Frequently Asked Questions
How to Get Sheet Music
How do I order sheet music?
You don’t. As of October 2019, chrismassa.com no longer has an order form. Just click on Works, scroll down until you find the piece (or pieces) that interest(s) you, and click on the title. On the next page, click where it says “Download Sheet Music,” and you’re almost done.
What if the piece I want isn’t there, or it’s not available to download?
That would be because the site is still being updated, and not every piece has been posted yet. Just email [email protected] and I’ll help however I can.
How do I pay for the music?
You don’t. All of the music on chrismassa.com is free to view, print, and/or download. The license on each piece also permits photocopying.
Are these just sample scores, or are they complete pieces?
No partial or sample scores, and no watermarks — these are the full and complete pieces, ready to print.
What about paper copies of the music?
We no longer offer paper copies of sheet music, but since the music is free to download, you should be able to print it or run off the necessary copies.
Why is there a donation page, and is there a way to bypass it?
While the music is free to download, it costs to maintain this site, and the music took time and training to write. Your donations support the music as well as the creation of new works. And no, there is no way to bypass the donation page. Even if you don’t want to make a donation, it’s worth remembering that donations make this site, and the music on it, possible. (By the way, the “suggested donations” indicate roughly what the music would cost if it wasn’t free. While you’re under no obligation to donate, these figures give you a general idea of what an appropriate donation could be.)
What if I want to donate by another means?
The donation are processed by PayPal, so they’re completely secure. That said, if you’d rather send a check (or, I guess, cash), please email [email protected].
Aren’t you afraid of your music being stolen?
Well, it’s free, so you can’t steal it. I guess the real question is if I’m worried about taken advantage of, and the honest answer is... not particularly. There may be people out there who want to take my music, deny me credit, and do awful things with my intellectual property, but I kind of doubt it. My hunch is that it’s kind of like the apocryphal trick-or-treater who finds a razor blade in an apple; if it ever did happen, its instances are few and far between.
Creative Commons
What is Creative Commons?
From creativecommons.org: “Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a globally-accessible public commons of knowledge and culture. We make it easier for people to share their creative and academic work, as well as to access and build upon the work of others. By helping people and organizations share knowledge and creativity, we aim to build a more equitable, accessible, and innovative world.” In other words, Creative Commons has staked out a middle ground between traditional copyrights and the public domain; rather than “all rights reserved,” works licensed through Creative Commons have “some rights reserved.”
Is Chris’s music copyrighted?
With the exception of Missa Brevis and All Flesh is Grass, Chris’s music is not copyrighted. Rather, it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Huh?
It means that you can share and adapt it, but you need to share any adaptations that you make, and you can’t charge money for them. And whatever you do, you need to give Chris credit for the original piece.
Does “NonCommercial” mean that I can’t perform or record Chris’s music?
Of course not! You’re welcome to do either — if you let Chris know, he may even be able to be there. But what you can’t do is sell your adaptation. If you decide to arrange one of Chris’s pieces for recorder octet, for example, that’s fine, but you need to share what you do, without charge.
I’m still confused.
That’s okay — I’m is here to help. If you have any questions about any of this, just email [email protected] and ask.
One more question: Why?
Because I think it’s the right thing to do, and I hope more artists will follow suit and let their work be shared rather than copyrighted. For more information, you may want to read Why I Use Creative Commons.