Renowned musicologist Dr. Lawrence Ferrara has rendered expert advice and testified on behalf of clients ranging from Paul McCartney to Lady Gaga to The Weeknd (to name just a few), as well as the entities that publish and distribute their works. But what exactly do musicologists do, and how do they do it? Dr. Ferrara will walk us through his work on a paradigmatic case involving Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” reprising his testimony at trial (complete with piano accompaniment). He will also address the recent “Stairway to Heaven” case where, working alongside LACS member Peter Anderson, he served as an expert on behalf of prevailing party Led Zeppelin. For those who love music and copyright, this is not to be missed.
Dr. Lawrence Ferrara, Professor of Music and Director Emeritus at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, has taught undergraduate and graduate classes in music theory and analysis, music history, research methods in music, keyboard harmony and improvisation, philosophy of music and the arts, music performance practices, and music copyright. He is the author and co-author of numerous books and articles, including the critically acclaimed work Philosophy and the Analysis of Music: Bridges to Musical Sound, Form and Reference. In addition to his academic and scholarly pursuits, he serves as a music copyright consultant for record, music publishing and motion picture companies, both in the United States and abroad.
