christmas music.

Every student gets brand new Christmas music every year. Sometimes books, sometimes sheet music, sometimes computer print outs. The expense is included in their annual materials fee. That way there is never a worry about expenses.

For beginners I just loan them out since I have enough books to go around. For intermediate/advanced I either find arrangements to print out or have them buy.

I usually don't have enough books to lend out so that is the hassle for me. and Dumdumdiddle, yes I photocopy the music from my books if the student is interested in one that is not in the book they have. My teachers used to do it when I took lessons. Sorry if I made you shudder.

I don't understand - what is the hassle about getting paid? I really have never had trouble getting paid from a student for a book. In fact, I'd venture to say I have more trouble collecting lesson payment than book payment, but that may just be because books are less frequent so the chances of someone missing is less.

I have them buy their own.

Loaning is a huge pain, and you can't write in the music (unless you erase it for the next person.) Often, books don't come back unless you have some kind of library check-out system. And copying is illegal.

The shuddering is because photocopying is illegal. Just because your teachers used to do it? They were wrong too.

It's one thing to occasionally copy something because of last-minute necessity; it's another when it's a policy of your piano studio.

Kreisler and dumdumdiddle,

I beg to differ with you. Photocopying music is NOT illegal. If I were making a personal profit from the sheet music - then it would illegal. There is a little bit of a loophole when xmas music is involved. Most of the pieces were written 50 years ago or more, and by now are considered "public domain". I believe it is acceptable to make a copy for performance purposes. When I was in marching band in high school, my band teacher needed 100 copies of the sheet music and we all had copies. There was no way he was going to demand we find "China Grove" sheet music for the trombone. And plus this was before the internet so it would have been difficult for all the parents to have bought us a copy. And he was never turned in or prosecuted. So if you are only copying it for student use and you are not making money off of it there really is no problem with it.

Morodiene, there are a few issues. One is having to keep track and bill the parents. And the accompanying bookkeeping for tax purposes, etc. But the greater advantage to collecting annual material fees is that you have complete freedom in assigning books. If one book doesn't work out the way you had hoped, you can just take it back and substitute another. I have actually done that this week for Christmas music with at least three students. And despite careful consideration of the best materials for each student, sometimes it just doesn't work the way I had anticipated. In some cases, they are so relieved to get a different book - two of them were struggling a bit, one of them had found the book too easy. So they are all happy with a change and a new start. And I have no billing problems or bookkeeping records to worry about. Works for me and is much better than monthly billings as I once did.

It depends on what you photocopy. If the book is published (yes, that means printed and sold) before 1923, you're safe. I actually have one of these books in my collection, which listed Brahms, Debussy, and Saint-Saens as "contemporary" composers. The website imslp also has scanned copies of these old tomes, which are perfectly legal despite their print quality.

For post 1923 books, there's a whole list of crazy laws and dates regarding what you can and cannot copy. The whole thing about these laws is just bizarre to the point of absurdity, but you really should read up on these laws.

Just because you're not making money off the process doesn't make it less illegal.

You are quite misinformed. (But God help you if your primary source of legal advice is from an anonymous forum on the internet... don't take our word for it- find a professional copyright expert.)
While the song "Silent Night" or whatever might no longer be under copyright, you are most likely copying from a more recently published book, and the arrangement is almost certainly still under copyright. I have heard it said that even though there might not be an iota of original material in the arrangement, the publisher can even lay claim to the copyright of the layout of the piece, which could be the original material.

But really...why? Why not just have your students buy a book each year if they want to play Christmas music so bad? Is the $8 a year for a book in their level really going to kill them? It's only fair to the publisher and arranger of the music, (who is likely a starving musician just trying to use his talents to make a living, just like we all are.)

If you are making a copy of a piece in a published book (let's say a Christmas book by Alfred, Bastien, Faber, etc....) you most certainly CANNOT make a copy to give your students. The book and arrangements in it are copyrighted.

Just because YOU are not making money from it doesn't mean you are allowed to do it. By copying the arrangement from the book you are preventing the composer of that arrangement from making money. Now, you are free to make your own arrangement of any Christmas song because yes, they are 'public domain'. Copying from a book (unless it's really really old) is ILLEGAL.

In fact, you are not even allowed to perform said arrangements in public without the permission of the copyright holder.

You really need to be knowledgeable about what you're doing. You are doing a disservice to your students (just as your teacher did to you with his/her example of copying music).

More legal info is here:
http://www.mtna.org/member-resources/copyright-information/copyright-faqs/

Just to be clear here, I have had some students buy their own Xmas books, I just have also copied some pieces for students when they didn't have that piece in their said book. What I have understood about copyright is that as long as the book's copyright is over 30 years old then it is no longer under copyright. The one book I have made copies our of is the Bastien Level 1 Popular Xmas music and it says the copyright is 1985. I am in no way trying to "rip off" the arranger, and I am just a piano teacher trying to put on a recital and have had to make some copies for students. Now I am made to feel like a criminal. Funny how I put a post on here asking for opinions but then get attacked. Seems to happen quite often on this forum. I am thinking of leaving it altogether. I don't like the tone of this forum and how people are treated. Maybe there should be a copyright class that is offered to private piano teachers as I know that I am not the only who in my local area who has copied music for students.

In response to your original post, I think a good balanced approach, that doesn't start to verge on the muddy waters of copyright laws...would be to encourage/make available for students to purchase their own copies of books AND also lend books on the side (as you said you have been doing up to this point) so that legal copies may be used at all times. That seems like a simple enough solution, espeically since it sounds like you have already built up a lending library of some sort.

Whether or not you expect each student to purchase their own book is really a question I can't answer to and likely depends on how you run your studio, the demographics of your clients, the financial climate etc. I think it seems very reasonable for all families to purchase a $7-10 seasonal book...though in my own studio I don't practice this. Rather I just put the information out there for any families who want me to order books for them. Those who don't choose to purchase, I simply lend out music from my library or print off free (and legal) arrangements that can be found online (makingmusicfun, gmajor etc).

I think there is great value in students owning their own copies of music, particularly seasonal music since it is fun to review it year after year. I know my children (my family) sure enjoy the older arrangements because it is easy to play these favorites:-) They can cruise through the easier arrangements which brings them lots of joy. And then I keep pushing them with arrangements that are at their current levels which take longer to learn.

All the best! It sure is fun to fill the studio and home with christmas music I must say!

The intent was not to make you feel like a criminal but, rather, to educate you on how photocopying music for students (no matter how good your motives are) is wrong. When your response is still that "photocopy is not illegal" then we respond back, citing more information and sources. You can choose to ignore the info or become better educated.

Copyright law is confusing, and there are huge gray areas.

However, photocopies for a student are not gray. Sorry.

There are vast resources of free public domain music if you have students who need additional material. IMSLP is one site everybody should have bookmarked. The other forum (pianostreet) has a large free download section as well.

I personally like the look-and-feel of an actual book. But there is so much available online.

I give out a book or piece of sheet music to each student. It's a part of their registration fee.