Out of Print?

A music publisher once told me there was no such thing as “Out of Print.” Music distributors and publishers use the phrase to mean “Not in Stock.” Essentially, they wave their hand and say, “This is not the music you are looking for,” and hope you buy something else.

In my efforts to help a friend find some music, I checked with several distributors, all of whom said it was out of print. I checked with the publisher and was told the same. I wrote to the composer and asked for his help. Since I had a copy of the music, I applied to the publisher for a license to photocopy it for my friend. A few days later the license arrived. I was to send a copy of the license back to the publisher with a check for $24.25 which would make it legal for me to copy the music. After making the copy and sending it to my friend, I received a very nice letter from the composer. He thanked me for my interest in the music and gave me his permission to copy it. He also said if I were missing any parts or the score he would send them to me. Had I been a little more patient I could have saved the $24.25.

My advice: Don’t give up if a distributor says a piece of music is out of print. Check with other distributors. Check with the publisher. If you have trouble finding a piece of music, let me know and I will help.