related
seattle diaries
guitar craft diaries
seattle
rep circle
seattle
practice circle
discipline diaries
nj
circle diaries
Tuesday March 26
Wednesday March 27
Thursday March 28
Friday March 29
Saturday March 30
Sunday March 31
Read the archive
Tuesday April 02
Wednesday April 03
Thursday April 04
Friday April 05
Saturday April 06
Sunday April 07
Monday March 25
Happy 17th Anniversary GC.
* * *
Tuesday March 26
A day of 10,000 emails. Many relevant and vital conversations and a few
brilliant soliloquies. Wish FrankS would give me permission to publish his
wonderful email in my diary.
Going to take a chance and email him about this.
* * *
Excerpts (not even the highlights really) below, most of this guaranteed to get me into serious trouble with my friends.
So what. What do I have left to lose?
No (more) pussy-footing.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "TravisH"
> To: "SB"
> Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 8:01 PM
> Subject: SGC mailing list
>
>
> So...there were a jillion people at the
> Pitcairn show. I don't suppose you guys
> harvested anything for the mailing list
> by chance...?
>
> TH
>From: SB
To: TravisH
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 20:19:50 -0800
Subject: Re: SGC mailing list
...
You must be insane.
-s.
* * *
And more:
From: SB
To: TravisH
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 18:11:29 -0800
Subject: Re: Dev Team Web Thank you
...feel like burying my head in a sandpit.
This is what happens: doing something cheap and quick "for free" in our spare time leads to zero value.Cross-platform anything is a myth and a lie.
We get what we pay for: like using unfamiliar and/or borrowed equipment -- guaranteed to lead to an equipment nightmare. Would you borrow someone else's electric guitar the night before a show?
* * *
So what happens when we run out of rope?
-s.
----- Original Message -----
From: TravisH
To: SB
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 6:22 PM
Subject: Re: Development Team Web Thank you
Use string.
That's why I favor simple, cheap solutions.
I don't know any way to easily get the powerpoint presentation out to people. BTW, after being f**ked, Netscape then crashed on me. Turning it into regular html pages that people navigate by hitting a "next" button is probably the only halfway reliable way to do it, particularly considering how low-tech most non-computer industry workers are (33K, six year old computers, etc).
TH
* * *
More fuel for the firestorm:
----- Original Message -----
From: SB
To: TravisH
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 9:24 PM
Subject: Re: SGC mailing list
Everyone poo-poos everything. It is a law.Raise your hand, get slapped. Raise your head, get shot. Open your mouth, insert foot. No one really ever likes the guy who sticks his neck up or out.
Success breeds contempt. Initiating something that does not include 'me' breeds contempt. Maybe we forget that guitarists, in general, hate every other guitarist and thinks "I could do that, better."
...
... perhaps this is our opportunity to launch into the work you mentioned below: recording and building a solid business 'practice' that is as solid and reliable as our primaries and GC guitar techniques.Why are there no 'business primaries' as part of our 'school?' Too Berklee? Too GIT? It's always so easy to criticize the institutions. But perhaps this is also part of why we seem to only attract (and retain) part-time guitarist geeks who already know how to eek out a sufficient high-tech living and/or musicians who live off of their wives or trust-funds for years at a time?
...
Our best approach may be to generate more success in shows (building audience), products (new songs, new CDs), and sales (building a bank account.) The inevitable $10,000 Crafty question of the millennium: how to do this without spending more than we earn?
...
Yes -- "I told you so" never feels as good as it should.
...
> BTW2: Whatever happened to SBRS
> business discussions?
Dropped like a rocket after the Industrial Cafe post-show discussion, mostly due to my own depression and feelings of hopelessness that is born from feeling like more energy and cash always goes in than comes out.My challenge this year: make progress in spite of my constant horrid feelings of repeating myself. Much like your own efforts to overcome that feeling you described about the Pitcairn show.
...
I had lunch today with Jay Kenny who runs the morning music show on KONG-TV. He's going to see if he can get us on in the next 4-8 weeks. We need to book another major show or two that we can promote on TV if we do his TV gig.Pitcairn would be one, but we need another. Ideally, I'd like to play out at least once every 2-3 weeks to keep the material fresh and flowing for the next few months while we continue to document and record our current repertoire.
