DGM HQ There are degrees
09.14
DGM HQ.
There are degrees of freedom.
Freedom confers responsibility.
So, there are degrees of responsibility.
Evading responsibility, to whatever degree, blocks connection to the source of our freedom;
that is, our freedom is constrained.
A power of freedom is choice.
If we disregard responsibility, our choice is constrained.
If our power of choice is constrained, life becomes less than it might be otherwise.
10.12 DVDs of video & voice files, of our three days with Uncle Bill, are burning for Sistery Person Patricia.
10.34 To a Guitar Craft student…
As I have no direct personal experience of your Circle’s activities, although I am familiar with most of your members, I am unable to comment on the specific interactions & relationships you describe.
Firstly, confidences are respected.
Where the matters under discussion go beyond the merely personal, and have effect on the wider field of Guitar Craft activity, where appropriate I consult & seek advice and comments from trusted others.
Secondly, there is a very small number of people who have received personal letters of confidence from me; who I trust to present & develop their understanding of the principles & practices of Guitar Craft; and whom I have asked to take on particular projects & accept particular responsibilities. I do not expect perfect choices & actions, nor do I ask for them. I assume honesty, goodwill & the acceptance of responsibility for choices, decisions & actions. Mistakes are inevitable… there is no mistake save one: the failure to learn from a mistake. I have little difficulty with mistakes, which can be readily addressed where goodwill is involved; and then we move to finding a better quality of mistake.
Where possible, I support individual & group initiatives; and give advice when invited. Notably, the Seattle Guitar Circle accepts responsibility for Guitar Craft events in North America through the representatives of NAFGC; and the Guitar Craft Office in Europe accepts responsibility for our undertakings both in Europe & South America.
There are ensembles & activities, with varying degrees of connection to Guitar Craft, who act independently & from their own initiative; this for various reasons & with differing aims. For example, it is quite legitimate to have social evenings with our pals, playing guitar with coffee & cakes. No blame, no shame with this. But it would be incorrect to present a Guitar Social Circle as representative of Guitar Craft.
There are other groups & ensembles with Guitar Craft backgrounds, some with considerable experience, who find their musical lives limited or stifled within formal Guitar Craft settings. They act informally to grow & develop aspects of their musical (and personal) lives that are not well addressed within formally-defined GC activities; which for several reasons we are unable to address. Informal undertakings of this sort have my support & encouragement: they allow for independent contributions to be made to the creative current that Guitar Craft manifests.
There are other Circles & groupings more interested in the craft side of Guitar Craft, such as developing & practising the morning sitting. This may take the form of a Circle of Peers, a number of reasonably experienced people where no-one claims any particular authority; and who meet together to support the work of each other. This is legitimate, and also receives my support & encouragement.
But independent undertakings, especially those addressing the more subtle elements of establishing a discipline, can be problematic. The main points are these:
the person responsible for leading the Circle has sufficient experience to do so;
is honest regarding their own limitations;
accepts responsibility for the actions & undertakings of the group and/or Circle.
It is not my aim to control & limit the projects of those who use their initiative to further personal work, perhaps in the company of others. But where the claim or implication is made, that their work represents Guitar Craft or myself, this is a problem.
Thirdly, there is a long history of enterprises with varying degrees of connection to recognised Ways or Schools of Aspiration; and questionable mandates from acknowledged authorities in that line. These include the relatively harmless, such as talking or social meetings, and others less so; the cost ranging from a waste of time to the manipulation of people’s personal lives & finances.
Where intentional activity takes place, the energy rises. This tends to flow through established channels. So, if someone is twitchy, they tend to become twitchier. If given to imagination, there is a drift towards fantasy. Once in fantasy, there is danger; and damage can be done.
Even in reliable groups, difficulties will inevitably arise between people.
