‘Wicked’ composer fights sheet-music piracy

By JOHN CARUCCI

Associated Press

NEW YORK

An assortment of established and up-and-coming musical theater composers are hoping to raise awareness of sheet-music piracy.

“Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz joined Jason Robert Brown, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Green and others Monday in New York at event staged by the Dramatist Guild.

The idea of reaching out to sheet music pirates began a few years ago, when composer Georgia Stitt found out during a talk with students that her husband’s sheet music was being illegally downloaded. Stitt is married to “Bridges of Madison County” composer Jason Robert Brown.

The Anti-Piracy Committee was founded in 2010. Since then, they have produced numerous resources for writers, as well as “Someone Wrote That Song,” a musical PSA with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Craig Carnelia.