Monasterio Nuestra Seora De Los
09.32
Monasterio Nuestra Señora De Los Angeles / Monjas Dominicas
Mare de Deu del Roser, 2.
Sant Cugat (08174),
Barcelona.
Rising at 06.10 although awake earlier.
Morning Sitting at 07.30.
Breakfast at 08.00. Comments presented on yesterday evening’s performance, with comments extending outwards to performance in general, even over the past 40 years, specific places of performance, GC performance history, and noting a lack of audience training that corresponds to the training of the performer.
One negative comment from a member of the Beginners, who was disturbed by the audience behaviour yesterday evening. The word arrogant was used; he believed the Hats of Nunez had been rigged to pre-select a soloist; and suggested that Guitar Craft was a school that aimed at developing elitism.
Comments were presented for almost an hour, and the magical properties of the Hats of Nunez affirmed as being an intrinsic property to the hats.
Meeting with Beginners & Immediates in the ballroom for 10.45.
A meeting of The Association Of Those Who Would Play Schizoid in the Chapel for 12.50.
12.32 At the Beginners & Immediates’ Meeting the continuing difficulty, of counting a simple pattern with accents & accurately striking a note, continued.
Resistances is a word that has been used several times on this course during observations & comments. Why is it that so many adults here, of reasonable intelligence & maturity, are unable to count a simple series of sequential numbers & hit an accent within that pattern?
Possibly, one reason is a lack of commitment. One of the characters on the course is not on the course; he is just not here. His attention is elsewhere. But even if his attention were not elsewhere, I have the sense he wouldn’t be on this course anyway: he came with expectation.
There is drug & alcohol damage. Circuits have been fried. I don’t see this as frequently as I used to, when drug use was widespread among many of the young people who attended courses: almost as if I have a right! there are no consequences! Participants nowadays tend to be more mature, and less druggy. Possibly our clear statement on drug use is part of the falling-off of drug-using applicants.
It was once, seemingly, believed that there were little or no repercussions from regular drug use. What I see, standing in the middle of the Guitar Circle, is a dis-connection between the mind & the body: they don’t quite seem to talk to each other; co-ordination is not. The body is, usually, able to move in established patterns but unable to grasp & respond to new patterns being presented. The mind holds a pattern & leads the way: the mind leads the hands. Or, as often on this course, not.
A few members of the Team have deeply entrenched psychological - emotional patterns that render them unable to handle much in the way of personal challenge. We have often found that 2-3 days on a GC course, in uncomfortable & pressured conditions, can push the buttons of those with buttons waiting to be pushed, and set off those with hair-triggers waiting to be triggered.
We also have a recurring, if infrequent, feature of students with bi-polar disorders.
Work in the Guitar Circle states a new aim & requirement of us, in addition to those of developing relationships with the guitar, music & ourself: that of working with others. Where the work of the Guitar Circle requires a standard of reliability, repeatability & response-ability, there is a standard of functional capacity that needs to be addressed by the Circler. When a person is able to meet this level of challenge, their seat is waiting. Until then, there are opportunities to discover aspects of how & what & who we are, and sometimes to repair areas that have been damaged. But: it is necessary to accept responsibility for our own behaviour & conduct.
Guitar Craft courses do not have trained & accredited staff to deal with problems stemming from substance abuse, psychological trauma, personality disorders & anger-management issues; and concerns related to professionally-supervised medication. Yet often we find ourselves in the position of having to present band-aid therapy & support to students who, in their applications, have mentioned nothing of these kinds of problems. In future, good physical & psychological health will be a formal requirement of students attending Guitar Craft courses, and work in the Guitar Circle.
15.27 A performance at lunch by The Association Of Those Who Would Play Schizoid, comprising four of those who aspire to The LCG upcoming performances plus myself. An abbreviated Schizoid Man, where Fernando was not singing, was played with some flaws but good spirit. It was well-received by the audience who were insulted: their demands for an encore were rudely & carelessly rebuffed by the oldest guitarist performing.
Before leaving this accommodation corridor, to meet the members of The Association, I heard strange noises erupting from the dining room next door and knew: Fart Machine II was being tested prior to our performance. This indicated our likely reception. The well-timed eruptions from the enhanced Version Two of this popular device, controlled by Director Nunez, seemed to add to the audience’s enjoyment of our spot.
An introduction to the Fart Machine II & its contribution to this week was made I…
II...
Now, various personal meetings are underway, in addition to personal practising & a ball game in the courtyard / parking area.
A meeting with the Beginners & Immediates at 16.45.
18.08 Lotsa fun in the B & I meeting: chair to chair, moving to the left, a scale of C major into 3 octaves, rising & falling. After 65 minutes, a final attempt, moving to the right, allowing one note an octave equivalency (on a descending D), and the attempt failed: instead of the final low D, the low C was sounded.
20.43 Our fun with C major was related at the dinner table to those who weren’t there. There was some discussion on the top table as to the record for how long this exercise has lasted. Five hours at Grossderschau? Or was it 7.5 hours? Hernan recalled that at Gandara, Argentina, food was carried into the meeting to sustain the attempts of those present.
Final meeting at 21.00.
22.21 A full ballroom. Thanks were given to those whose work made this course possible. Many good comments. For a few, the course was totally awesome and, for one, even gnarly. I spoke for Tom Redmond, as in the opening meeting.
The two upcoming preparation courses for…
The Guitar Circle I
The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists II
Guitar Craft 25th. Anniversary Completion Course
Special Project
Saturday 20th to Sunday 28th of March, 2010
Mendoza, Argentina
... at Raft Island & here in Sant Cugat
were announced.
The Course was declared completed at 22.10 & 30 seconds.
A meeting to address practicalities, and merchandising, was held afterwards.
Hernan has recently visited to touch base. Packing underway...
Front door call for the SergyMobile at 10.30.
