Posted by Thomas Ryan-Hirst I am planning a project and have a specific inquiry regarding permission to use some images from the the Northhampton State Hospital web site website in a somewhat unusual way. I am a composer of classical music and I've been asked to compose an audio / visual electronic piece and I'd like to use some photos from your web site in this piece. The photos are not to be the focus of the piece entirely. I am using samples of music by the band King Crimson (a progressive rock band from the 1970’s) to form an ambient background “soundtrack” for audio clips of firt-hand experiences of institutionalized patients. I will also incorporate a reading of the poem “Visits To St. Elizabeth’s’ written by Elizabeth Bishop. The audio clips would be alternated with the stanzas of the poem. Along with the photos from your site I will be using photos by John Gray of abandoned “asylums” (particularly of the Kirkbride designed buildings). To present a dramatic and artistic picture some of the issues of mental health care past and present in the US. I have received permission from Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) to use the audio samples and from Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, the publishers of Ms. Bishop’s poem, and from John Gray. All contributors will, of course, be credited for their contributions to the project., and links to those web sites will be included on my own site when the composition is finished. I am a published author myself (Electric Guitar Construction, ©2003 Centerstream/Hal Leonard Books, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574241257/sr=8-1/qid=1154319411/ref=sr_1_1/104-7259649-2106320?ie=UTF8) so I am extremely sensitive to the copyright issues involved. The audio portion of the piece is nearly complete and I will be happy to send you a link to a “rough draft” mp3 copy if you like. Some of my other compositions (including one other A/V composition) can be heard at www.tryanhirst.citymax.com. This is not a non-profit situation, although profits in the field of classical music rarely exceed double digits. I am simply a freelance composer working on a piece that may or may not have a long performance life ahead of it. I cannot know what might happen. At present I both self-publish my musical works, and work through imaginemusicpublishing.com for print music. If some other publishing arrangement is needed in this case I would be happy to learn about the particulars. With a little PR it does seem to me that this piece could well be performed with some regularity. Please let me know what you think of the idea and how we might proceed with it if you give the OK. I’d appreciate any information you can give me on what the process is for securing this type of permission. Sincerely,
on 8/3/2006, 12:00 am
65.24.144.166
Hello:
Thomas Ryan-Hirst
Ohio University School of Music
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