K-AHS  will no longer be posted on YouTube.  The students have elected to use popular music on the show rather than air the show outside the classroom. It is illegal for students to use copy-written music outside of the classroom for the purposes of entertainment, (except in cases of parody), without a license agreement. The way K-AHS uses music does not fall under the Fair Use Act as many people believe. As a teacher, I feel that I have to lead by example. It's an integrity issue. Is Lil' Wayne gonna get all bent out of shape if we use his song on a show? As if that would ever happen. But it doesn't matter how I feel about the law. It's the law. I honestly thought that the student's would rise up to the challenge and produce their own music, with garageband, or live recordnings. I thought that they would utilize all of the music that we did have rights to use from local bands and AHS student groups giving us some of their music to use. But they didn't. 

Sad to say, the opposite happened. They were deflated. Some that were really into the class and and knew that it was what it was, moved on from it, but others never recovered. They would sit there. Staring at the computer screen. Their work that was once excellent was now mediocre at best. Exit surveys at the end of the class all read the same. "not being able to use music blows mr. g!"

We had explored getting a lisence at one point, but it was so confusing and BMI was going to bill us depending on how many youtube hits we received. I couldnt ever get a quote from them, and therefore I could never request money to pay for a lisence. BMI never returned calls. I guess a high school that wants to stay on the up and up is too small time for them.

The teacher in me wants the kids to be prepared for the world. To know copywrite law and work within it. But the teacher in me also wants the students to have fun, and to be ENGAGED!.

At this years meeting with the incoming senior class they begged and pleaded again. I asked them what they wanted, an onlince presence? or to put music on the show. I knew the answer, but we still went through the pros and cons of each.

Who knows? maybe we will get a lisence at some point. Until then, the show will only live within the classrooms! So keep your eyes peeled. Theres no watching the show again from the comfy confines of your computer.