Today starts a two-part series on Ministry Monday about the public domain. Navigating the public domain online can be intimidating. The websites that house free music and scores are so vast that you might not even feel the motivation to sift through what’s there to find a resource. But let’s be honest…many of us have music budgets that are now drastically reduced, if not eliminated, due to the financial strain of COVID-19 on our churches. If there was ever a time to learn how to harness the power of the public domain, this is it.
The Public Domain is like a good estate sale: it takes effort and time, but there are some true gems that can be used in our music ministry. What better time to learn how to unearth those gems?
This week starts a two-part series on the public domain. This week I speak to two choral conductors- Christian Cosas and Dr. Jennifer Kerr Budziak- and discuss how they best use the free online resources available on the public domain.
I spoke to Christian first and we asked: what, really, is the public domain? What can we expect from it? That is where our conversation begins today.
From there I called Dr. Jennifer Kerr Budziak. Jennifer is a choral conductor in the Chicagoland area and has learned to harness the public domain to her advantage in her studies and her work. While we aren’t singing in choral settings just yet, Jennifer’s tips on how to best navigate the public domain can be put into action now. Even her step-by-step tutorial on mastering things like CPDL is a skill that can be harnessed and mastered, even in the time of COVID-19.
SHOW NOTES
Bio- Christian Cosas
Christian Cosas is the Director of Music at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Kettering, OH. He previously served for 15 years as the music director at St. Dominic Savio Catholic Church in the St. Louis metro area. His compositions are published by GIA Publications.
Christian is a versatile keyboardist, cantor, and conductor. He is well-versed in a range of liturgical music, including chant, folk, contemporary, gospel, and ethnic music. His song, “Rise Again,” won Song of the Year in the 2019 Excellence in Publishing Awards from the Association of Catholic Publishers.
Christian serves on the Music Committee for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Steering Committee of the Liturgical Composers Forum. He founded and helps to moderate the NPM Composers Facebook Group, and also moderates other online groups dedicated to pastoral music.
In addition to serving as a music minister, Christian is a cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer. He and his wife, Joan, have been married since 2007 and have three children, Leah, Jonathan, and Clare.
Bio- Dr. Jennifer Kerr Budziak
Dr. Jennifer Kerr Budziak is a Chicago area conductor, author and composer. Dr. Budziak serves on the faculties of Loyola University and North Central College. She is also the assistant conductor for the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and is the Editor of Publications for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM).
For more information about the Public Domain, please watch this video by the Berklee College of Music:
How Copyright Works: Returning Works to Public Domain - Berklee Online (VIDEO)
All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.