'Baker Street' singer Gerry Rafferty dead at 63

With so many people in the limelight passing away - actors, actresses and musicians alike, it's somewhat disheartening and sad but if it's one thing that I've learned with my mother's death, when a loved one moves on past this life beyond the veil, it's cause to celebrate with remembrance and honor. This is EXACTLY what this post is about; recognizing the unique nature in which the artists of the world create within.

	© Chris Walter/Retna Gerry Rafferty 'Baker Street' singer Gerry Rafferty dead at 63 Jan. 4, 2011, 5:47 PM EST LONDON (AP) — Gerry Rafferty, the Scottish singer-songwriter behind hit songs "Baker Street" and "Stuck in the Middle With You," has died. He was 63. Rafferty's agent Paul Charles confirmed Tuesday that his client had passed away following a long illness, but said he had no additional information on how or where he had died. Rafferty's classic record "Baker Street" — renowned worldwide for its distinctive haunting saxophone solo — climbed to No. 3 in the U.K. and No. 2 in the U.S. music charts in 1978. It still achieves considerable airplay on radio stations. The singer also recorded "Stuck in the Middle With You" in 1972 while performing as part of the Scottish folk-rock band Stealers Wheel. The ode — or mocking tribute— to Bob Dylan's raspy voice grew new wings in film maker Quentin Tarantino's movie "Reservoir Dogs," and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. Rafferty made headlines in recent years for his public struggles with alcoholism and had also undergone treatment for liver failure. He reassured fans of his well-being in February 2009 after a former bandmate expressed concerns over his health and whereabouts in the press. Later that year, Rafferty released the album "Life Goes On." After initially cutting his teeth as a busker, Rafferty appeared with Scottish comedian Billy Connolly in folk group the Humblebums and released a solo record before founding Stealers Wheel. Despite his brushes with negative press — from a long-running contract dispute with Stealers Wheel to scathing character critiques posted online by his brother, Jim — Rafferty was described by employees at his latest record label as a man who kept to himself and shunned the spotlight.

KINDERGARTENER ORDERED TO PAY COPYRIGHT FOR SONGS!

Education | 28.12.2010

KINDERGARTENER ORDERED TO PAY COPYRIGHT FOR SONGS!


http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14741186,00.html

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Singing is a core component of many kindergarten timetablesPreschools have been sent a reminder that they need to pay for a license if they want to copy sheet music for the children to sing certain songs. This has triggered a copyright discussion in Germany.


German copyright rules require anyone who copies sheet music pay fees to Germany's music licensing agency, GEMA. The organization has begun notifying kindergartens and other preschool facilities that if they reproduce music to be sung or performed, they must pay for a license.


"If a preschool wants to make its own copy of certain music - if the words of a song or the musical score is copied - then they need to buy a license," GEMA spokesperson Peter Hempel told Deutsche Welle.


The rules have been in place for 25 years, but they have only recently drawn attention. GEMA began at the beginning of 2010 to send out reminders to daycare centers stressing that they need to sign contracts before making copies of sheet music for the children to sing from.


Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: If copies of music are made, the fee needs to be paidGEMA said that the need for licenses would not have any effect on singing in kindergartens.


"It doesn't cost anything to sing in kindergartens," said Peter Hempel. "If a kindergarten or school does not make any copies of music, then of course they don't need to pay anything."


Traditional songs are copyright-free


The copyright rules only concern the rights for modern songs. Songs written by an author who has been dead for over 70 years are automatically in the public domain.


"For old songs, for traditional folk songs for example, it costs nothing," said Hempel.


Fees start at 56 euros ($74) for 500 copies of a song, a rate charged annually, not per child.


GEMA - the German abbreviation stands for the Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights - exists to make sure that the intellectual property of musicians is protected. It is the collection agent for another group, VG MusikEdition, which monitors copyright for musicians and distributes the profits from the licensing fees back to its members.


Author: Catherine Bolsover
Editor: Nancy Isenson

WINES THAT ROCK!!!

FEATURED DIRECTLY FROM SITE: http://www.winesthatrock.com/

Wines That Rock believe in the power of the masses. Just like a rock concert when 20,000 passionate fans get together and share 2 ½ hours of magic, we want to share our thoughts with you and have you help us create an amazing experience that centers on wine, music and all things social – online and offline. Read our blogs, join our Facebook page, follow our Twitter feeds, check out WTR pictures on Flickr, sign-up for WTR newsletter, visit our tasting room at the Mendocino Wine Company and attend our wine-centric events. We encourage you to add your comments, stories about concert experiences, wine experiences, party planning, suggest new music for all of us to enjoy, tell us your perfect playlist when enjoying a great bottle of WTR wine and post your pictures and media to our site. We want to take this journey with you, we want to hear about your passions for wine and music and the stories they helped you create over the years…we promise to share ours. And you never know when we might be giving away free concerts tickets, backstage passes, iTunes downloads, signed memorabilia or just good ol’ t-shirts.







So case in point, if you're looking to stand out from the rest of the guests at an upscale get-together or just want to make a memorable first impression with someone you care about, THIS is an excellent gift and statement about music and who the giver is as a person. This screams, "I Have Character" and will be a mainstay for those that are listeners and players the world over. My vision is that Wines That Rock will be more than a novelty gift or drink fad. Wine is something that people are just plain and simple, PASSIONATE about. And what would be better to have than two passionate artist fields, combined: Wine and Music!