A Disney Marching Band Show!? Help Needed...

[FSUDisneyGirl]

Hi guys!

So my boyfriend is about to start his 2nd year as a high school band director. He has decided (with a bit of input from yours truly... ) to do a Disney Show this year! He has been working with the person who will be arranging the music, and so far they have...

Opener- When You Wish Upon a Star
with a little Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah thrown in the background
Belle, and the Circle of Life

Ballad (slower song)- Kiss the Girl

Here they will transition from the Ballad into the Closer with Bear Necessities

Closer- Be a Man from Mulan and a recap. of Circle of Life

It should be a fun show! Keep in mind it is only (I think!) 7-9 minutes total, so it will just be a sampling of all of these songs. Their goal is to keep the music really recognizable to a large audience.

So here's what we're having trouble with! They need another song to include in the ballad section...and another song to include in the closer.

Any ideas, disers?

I know you all will be good at this!

 

[wdw4us2]

How about Once Upon a Dream from Sleeping Beauty or A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella? DD says he should do A Whole New World from Aladdin.

BTW, what high school is he the Director? Is it JBHS?

 

[Linzybrooke]

I like A Whole New World for the ballad, and how about the Mickey Mouse Club March in the closer?

 

[babytrees]

just be careful...if Disney catches you (and they have in the past) there are dire consequences. That sounds ominous, sorry. Our band director has looked into the way to do Disney legally....it wasn't exactly cost effective and Disney reserved the right to have somebody at each and every show with the option to stop ANY show if they didn't like what they saw.

They did a Pirates show 2 years ago that was written for us....and sounded a bit like POTC but enough different that no one could accuse us of using POTC.
I would hate for you all to get a cease and desist order if Disney got wind of it (and they did for one here).

 

[fan_of_small_world]

just be careful...if Disney catches you (and they have in the past) there are dire consequences. That sounds ominous, sorry. Our band director has looked into the way to do Disney legally....it wasn't exactly cost effective and Disney reserved the right to have somebody at each and every show with the option to stop ANY show if they didn't like what they saw.

They did a Pirates show 2 years ago that was written for us....and sounded a bit like POTC but enough different that no one could accuse us of using POTC.
I would hate for you all to get a cease and desist order if Disney got wind of it (and they did for one here).

I'm confused. If the band director has a legally purchased copy of the scores for the songs, then wouldn't it be expected that the band would actually perform the pieces?

 

[Mom2Evie]

I'm confused. If the band director has a legally purchased copy of the scores for the songs, then wouldn't it be expected that the band would actually perform the pieces?

It's possible that Disney holds its licenses & you have to pay them royalties to perform the show, especially if any performance raises money. Just because you bought the score, doesn't mean you get to play it for a public performance. Hubby is a band director. When they go to District band festival, they have to present proof that they have the right to perfom the music. They also host a band competition as a fund raiser. Since they earns funds from performing their show last in the evening, they might need a different kind of rights. The HS here just did High School Musical and the cost was outrageous. They had to do four nights of peformances just to make a profit.

That being said, the closer needs to be a more powerful piece and the Mickey Mouse Club song doesn't cut it. How aboiut A Whole New World & Circle of Life? I went to Jacksonville State University & they have a totally killer band. They did Circle of Life about 10 years ago and it was really great. Search for them on You Tube, you might find the performance.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

It's possible that Disney holds its licenses & you have to pay them royalties to perform the show, especially if any performance raises money. Just because you bought the score, doesn't mean you get to play it for a public performance. Hubby is a band director. When they go to District band festival, they have to present proof that they have the right to perfom the music. They also host a band competition as a fund raiser. Since they earns funds from performing their show last in the evening, they might need a different kind of rights. The HS here just did High School Musical and the cost was outrageous. They had to do four nights of peformances just to make a profit.

Thank you. I knew there had to be an explanation, but my band days were quite some time ago, and as a student I wasn't involved with that end of things.

 

[coolshannie]

Oh my goodness, i just have to ask... can I join his marching band? Our show is a salsa this year, which will be fun, but you know, a disney show would make my life complete.

 

[babytrees]

It's possible that Disney holds its licenses & you have to pay them royalties to perform the show, especially if any performance raises money. Just because you bought the score, doesn't mean you get to play it for a public performance. Hubby is a band director. When they go to District band festival, they have to present proof that they have the right to perfom the music. They also host a band competition as a fund raiser. Since they earns funds from performing their show last in the evening, they might need a different kind of rights. The HS here just did High School Musical and the cost was outrageous. They had to do four nights of peformances just to make a profit.

