An opportunity to catch up on Diary postings postponed during the moving process...
1. Chris Murphy, Hero of Sound, Soundscapes & ProjeKct tours, has written (June 25th.) to point out mis- & non-accreditation for the excellent work he has done on several DGM releases.
Chris writes: "... articles in Guitar Player and 2 consecutive issues of MIX magazine have apparently misquoted David as being responsible for work I have done. Also, perhaps of another mistake in the art department, Robert is credited as primary mixer on the tracks that I mixed for Cirkus, including the ProjeKct One track which he expressly and intentionally abstained from participating in."
Apologies to Chris, who is currently concentrating on his record production & studio work. I'll miss him on the road but look forward to studio work with him somewhere in the future.
2. On June 30th. I received notification of the death of Bhante, a Cambodian monk, in Stockton, California, at the age of 110. Bhante visited Sherborne House & Claymont Court to lead meditation retreats with the students. To be at Bhante's feet in meditation was a privilege.
3. Robert Cozzolino (DGM Guestbook June 11th.) quotes Willem de Kooning (1951): "It is disastrous to name ourselves". I assume this is in response to the morphing of "The King Crimson Collectors' Club" from "The DGM Collectors' Club".
I disagree. Probably, it is disastrous not to name ourselves.
To the extent that we don't know who we are, I agree with de Kooning. If we don't know who we are, best to accept the name/s given to us by others, in the hope that they may better recognise our nature if we are unsure of unselves (or too young). But better still to recognise who & what we are and name ourselves.
Naming is a potent act (e.g. the rites of baptism & christening). In Guitar Craft we take this seriously (but not solemnly). Two possible difficulties of naming:
i) (From "Wizard Of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Leguin): if others know our real name they may use it to exert control over us. (Possibly, then, the use of a pseudonym as defence strategy?).
ii) A name is forced upon us which does not reflect our individuality (e.g. nicknames). This is not self-naming - it's the attribution of others. (But sometimes a nickname is right on the mark - where it sidesteps our own blindspots).
A failure to give ourselves our name indicates a failure to recognise who we are. This is easily seen with the names of successful groups. Otherwise, remember Annie & The Tourists? Well, at least they got it right the second time around.
"Understanding is simple. Knowing is complicated."
