DGM World Central is a mass of flailing limbs - bookkeeper, auditor and DGM persons fighting with paper. If anyone around the world reading this might ever come upon an official UK government announcement, along the lines of "We support small businesses", shout "You lie!" and spit upon the announcement, or whoever brings it to you (providing only that they accept its veracity).
The reality of small business is that 30-40% of its creative time and energies are used up addressing the proliferation of paperwork, forms, regulations and other opportunities for supporting the livelihoods of bureacrats. Theirs is a growth industry. P'tah!
My primary concerns are that this ongoing drudgery does not sap the strength and enthusiasm of DGM staff; nor that the enormous expenditure of time & resources on this dross undermine the company.
But good news: I have heard the ProjeKcts and the word is Beast! Beast! I say! Chris has played me a rough mix of "Seizure" - P4 in Seattle. This is about the most Crim piece I've heard from the ProjeKcts to date. And "Cirkus" is underway, although slowed to a near halt by the concerns of paper.
Hernan Nunez and I have had a long conversation regarding the next step for Guitar Craft in Europe and South America. There is a waiting list of potential students from all over Europe, and an ongoing demand from Argentina & Chile. English people are currently being advised by the UK government not to visit Chile, so we are discussing a GC course at a seminary in Mendoza, northern Argentina. This enables Chilean students to cross the Andes in a `bus (not comfortable, but possible) and join a course with the Argentinean team.
The history of Guitar Craft is worth writing: it is the most important, even valuable, work that I've ever been privileged to take part in. But GC is also exceptionally hard and uncomfortable, not only in the obvious ways of physical discomfort & the irritations of many other students in close proximity; long hours of practice, high challenges to our "normal" automatic reactions and modes; but rather in the opportunities to see who we are, what is required of us, and the utter poverty of our nature. Anyone reading this who might think: "Wow! This is for me!" I advise you that, probably, it's not. Otherwise, you'll know.
During the days of the Red Lion House in Cranborne we discussed Parnham House, the work and school of John Makepeace. Coincidentally, this afternoon I spoke to John on the telephone regarding raising funds for their next step. And coincidentally again, John & Jenny Makepeace are visiting John Miller next week in Cornwall. DGM regulars may have seen some of John's interior landscapes on the covers of Soundscape releases.
Now, over to see how the spirits of the staff are in the midst of their paper...
"Silence is a distant echo of the approach of the Muse."
