Robert Fripp's Diary

Apologia Pro Vita Sua

Any right is accompanied by a corresponding obligation…

A primary characteristic of being present is that, in “seeing” ourselves, we see others. If we are present to ourselves, we make no demand on others for acknowledgement: acknowledging myself is sufficient. If there are others in the room who are present, they also see me: no demand from me upon them is necessary.

If we are not present, we are blind to others. And, not seeing others, we are blind to ourselves. If others are not present to themselves, they will not see me either. Likely we will bump into each other – It’s not my fault - you bumped into me!!!  I have the right to wander around, head placed where sunshine never falls! It’s your fault – I have no responsibility in the matter! The squawking begins.

I place no demand upon others for acknowledgement. If they are present, they see me. If they are not present, in a sense, they are not there. Why do I need the attention of someone who isn’t there?

Any right is accompanied by a corresponding obligation. When I claim the right to acknowledgment and recognition by others, I accept a corresponding obligation: to be present. When I am present, I have no need to exert this right.

When I feel the need to be acknowledged, I know that I am not here very much: I am more absent than present. If I wish to change the situation, to see and be seen, this becomes a practical matter. What to do? To strengthen the intensity, the substantiality, the direct knowing and experiencing of my presence, which has recognisable characteristics. If these recognisable characteristics are not apparent, I know I am not.

Are those with a developed sense of personal presence “better” people? Hardly. A characteristic of a mature practice is that we see our failings shining way more brightly than when we began. This is no obstacle to work.

On we go…

If we could understand performance, we’d know how the world works…

The comments below are taken from my response to a discussion between several members of The Guitar Circle who attended the course in Argentina, Monday 15^th. – Sunday 21^st., April 2024 https://guitarcraft.com/event/the-world-needs-us-right-now-2024.

The online discussion took place on the Ground Floor (First Floor US), that is, we see each other, recognise each other, acknowledge each other, and then begin the conversation. The comments are based in, and move from, direct personal experience. Conventionally this is referred to as adult conversation.

If all of life might begin this well.

COLLECTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Within The Performance Event

I

How to bring about an inclusive, equitable and loving society?

A finer quality of functioning, or frequency level (conscious, creative, loving), generates new forms of social organisation, supportive of an ideal society.

Some forms of organisation are more conducive than others in raising the quality of society’s functioning.

So how to go about this?

To shape and model the external forms of society from the outside requires power in the world – wealth, position, influence.

To model a culture from the inside requires that we develop our inner lives, a personal harmony of heart, head and hands, to an intensity of being that has effect on the outside world. This requires a personal practice.

The process is of an increasing approximation to the ideal. Cf Let The Power Fall (below).

Our discussion points seem to be:

approaches to performance practice;
audience engagement within performance;
forms of social organisation apparent within performance;
heckling.

Within a performance, where does the authority/power lie? In conventional discussion: The event is negotiated between the participants. The terms are musician/performer, audient, director/music industry.

The intrinsic/implicate power within the event itself – the performance’s own wish to be -  does not factor in conventional/academic discussion.

II
Performance

If we could understand performance, we’d know how the world works. Something like, the Creation as performance.

How does an impulse of inexpressible loving benevolence, that wishes to give itself away, enter our world and move directly into our experience? Moving from the noumenal to the phenomenal, the unconditioned to the conditioned?

The Creation is a big thing. Performance is accessible, available to our participation and experiencing.

II
Heuristics Of Performance

A performance is dynamic.
A performance is impossible to control.
You cannot tell an audience how to behave.
A performance can take on a life of its own.
A performance wishes to be.

A performance event is a negotiation between all parties to the performance.
A performance is constrained by the practicalities of the event: time, place, person and circumstance.
Music has its own contributory power, but its presence in a performance may be constrained and disrupted.

There are different qualities of performance.
A performance of genius has global effect and persists in time.
A genius audient enables the performance to be.

A performance may present a model of an ideal society.

A performance has the potential for the participants to directly experience what is highest in them, by analogy what is highest in us all, and so what is Highest.

The primary responsibility of the performer is to be true.

The audience has the right, perhaps even a responsibility, to remind the performer that they serve the music.

III
Overall Criteria For Judgement

Time, place, person, circumstance.

Different cultures have different performance traditions, forms and conventions.

Performance spaces bring their own spirit and characteristics, eg in the European concert tradition the auditoria modelled social class. Performances in churches, clubs, bars, amphitheatres, sports stadia, burlesque theatres, open air music festivals have varying feels specific to the spaces.

Audiences reflect their wider culture. Latin and predominantly Catholic cultures – eg Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina and Chile – have very different performance cultures to those of the US, UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Japan.  Currently under discussion is how the role, position and treatment of women varies within different cultures, and the effect and relevance of this for gender equality within GC. Cf an initiative by a pal of mine, Tahir Shah… https://scheherazadefoundation.org/aims/

The outer forms of social organisation ideally support our inner lives.
Our inner lives influence the outer forms of society and the overall culture, a reflection of our inner harmony.