A major CD by the end of the year is achievable. But that is only part of the equation. Where have we heard this before?1.) publicist may get us "press" - that is their job
2.) "press" may get us a real "press kit" that has actual "press" in it
3.) a real "press kit" may get us better shows, opening slots, more credibility in the community of people who appreciate, and eventually pay us for, what we do
4.) better shows may get us better audience
5.) better audience may give us more audience who may decide to buy our CDs or attend our Division of Attention and Circulation workshops,
6.) lather, rinse, repeat
Short term: lets find and hire a publicist who will work with us to create publishable materials about us, our work, history, and perhaps our work with SC. Clearly, the greater SC community is either unwilling or unready to take this step as a group -- fine.
We also need to do some shows with Sue and Carrie, Walter's band, and a few other groups who have a potentially sympathetic audience.We have a potential audience out there that goes beyond the SC core team, but they have no consistent way to see, hear, or find us. They come out of the woodwork in droves when Crimson, Jonatha, Shawn, Elliot Smith, or Dave Matthews comes to town.
...
Now, onto other matters.
Let's cheer up, and keep working.
Best,
-s.
* * *
Working in a group is difficult. Working in two is borderline stooopid. But what to do to feed two (supposedly) incompatible but vital genres of music?
Spent the morning visiting a "digital media enthusiast" in his home in Redmond as part of a study of 'what people really do with their computers' compared to what we are designing for the future. Another obvious reminder of how out of sync MS people are with the rest of the world in terms of platforms, applications, efficiencies, and expectations.
* * *
----- Original Message -----
From: TravisH
To: SB
Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 8:59 AM
Subject: Music and Business
Chris Murphy once told me that the most common piece of advice he gave to struggling musicians at the SXSW conference was not "make sure you have a good tube pre to record the vocals through", but that if you're spending less than two hours a day on the business side of your music, you're kidding yourself.
* * *
Thursday March 28
Continuing in this week's theme of juicy email exchanged about really super
ultra important stuff, here is one of the better emails that has landed in my
inbox (cheering me up considerably,) this one from Frank Sheldon:
Regarding the History of the Future and other Recent Events:
When I came to Seattle--even before I came to Seattle--I had a vision of a group of Guitar Craft related people working and playing together in one place and also performing in that place. Robert suggested that maybe the venue would be disguised as a coffee shop, which is how the name "Secret Cafe" emerged. I can still remember, as we drove across the floating bridge on a sunny day, Steve Ball and I realizing that a public place as a home for our work and play was now possible. If it could be imagined, it could be made real.
As it came to pass, the Secret Cafe never found its own place and so never matured. However, from that first effort (either because of it or in spite of it,) much has followed that has since grown and taken wing.
The place I originally envisioned included, at least potentially, almost everything possible. It would be a theater. A performance venue. A school. A cauldron of creativity. A place of Work. A sanctuary when needed. Maybe even a place to get a decent cup of Joe. A place of refreshment in every sense of the word. It would grow and periodically burst out of its skin into a new setting or form when the need was clear and the will was present.
By allowing almost anyone who was genuinely attracted to Guitar Craft to find or make a place for themselves on the team, I saw the possibility of positive symbiotic relationships: the musicians being the conduit for Music, the support team enabling the most favorable conditions for this conduit and all enjoying and sharing the fruits of their common labor, and perhaps most importantly, all sharing equally in the inner work that is inseparable from Guitar Craft.
Although I have come close to completely giving up several times, something like the essential vision that many of us (no doubt with our own versions) have shared always remained and it seems that now it is emerging from potential to actual. To me, the Seattle Circle sign with a phone number means we are presenting ourselves fully to the world, not just at a gig, but as an ongoing school and as a body that supports and furthers human creativity and makes performance possible in the best circumstances, given our resources at the moment. In Guitar Craft terminology, I would say that Seattle Circle is now a Level Seven project with potential to go further.
