Being real

I majored in composition, and was told at the beginning of that course that I would be broke until I was 30. Because I was given that advice, I kept my head down and focused on my craft rather than being a social butterfly. What really shits me about VUW and other Wellingtonians who are trying to force me to produce my autobiographical screenplay is that they are asking to interpolate songs that are explicitly earmarked for my 2030 musical. I've said no as a result. What this proves is that I've finally struck gold: my songs are so good that the powers-that-be want to base a show around those. However, they are obviously and inherently my IP, and are mostly produced in a traditional analogue fashion. Spies literally cannot claim credit for my Shipwrecked on Islands songs, given that virtually all of the lyrics were written on scraps of paper, and the tunes came from improvisations or ideas that I had while developing that musical. This means that there is no legal circumstance in which they can use my songs unless licencing fees are paid to the copyright holder (ie me). 💵 To date, the only professional piece of music that I've been paid for is These Words Are Meant For Someone. It took a foreigner to pay me! That was $2500 for an hour-long piece, which I bet is significantly less than the CANZ guidelines regarding commissions. I'm over 30, and I've written some world-class music. It's time to pay up, and don't give me any excuses regarding my personal life and 'being a dick that ruined your lives': that is irrelevant to this IP discussion. Stop offering me gigs as a performer as if that makes it ok. No, it doesn't. It's my writing that has everyone salivating over the tourist and international student dollars that could be leveraged from my IP. You cannot force me to be Tina and to sing my EP songs. That isn't within the realm of legally valid choices. Let me do my 2030 concept album and stop hindering my dream. Pay a fair licencing fee and accept the guitarist of my choice re: Pan's Preludes. Record Golden Days or other pieces of mine -- I put a bunch of my scores online. Stop telling me that my dick means that I can't wear women's clothes; that's also wrong. That is the attitude that many people in Wellington hold, but it's not legally defensible. People who aren't willing to have a real conversation about my penis IRL should stop telling me obliquely via my porn that they're uncomfortable. I doubt that would hold up as evidence. 🏳️‍⚧️