Hi all-
A DJ should probably be considered a type of orchestra conductor. They mostly do arranging, practice, and presentation of pre-existing material, but very little composing. What is a conductor worth?
To be fair, some orchestra conductors are composers.
-Bruce D.
On 27 May 2012 15:28, gino wong
<wonggster@gmail.com> wrote:
My definition is much simpler, a composer is someone who can be paid for a composition. The resyncing DJ may get a reduced mechanical fee, a work for hire fee, but no publishing. Some hip hop types pay for sample clearance and usuall end up with severely reduced publishing fees unless they hose the original composer somehow. At best you can call a dj a technician of some sort.
Good lord. Given that they play what you tell them to play you could also call a sessionist a 'technician of some sort' as well!
Linking payment into what defines 'composer' makes it even more complicated. What if the composer doesn't want to be paid for it? What if the composer couldn't be paid for it? What if the composer doesn't compose for money? And doesn't the question of payment entirely move the argument from 'what a composer does' (ie, composes) to 'how a composer might be compensated'? (ie, payment)
And if a 'resyncing DJ may get a reduced mechanical fee' then doesn't that mean he could be paid?