This morning's Pencil Frenzy is focused on "Seizure". The Rhythm Buddies have made a template which yesterday afternoon, at the peak of my bio-lows, I pathetically attempted to help shape. But ideas are flowing this morning.
From my morning's reading (p.224 "Information Rules" by Shapiro & Varian): "During the early stages of product introduction, expectation management is critical". Perhaps those visitors with some experience of meditation may not need persuading that thought is tangible. Expectation tightly held is one kind of "thought form". In a performance context, it's like running into a brick wall. Discussions with "fans" at stage doors, fans who "have rights" because they've given "their hard-earned pay", a reasonable debate on the rights (and otherwise) of autography, photography & functional questioning on FAQ (which they have not bothered to access), is a similar. But the brick wall comes with animosity.
Fantasy is another strange & related manifestation. I've bumped into this one, recognisably, many times over 30 years. One form of fantasy is people who knew they had to be part of King Crimson. One strand of this accompanied a student who came to Guitar Craft courses in order to join KC, but never declared this as his aim. Another related strand is players who really want to be professional musicians, but who the world has not yet recognised. This is a much larger subject. My own view is that many professionally-aspirant have a hobby they love but would like to live their lives on holiday.
It is sometimes hard to have a deeply-held fantasy confronted by actuality. Let's be realistic: most very successful performers have moderate talent, physical beauty, sexual charisma, an indomitable will to succeed & ruthless management. Sometimes they're ruthless themselves. The rest of us earn a living by working very hard. (And the world of the professional musician is wretched).
21.24
Well, "ProzaKc Blues" has a working template which is very close to being the final track. I've just emerged from a feeble but ultimately successful spree of overdubbing my part, which I couldn't define until the architectural kit had been unpacked and assembled. The practical difficulty in playing blind (i.e. without the other team members in the room to nod, duck, beckon, wave, inflect and eyeball) is that the piece has two equal time signatures. Adrian wasn't aware of this until he sat in the control room, witnessing my weebly (weedy + feeble) attempts to place a pointilistic guitar part on top of these two contrasting times, played with a laid-back feel (which is contrary to the spirit of pointilistic parts).
Other arisings today: Christian de Santis, an exceptional guitarist from Argentina, is staying with Curt Golden in Seattle & working with other Seattle Guitar Circlers. Also on the agenda is a possible Guitar Craft Level One in the New York area in the second half of next year. The timing of this depends upon the Crimson touring schedule. Part of my office work for this (late) evening is to respond to offers for Europe at the end of May, which is sooner than we anticipated.
And Toyah opened the Christmas shopping season at Riceman's department store in Canterbury. What she didn't know, but I did, is that this store is owned by the Fenwick chain of stores. The managing director drove down from London for the event. Prior to becoming the MD of Fenwick's he was Mark Fenwick, of the EG Group of companies. Those who know the degree of violation which I felt at the hands of Mark & his partner, SG Alder Esq., may also know that, for my part, I have forgiven both of them.
"The creative impulse animates whatever instrument is placed at its disposal."