I know that might seem a lot to live up to and we may wonder if it is all just too grandiose. Still, at Seattle Circle I don't hear anyone whacking an espresso filter during the quiet parts.
And why not?
Because the Music Comes First. And that will be true as long as our own work and our work together comes first.
Best Wishes... `Frank
Well said, and well timed.
* * *
10:45pm Just home from SBRS recording session in Walter Harley's beautiful living room. An inspiring evening. The somewhat rusty performances (SBRS has not really rehearsed or performed for a couple of weeks) were balanced out by the joy and ease of simply working together to capture quality sound and performances. With some additional effort in this direction, we may have some good 'snapshots' of who we are and what we can do as a trio given our present stations.
Some wonderful conversations followed including more ludicrous Pelota paintings of what might be possible:
Think League of Crafty Guitarists meets Blue Man Group meets Cirque du Soleil meets Teatro Zinzani -- and yet it is nothing like anything you have ever seen before.
It begins with a stage that is actually a large thin ring -- a circle -- where 23-40 guitarists and musicians spread out around the arched hole in the center -- some with acoustic guitars, some with electric guitars, some in formal attire, some in in rock attire, the Circle Choir segment in bright yellow leotards, (that's odd, he drum segment is remarkably muted right now,) and the silhouette of the backlit Upright Bass section shadows are swaying, almost dancing in time with their upright basses while the Electric Circle paints the room and the laser lit domed ceiling with powerful centi-phonic waves of backwards washing pastel soundscapes that gently shake the walls of the large, reverberant circular hall.
The performers surround their audience of 90-120 people who are seated in comfortable chairs with back support, electronic program menus built into the cup/plate holder/tray. The chairs even have adjustable foot rests -- best of all, the chairs are not fixed -- they gently rock AND they rotate 360 degrees so that every 'back row' seat for one segment of the stage is literally a 'front row' seat for the next segment. There are hundreds of speakers in the floors, walls, and ceilings. It seems that every surface may have a breath-taking sound pouring out of it at any given moment.
The entire circular stage is also moving very slowly around the audience so that the 'back row' never stays the 'back row' for very long. Through-out the 2.0 hour show, pin-pointed spot lights guide the attention of the audience between the various groups of the ensemble who join together in combinations to provide a full Musical Meal of sonic textures, styles, colors, moods, and landscapes the lead the audience through a nourishing array of sonic delicacies.
Over the evening, a multi-course meal of small appetizers and cakes appears at each seat to complement the menu of music -- just enough high quality drinks, appetizers and deserts to completely complement the musical menu.
The musical evening peaks with a full sonically symphonic surround sound sensation with ALL musicians on the circular stage and spread through the audience circulating waves of dynamically swelling melodies, harmonies, and music conversations. Even the wait-staff have grabbed instruments and contribute to the one thousand unison melodies that fill the air with a densely ordered chaos.
The audience absorb the music through every sense, every organ, including their taste buds.
At the very end of the show, one melody, the Theme of the Evening circulates quickly around the room (how is that humanly possible? so fast, in time, the melody literally zips around the audiences' heads), each player taking one note in the unfolding musical sentence that tells the truth.
OK pessimistic realistic enthusiasm squashing know-it-alls.
Is this unrealistic?
Think back to the first time you heard "Bicycling to Afghanistan" (or Discipline, or Fracture, or 49 Notes or "name-that-impossible-sounding-piece-of-music" and thought -- "I'll never be able to play that"
Or how did three guys in blue face paint explain to their investors that they were going to bring someone from their audience on stage to eat a twinkie while they stood there and just silently starred at them.
Try telling a normal person, even a scientist, 100 years ago: "oh yeah, lets build a big metal tube, stick a few people in it, and shoot it up to the moon. And bring them back alive!"
Ludicrous? Yes.
Improbable? Yes.
Impossible? Only if we make it so.
* * *
And now back to my regularly scheduled (please stay awake, please keep my eyes open) AAD practice. Can't afford to miss another day this week.
Then, to bed.
