Rebirth

Greg,
This is truly daring and intriguing to me, since I'm also thinking about how to distribute a work of fiction. (But I don't think I want the same form of feedback that you do in a non-fiction book).

Here's the thing --and maybe I missed it if you've thought of this already -- you _write_ and _talk_ about music...but that's the finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself. Do you have an idea for a book that's comprised of text with actual musical interludes? Inserting digital files into the text? That's what's on my mind as I think of working with the non-HD footage I have and exploring what spoke to me out of my past and my upbringing, about the UFO phenomenon, I need words, interior monologues, musings, philosophy, science -- much best expressed in prose. But the emotional content -- thats where I want my archival photos, my sound recordings and my videotape as an insider to a subculture that drew me. Is there a format for that? Would that interest you for your book on the transformation of music?

Hi, Carol. Good question. Thing is, you'd be using your own materials, which you own. No reason you can't put them in the book. Publishers -- who are aching to enhance ebooks with sound and video -- would love you.

For a book on classical music, a big problem arises. I don't own the rights to recordings I might like to use. And to license those recordings would be wildly expensive. As well as cumbersome. I'd be facing the same thing writers face when they put photos in a nonfiction book -- separate negotiations with every rights-holder involved.

As long as you keep the clips short (30 secs) is a general rule of thumb, you can actually use audio or video under fair use guidelines. I'd also imagine that a lot of the music you would be reference is in the public domain.