Block M Records turns up volume on School of Music works

A new recording label launched by the University allows School of Music faculty members to retain the copyright of their materials while making them available to anyone worldwide, primarily through Internet streaming or fee-for-download.

"Through Block M Records, works by U-M School of Music students, staff and faculty performers and composers may be recorded, produced and released," says Mary Simoni, one of the school's associate deans and professor of performing arts technology.

Block M Records is a subsidiary of the Internet Publication Project—a campuswide collaborative research program that explores the convergence of multiple technologies to support Web-based publication of media-rich scholarly and creative research.

The label allows U-M to retain control over its intellectual property by applying a technology transfer model, in which faculty inventors—in this case, performers, composers and engineers—receive a percentage return on their invention (e.g., a recording).

"In short," Simoni says, "intellectual property rights stay with the University."

And while faculty are busy performing for the label, Block M Records gives students valuable experience in music production as well as engineering credentials. Student technologists gain experience in audio compression, metadata tagging and database design and management, as well as encoding for Web distribution.

"We are delighted to be taking the lead in this exciting venture at the convergence of technology and art," President Mary Sue Coleman says. "This project offers manifold benefits to students, faculty and staff alike by protecting and encouraging the creative process, and by making all kinds of music more broadly accessible to audiences everywhere."

This is how Block M works: Professor of piano Louis Nagel recently completed a tour featuring selected sonatas by Haydn. He recorded the sonatas at Hill Auditorium with Professor Jason Corey and a cadre of U-M audio engineering students. Nagel authorized Block M Records to release the recordings for electronic distribution and anyone can listen to them over the Internet or download them for a fee.

Through Block M Records, faculty members retain the copyright to their works and license content to the label. Under commercial contracts, faculty members generally receive a very small percentage of sales as royalties. With Block M Records, however, U-M retains control over the recording, production and distribution and faculty members see a greater return in royalties from their work.

"I am delighted that Block M Records is now in full swing," School of Music Dean Christopher Kendall says. "It has powerful implications for our students and faculty as a teaching tool and for the recognition of our many outstanding School of Music recordings. It will be fascinating to watch the project develop and to see it help us explore the unique, complex synergy between music teaching and technology."

Another example of Block M advantages involves faculty members Mark Kirschenmann, Katri Ervamaa and Michael Gould, who are engaged in contemporary improvisation involving trumpet, percussion, violoncello and electronics. Their avant garde music is less likely to receive a commercial record contract, Simoni says, but is vital to U-M's commitment to performing and teaching across a wide range of styles.

"Listeners, potential students, alumni and anyone with an interest in hearing music performed by our students and faculty will be able to download it for personal listening or study," says Karen Wolff, former music school dean under whose guidance the Block M Records initiative began. "In this way significant performances and compositions will be preserved and shared beyond our campus."

Block M Records is managed by the School of Music with support from the Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of the Provost, Division of Research Development and Administration, James and Anne Duderstadt Center, Office of Technology Transfer, and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University Library.

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