FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Ordering

Do you offer a retail/wholesale discount to music stores?

Many of our titles in “print” are available for a resale discount (Digital/PDF scores and sets are not available for resale). Before sending a purchase order, please contact us at orders@michaelmarkowski.com to review our current policies.

Do you accept school purchase orders?

Yes, we do! Please contact us at orders@michaelmarkowski.com for more information.

PDF Parts & Scores

All PDF parts and scores have been formatted to fit letter-sized paper (8.5×11) for easy printing (with the exception of “oversized” scores, which are formatted to fit 11×17 sized paper). During checkout, you will be asked to submit your “school/organization name.” Each page of the score and parts is marked with a short copyright statement documenting the name of the organization and conductor that purchased the electronic files. If you are purchasing a PDF score for personal use, you may submit your full name in this text field. Please note that full sets may only be licensed to ONE ensemble. Failure to provide truthful licensing information may be a violation of copyright. Be careful! Upon approval of your order, you will be directed to a “download page” where you can download your order immediately. You will also receive an order confirmation e-mail which also contains these download links (please be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t immediately find this email confirmation). Files will be available to download for at least 180 days from the date of purchase. If that time expires and you have not backed up your files to your own hard drive, you will be required to place a new order. So back that thing up!

What is an “oversized” score?

For certain pieces, you may choose to purchase an “oversized” print score. Each of these “signature edition” 11×17, coil-bound scores are printed on 32-pound paper sandwiched between two sheets of sturdy, black 170-pound cardstock. On the front, every score is personally autographed in gold paint. Yessiree. This here is the solid gold Cadillac of scores.

Can I order replacement parts?

If the original part is lost or damaged, you may purchase PDF replacement parts to some titles for a fee of $10 per part. However, if for some reason your set arrived and was missing a part, please let us know as soon as possible. Replacement parts should be ordered directly from michaelmarkowski.com and not through the music retailer where you may have purchased the set.

My hard drive crashed and I lost my PDF performance materials. Help!

The download link from which you originally purchased your PDF set/parts will be active for at least 180 days after purchase. After that time, if your files are lost or were not properly archived, you will be required to place a new order.

Shipping

Shipping

Paper sets and/or scores usually ship within 5 business days via USPS.

International Shipping

We currently do not offer international shipping for single orders. If you are outside of the United States, the quickest and most convenient way to receive performance materials is to order a PDF set.

Copyright Permissions

Can I photocopy parts?

Some paper sets only include one ‘master part’ per set. By purchasing a full set of parts, you are authorized to photocopy these master parts to fit your ensemble’s unique instrumentation. However, you are NOT permitted to photocopy or share these performance materials with any other school or organization.

Can I photocopy scores?

Scores may be copied for use inside the classroom by assistant directors. However, any score copies must be collected and destroyed at the end of a performance cycle. If a conductor would like to retain a personal copy for future use/study, an additional score must be purchased. Additionally, all scores for submissions/evaluations must be original scores. If the original score/set are purchased by the conductor (on a personal credit card), the conductor may retain original and/or copied scores for use for future performance/study.

I’m conducting an honor band soon. Can I use the performance materials my school already owns?

The short answer is ‘no.’ Each set of parts is owned by and licensed to the organization that paid for it. This means that if a conductor wants to use a piece for an outside performance (i.e. honor band, community band, etc.), that outside group is required to purchase its own parts/score. If a school is hosting an honor band and already owns a copy of the work, that copy may be used for that honor band performance. However, those performance materials may not be distributed to any other schools in the district, association, county, etc.

What if I paid for the performance materials with my own money?

If you purchased a full set with your own money, you may only use those performance materials with one ensemble. Aside from your conductor’s score, you may not take a set of parts “on tour” with different ensembles or honor bands.

How do I obtain permission to arrange a Markowski piece for marching band?

Please contact us at orders@michaelmarkowski.com for more information. If you’re looking to arrange a Manhattan Beach Music publication (Shadow Rituals, Turkey in the Straw, Instinctive Travels, Shine, Tidal Forces), you must obtain permission to arrange directly from them.

How do I obtain a mechanical or sync license for the CD/DVDs that I’m selling?

Please contact us at orders@michaelmarkowski.com for more information. However, if you’re looking to obtain a license for a Manhattan Beach Music publication (Shadow Rituals, Turkey in the Straw, Instinctive Travels, Shine, Tidal Forces), you must obtain those licenses directly from them.

Questions for Mike

Do you Zoom?

From time to time, I do schedule Zoom meetings for a fee. In general, these have worked best as casual, get-to-know-you Q&A sessions. Although you may prefer to have a rehearsal clinic, I’ve found that there are too many variables with internet connections and sound processing algorithms that make it very challenging to give any kind of meaningful musical feedback. These sessions have usually ended up sounding like this:

For those reasons, I try to save any kind of clinicing for on-site visits. It’s just better for my ears and more fun that way overall! If you’d like to find out information about scheduling a Zoom session or an on-site visit, please contact us at orders@michaelmarkowski.com.

Do you conduct?

As a film major, my conducting training was limited to Bugs Bunny summoning the spirit of Leopold Stokowski in Long-Haired Hare (1949), so no. I don’t conduct.

Why is “joyRiDE” capitalized like this? What’s with the lower and upper case?? WHAT DOES IT MEAN???

Great question. The original capitalization from 2005 is joyRiDE, which at the time, was only visually symbolic of the mashup. Today, I usually default to a simple Joyride capitalization since most people understand where the piece is derived from now. Sorry to disappoint the many Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys out there. Sometimes the correct answer is… the most boring one.

Finale or Sibelius?

Sibelius.

Can I spy on you via social media?

Sure. I post stuff about music on Facebook and pictures of stuff on Instagram.

Who designed your awesome website?

Erin Coughlin made it beautiful. Clayton Ledford made it work.

Has anybody told you that you look like Benedict Cumberbatch?

¯_(ツ)_/¯