10.05
DGM HQ.
In my absence from DGM, in Tennessee & Spain & Estonia, luxuriance has taken place over the window…
This is the view from my office, and quite acceptable.
In The Works, the magazine of the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters, John Kennedy OBE (Hero Lawyer & Good Guy) and Chairman http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/PRESS/20040913.html of the IFPI http://www.ifpi.org/ is quoted: ISPs are doing very well out of digital music. It is helping drive their revenues and it is being liberally used in their marketing strategies. They should address the copyright infringement that is happening on their systems.
If proper copyright procedures were followed, YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ would close yesterday. But there’s lotsa juice there & lotsa fun. So, what to do? This is the current debate in the industry.
In time, there will be some form of settlement between the major players & the ISPs. For example, majors such as EMI/Warners/Universal/Sony-BMG will be paid for the use of its copyright material under some blanket scheme, comparable to the levy on blank cassettes. Whether or not artists, the originators of the copyright materials, see any of this remains to be seen. Similarly, when EG were paid advances on its publishing & record catalogues from 1975/6 onwards, the artists saw none of it (the reason why EG split from David Platz (the sub-publisher at Essex Music)… http://www.bucksmusicgroup.com/flyrecords/aboutflyrecords.html
was that Mr. Platz insisted the artists were paid their share of the advance & this was unacceptable to Mr. Alder). EG artists did, however, pay interest to EG if lent them money, for example as a mortgage. That the monies advance was on their work was irrelevant. The business takes care of its own interests; the exploitation of artists & inequality of income distribution is the foundation of the music industry.
11.05 David & Robert are in SoundWorld II organising Day four in Estoni at the Viljandi Jaani kirik…
Mr. Vrooom has posted this on the Guestbook…
Estonia & Churchscapes
:: Posted by vrooom on August 31, 2006
Robin Gurney said of the Estonia shows, Yeah, well, we went and frankly… it sucked. How can one man with so much talent produce such a boring show? Obviously my expectations were way too high. Last time I saw him he was great. Weird.
I guess the cathedrals in Estonia just aren’t as responsive to Soundscapes as our tried and tested monuments here in the UK. The main difference obviously is that our churches have crypts and the Estonian churches have basements... ;-)
Actually, the Lutheran church & Estonian audiences were more positively responsive to Soundcapes/Churchscapes than any other audiences I have known. Mr. Gurney was, judging by other reports from audients, anecdotal evidence & audience responses in the churches, in a small minority. Very few people left the performances, the applause was considerable (and generous), encores demanded (for Soundcapes, even!), and a standing ovation on the last performance.
12.47 Fourth & fifth day edited for listening.
On the subject of audiences, from an e-correspondent…
Subject: Porcupine Tree concert Shepherds Bush Empire 7th December 2005 Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2006 2:14 PM
I wanted to let Robert know how much I am enjoying the Soundscape "Hot Tickles" especially "At The End of Time" ( downloaded on 18/04/06) which is achingly beautiful and, albeit somewhat late, I thought I’d give some feedback re Shepherd’s Bush Empire and my thoughts as a result.
I found the general noise levels from the crowd meant that I had to concentrate in a more focused fashion on the performance in an attempt to "block out" the background chatter.
It was noticeable that there were a few tapers in the audience and that was also distracting - I go to concerts to experience the performance and don’t see how you can give your undivided attention if you are messing about with equipment, worrying about recording levels etc.
At one stage I was aware of someone standing behind me who was taping Robert’s soundscape, so I turned to him and, very politely, said "You don’t really need to do that, do you?" - to my amazement, he actually stopped recording!
About half way through the Porcupine Tree’s show (c. 22.00hrs) I actually left the building as the general level of audience chatter got to such a level that I couldn’t focus on their performance - and this at normal volume levels for a rock band!...
I cannot understand why someone would pay £18 to see a performance and then talk all the way through it. Perhaps some people only go to shows so that they can tell their friends that they’ve been to see a certain musician/artist.
Surely the type of venue also affects the audience’s behaviour? - it didn’t happen at the soundscape performances I attended at St Paul’s Catherdral, Union Chapel or Salisbury Cathedral and I doubt whether it would in a seated theatre.
15.04 David & Robert are back in Soundworld II with Estonian Churchscapes.
15.22 From an e-correspondent…
1) I am very glad that (according to your diary 29/8/06) the Churchscapes tour of Estonia were successful, at least in so far that you found a “supportive performance context, protected from the demands of commercial culture”, in which to make music.
2) I am glad because (it is my opinion that) your recent Soundscapes are very special and represent some of your most compelling work. Whenever I play examples to friends (Ok, the sub-set who are seriously interested in “Music” (in general NOT KC)) the responses are very, very positive. Something special emanates from at least some of them and I can not describe adequately the sense of “caring-goodness” and/or “forgiveness” that seems to inhabit a piece such as “At The End Of Time” recorded on the 21st of February this year. Finding the ‘right’ or ‘appropriate’ places for you to make such music should only help in the creation of similar.
3) And yet that version of “At The End Of Time” was made in a club, at an event mediated by commerce. How is this possible?
One possible answer to 3): this is related to the different events that are taking place within the (seemingly) same & singular performance. Actually, several different events are underway, including the audients’ event, the performers’ event, the musical event & the commercial event. Putting aside consideration of the commercial event, the success of which is simple to measure…
When audients come together, they become an audience. At this point, something becomes available to the whole undertaking. The player may or may not be enjoying themselves, they may or may not like the performance, and these are irrelevant: they must hold themselves in place, discharge their function & trust the process. Otherwise, nothing happens. And, sometimes, music has a life of its own: it comes to inhabit the notes that are offered on its behalf.
So, if the audients are ratty, disruptive, inattentive, drunk & bored; and the performer unhappy, focused & attentive: the music can be sublime, regardless. This will most likely escape the attention of nearly everyone in the venue at the time. Some recordings show that music was present, despite everything else that may have been going on, and allows the music to find its own space & time, unhindered by people, outside the original context. (This assumes that the recording did not disrupt the performance, and that is another discussion, one with a long history already).
Similarly & contrariwise, from listening to the Churchscapes in Estonia: the first performance in Tallinn’s Pühavaimu kirik was (I believe) a wonderful, uplifting & special event. It had the juice. But, it was not primarily a musical event. That is, the music enabled something special to happen, but what happened was not especially the music.
17.10 The Vicar has visited to play me some of the developments in Songbook No. 1 while I have been away. They are significant.
Churchscapes edited for listening.
We have a new publisher.
E-flurrying.
Now, to load the car & set off for Bredonborough.
"Be very careful about the beginning.
Then, be very careful about the end.
Then, be very careful about the middle."
