Copyright, Copywrong, Copyconfusion

ACB Membership Chair and Web Administrator Sarah McElfresh and Mark J. Morette, owner of Mark Custom Recording Service, Inc., a long tome Corporate member of the ACB, will present this clinic. Music is covered by several forms of copyright, and each impacts community bands in a different way. Some of these rights require special licenses or permission from the copyright holder, and each has a different process for how to obtain that license or permission. This clinic will be an overview of the types of copyright, permissions needed, process for obtaining the permissions, and debunking common misconceptions surrounding copyright and community bands.

Inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2022, Mark J. Morette is second generation owner of Mark Custom Recording Service, Inc.  Mark personally has been honored with over 100 Grammy Entry List appearances for his engineering and producing.  Mark has been awarded the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s award for “Outstanding Service to Music Education,” and the International Percy Grainger Society’s “Grainger Medallion” for lifetime dedication and commitment in preserving and promoting the music of Percy A. Grainger. The New York State Band Director’s Association awarded Mark the “Outstanding Service” Award for lifetime dedication to the promotion of Wind Band music, the Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters Fraternity’s “Outstanding Contributor Award,” and the Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma “Distinguished Service Medal” for service to the music world to name just a few.  He is a judge for “The American Prize”.  He has given clinics about copyrights, recording techniques, producing recordings and the History of Wind Band Recordings to dozen of conventions and music magazines in addition to his speeches for arts and non-profit organizations.  

Sarah McElfresh has been the Association of Concert Bands National Membership Chair since 2011 and has held the position of Web Administrator/Online Content since 2013, previously serving as a Regional Membership Chair. With a background in website development since 1996, Sarah has created award-winning websites for various organizations. Her roles in ACB requires an understanding of copyright laws and a dedication to keeping up with digital marketing trends. Sarah has been a member of eight community bands across four states, contributing to the online presence of four of them. Presently, she is an active member of the Peninsula Concert Band in Newport News, Virginia, playing the Euphonium, serving on the board, and overseeing their website and social media.