That being said, the closer needs to be a more powerful piece and the Mickey Mouse Club song doesn't cut it. How aboiut A Whole New World & Circle of Life? I went to Jacksonville State University & they have a totally killer band. They did Circle of Life about 10 years ago and it was really great. Search for them on You Tube, you might find the performance.

Thank you....I left soon after posting...the perils of a one computer household .

Let me add that any performance that involves Disney can involve up to 10 % disney music without paying the royalty fees.

 

[golfgal]

just be careful...if Disney catches you (and they have in the past) there are dire consequences. That sounds ominous, sorry. Our band director has looked into the way to do Disney legally....it wasn't exactly cost effective and Disney reserved the right to have somebody at each and every show with the option to stop ANY show if they didn't like what they saw.

They did a Pirates show 2 years ago that was written for us....and sounded a bit like POTC but enough different that no one could accuse us of using POTC.
I would hate for you all to get a cease and desist order if Disney got wind of it (and they did for one here).

I agree--Disney is VERY protective of all of their licensed materials. There was a daycare in our old town that had some Disney lawn ornaments and they received a letter that they had to remove them since they were a for-profit business or face legal action.

Also, if he wants his band to be competitive, Disney isn't the way to go. If he doesn't care, then it doesn't matter but if they are going to competitions and want to win, pop music shows are crowd pleasers but not judge pleasers.

 

[OrlandoMike]

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/star-of-indiana-1985/3982449806

Drag the cursor to 8:00. My favorite Disney ballad for a marching unit of all time!

And yes, be careful, Disney can be very protective of it's music!

 

[Steven41782]

"Reflection" for ballad.

Also, consider doing the fireworks music from Epcot. It's out there.

 

[OrlandoMike]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-1BqQcD3E

Illuminations show....

BUT be very careful using this music! The group above almost lost all rights to CD's and DVD sales!

 

[starwood]

Our band did "A Night around the World" this year. It was Reflections of Earth, the Princess Medley from Fantasmic and Night on Bald Mountain. If you go to Google Video and do a search there is a video of the Thanksgiving Football Game Half time show.

 

[golfgal]

The legally purchased music is intended for concerts, not marching band shows where people make money from the shows. I know our band brings in well over $10,000 from ticket/concession sales for our show each year.

 

[happymonkey]

The legally purchased music is intended for concerts, not marching band shows where people make money from the shows. I know our band brings in well over $10,000 from ticket/concession sales for our show each year.

Did you host a competition or something? When I was in band, we only ever performed our marching show at football games (where the football team was getting the revenue from concessions) and competitions we participated in (where the host was getting the profits). Our band made it's money by selling football programs and hosting a DCI show over the summer.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-1BqQcD3E

Illuminations show....

BUT be very careful using this music! The group above almost lost all rights to CD's and DVD sales!

It helps being the greatest drum corp of all time.

 

[profdsny]

I know our guard did Illuminations for one of their shows, but, since it wasn't licensed, they couldn't perform it in competitions. They only did it in exhibition. But, that could be good music for a band to play also.

 

[vkgarry]

As an occasional composer and arranger (and former Jungle Cruise Skipper), you must legally obtain the rights to arrange and perform before using any composers music, unless it's in the public domain. Any other use is considered theft, and the penalties and other consequences are not pretty.

Also, if you then do any kind of visual recording, you must obtain synchronization rights. A couple of years ago the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps used Empire State of Mind, by Alicia Keyes. They were able to obtain the right to arrange and perform, but Alicia's publisher (Jay-Z?) refused the right to synch. The DVD's and BluRay's have the audio portion, but the screen goes blank. Phantom Regiment had a similar problem in the Championship-winning Spartacus show in 2008. DCI had to destroy the DVD's and BluRay that's hadn't been distributed yet, and burn new copies deleting a certain composer's music. I can't remember which piece it was since I have the complete version.

In the case of DCI and WGI, the corps or guard has to pay for any licensing agreements to arrange or edit, but DCI and WGI have to arrange and pay for the synch rights.

As stated above, some composers (or their publisher) will only grant limited use, and others will not grant permission at all. John Williams is a prime example. When Star Wars first came out, every marching band in the country wanted to play the main theme, the medal ceremony theme, and the Imperial March. John didn't care for how his music was being used in the genre, so he will not allow any of his music to be used by marching bands or drum corps. Disney will grant rights, but as mentioned in another thread, it ain't cheap, and they are very slow to respond. and they can afford really, really good attorneys!

VKG

 

[beavismom]

Rights issues aside, I would consider Colors of the Wind. Here it is in an area marching band's show from last year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVv6LlxQpl4

It starts at about 3:40 and was a lovely part of their show. I am sure they paid a pretty penny for the rights though.