Professor Ballou delivers the hard-drive to his engineer in New York, who completes the mixing and
mastering of the album. As stated in the Studio License Agreement (Appendix D), Professor Ballou has
his recording label state in the album’s notes that the music was “Recorded at the Recording Studio
of the Towson University Department of Music.”
3.3. Case: Department of Music Student
Maria, a junior at Towson and a vocalist within the Department of Music, desires to record two
compositions for her portfolio. The compositions require piano accompaniment, and she finds
another student to accompany her. To use the RSTUDM, Maria is required to have a Department of
Music faculty member serve as Session Manager. She asks Professor James Anthony to serve as
Session Manager, and he accepts. As Maria is a student within the Department of Music, the
ensemble she has formed for this Session is a Department of Music Student Performance Entity
(Section A.4). Maria downloads the Studio Access Application (Appendix I) from the RSTUDM
web site, completes it, and emails it to the Pedagogical Director.
In her application she identifies herself as the Performance Entity Representative and Professor
Anthony as the Session Manager. She schedules one four hour session with one Staff Engineer. As
she needs the tracks mixed and mastered, she allows for extra time for the Staff Engineer to
complete these tasks. She estimates the total time necessary through consultation with the
Pedagogical Director. As the two works Maria desires to record are under copyright, the Pedagogical
Director informs her that she must obtain the a Mechanical License prior to the session.
The Managing Director finds an available four hour Session. The Managing Director confirms this
date with Maria and issues the session a Session Index Number. Prior to the session, Maria meets
with the Managing Director and completes the Studio License Agreement
(Appendix D), Equipment
Liability Agreement (Appendix B), and Copyright Clearance for Musical Composition (Appendix C). Having
obtained Mechanical Licenses from the Harry Fox Agency, a copy of these licenses are attached to
these documents. The Studio License Agreement states that Maria will be charged a Staff Engineer fee
of $25 per hour and a maintenance fee of $10 per hour, for a total fee of $140. Maria agrees to the
terms and, as Performance Entity Representative, signs the Studio License Agreement. Maria provides
the Managing Director with a check made out to the RSTUDM.
On the day of her session Maria, her pianist, and Professor Anthony arrive at the RSTUDM. The
Staff Engineer assigned to the session has already arrived with keys and has opened the Main Room
and Control Room. As a member of the Performance Entity, the pianist must sign the Equipment
Liability Agreement (Appendix B). The engineer sets up various microphones, prepares the necessary
files on the computer, and begins the recording. After a few takes of each piece, the recording is
complete. Maria and Professor Anthony leave, and the Staff Engineer proceeds to edit, mix, and
master the recordings.
As the Staff Engineer, in editing, mixing, and mastering, provided original contributions to the
production, Maria and the Staff Engineer complete the Recording Agreement for Non-Exclusive Services
(Appendix G). This agreement transfers and assigns all original production rights in the recording to
Maria.