Fourthly, we accept responsibility for what we do. Not all our choices are ideal, and common sense is exceptionally uncommon. Nevertheless, we have to use our common sense & instinctive intelligence when we find ourself in a position that feels a little out of tune. A key to this, in practice, is to ask what the “leader” of the group wants for themself? Three danger signs:
someone presents themself as special, or claims personal authority, this without a clear mandate to instruct / teach; and/or an established track record of working over a period of time;
sexual relationships with students;
excessive financial demands.
Our work together, to develop a discipline, is utterly impersonal in its nature; and is already difficult enough. When this work moves from the impersonal to the personal, difficulties proliferate. When the impersonal moves to the intimate, this can be problematic.
11.04 To Wimborne.
17.31 Collecting sister at Gravel Hill c. 11.45 & out to Witchampton Churchyard…
… to pay respects & offer gratitude for the lives of our Parents & Uncle Charlie I...
II...
Lunch with Alan Cosgrove & Susie Wyatt…
The coffee machine was not working; the waiter-person did not quite have control of the English language sufficient to accept orders from the local indigenous; all in all, a franchised restaurant not at the top of its game. But what of this? A most enjoyable lunch with old Winburnian pals.
A walk into the Square with roofs evidencing the recent Great Fire of Wimborne I...
II...
III...
IV...
… reportedly a result of faulty electrical wiring, albeit recently repaired.
Returning Sistery to her pals at Merley, back to DG HQ c. 16.05 & a series of interruptions.
17.41 Today’s portion of industry exploitation: from our distributor to Spotify…
Thanks you for confirming the removal of the tracks.
As for the origins of content, I have never had a satisfactory explanation, despite requests, explaining the presence of King Crimson/Robert Fripp material on Spotify's servers in the first instance as reported in January of this year. (see the foot of this email for further details).
I can't imagine that it came from any of your 'distributors' as it included material from the DGM catalogue for which there has never been any 'distributor' other than my company & I never digitised or delivered that material.
So to seek to lay the blame on 'distributors' for any & all lapses in your offerings to the public is quite wrong & unacceptable, especially in the most recent instance where the 'distributor' concerned reputedly owns a substantial stake in Spotify.
Where Spotify is offering copyrighted material for sale to the public, Spotify must ensure that such offerings are legal.
Spotify has been informed in the past that no King Crimson material is licensed for its use.
Nothing has changed.
For the avoidance of doubt, let me clarify once again.
All King Crimson material is controlled by Robert Fripp.
There is also an extensive amount of Robert Fripp solo & collaborative music material controlled by Robet Fripp.
None of this is licensed in any way for appearance on Spotify.
Should such material appear again on Spotify again, I will hold Spotify responsible for such appearances.
I will also invoice Spotify for any costs invlved in having such material removed.
I await a statement of usage from Spotify regarding all King Crimson & Robert Fripp material that has appeared to date on your servers & your proposal for settlement as to monies due for such offerings made without permission of the copyright owners.
From my own e-mail…
dear mr. spotify person,
this is to confirm that declan colgan acts on my behalf as copyright owner in the material under discussion.
(you write) “the service should provide a great platform for you to reach new
and old fans of KC”.
it's certainly easier to make music available when the wider interests of the artists are not taken into account.
i have a responsibility to all the members of King Crimson to ensure that equity in distributed income prevails in our licensing arrangements. this means that i am unable to license any material whatsoever to you; with the significant exception that i become a large shareholder in your operation. in which case, the artists wouldn't have to be paid at all, would they?
so, please be informed: any king crimson content on your site at all is unauthorised & illegal; and you are formally notified of such by both declan, as my agent, and myself, as rights owner / controller.
Just another day in the life of the working player; but a worker player who owns / controls the copyrights in their work (noting the common interests of past & present Crims).
Shortly, off to Bredonborough.
20.42 Arriving home via Wilton & Romain’s Emporium Of Wonder.
The Minx is in Nottingham with a post-midnight show & will be back in the early hours.
21.34 The street I…
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