* * *
Friday March 29
This just in from Paul Richards' DGM online
diary:
Other than doggie therapy, the big news of the day is that DGM Webmaster Dan has just informed me, that DGM is planning to shut down the DGM diaries and guest book over the weekend. I've had my diary going for about 2 1/2 years now, so this comes as a bit of a shock. I haven't decided yet what I will do. I could use this as an opportunity to take a break from online diaries, or I could begin a new online diary on the cgtrio.com site. This morning, Bert and I were discussing the possibility of having a CGT diary with entries from all three of us. I like this latter idea.
* * *
Saturday March 30
Another March day of unbearable allergies. Sneezing and endless nose
blowing. There is a fine layer of organic green powder spread over the
surfaces of my home: could these be related?
* * *
Casting Shadows at HQ this evening, opening for Rosyvelt. Wonderful material, presented well: musically diverse and inspiring all the way around. Another successful SC House Concert under our belt.
A clear picture of a next (baby) step emerges.
* * *
Also, this in my mailbox earlier this week from my old friend Horacio:
It is a joy watch to the up-and-coming up and come.
* * *
Sunday March 31
Goodbye March. Hello April. More allergy hell today. My nose
is raw.
Spent some of the day listening, some organizing, many hours preparing to do my taxes. A wonderful home cooked dinner on Mercer Island, and a phone call to NY made my day, despite feeling crappy.
* * *
Listening: some nice stuff going on in the recent Pitcairn Scott SBRS shows:
- Kneeling Down (live) 3.047 MP3
- Naive Melody (live) 5.024 MP3
- Opening Improvisation (live) 3.083 MP3
- South Central Rain 4.482 MP3
Also from that evening:
Photos by TravisH.
* * *
Some new SBRS shows recently added to the April calendar! Don't miss these. We're getting good. Recordings under way too, courtesy of Walter Harley.
Going to be a musical year. Wish you were here.
* * *
home
Monday April 01
A new
DGM is being born as of Easter 2002.
* * *
Tuesday April 02
Missed an early morning breakfast with BillB who is in town again -- allergies
have silently morphed into a full blown cold.
Laying low most of the day. Conserving energy.
* * *
A cheery call from LA this evening brings back many memories of sharp transitions within the past decade.
A call from NYC later in the evening makes my day. Oh, to be loved.
* * *
A few tasks to take care of this evening, now discharged. Also spent some quality time with a few new songs that are in the works but not quite in the pocket yet, including this one as suggested months ago by a close friend of SBRS:
The Way Love Used to Be
I know a place not far from here
It's not far away, love, but if you come
I know a place where we'll be alone
And we'll talk of life, the way love used to be
I know a place not far away
And we'll find a way through the city streets
We'll find a way through the mad rushing crowd
And we'll talk about the way love used to be
I know a place not far from here
It's not far away, love, but if you come
I know a place where we'll be alone
And we'll talk about the way love used to be
-- Ray Davies
A beautiful song. Could use the string quartet, too.
Hmmmm.
* * *
Wednesday April 03
Almost impossible to sleep last night. Noise in my chest and noise in my
head. To possess a little knowledge can be a curse. Finally
looked at the clock one last time around 4:45am.
When I woke up about two hours later, I sounded like Barry White (three octaves down) as I told BillB on the phone, second day in a row, that I would not be joining him for breakfast.
Voice was much better after going back to sleep and a hot shower. Seeing the light at the end of this particular tunnel.
And doing some problem solving in the back of my mind. Monday could be an interesting day.
* * *
Thursday April 04
SGC rehearsal, followed by a short, but necessary 'meeting.'
I said some prickly things that needed saying, however. given the context, there was not enough time to digest or discuss anything, and so there was an abruptness, slight shock, annoyance, and bristling that traveled through the room.
* * *
Friday April 05
SBRS rehearsal this evening at HQ. Some new stuff flying around: much
funnage.
* * *
Common sense is apparently not keeping me from sharing this expanded AAD post. Almost made it under the mid-night wire, but not quite.
Observation:
1. I am selfish, vain, arrogant, pedantic and opinionated.
2. I possess focus, esteem, confidence, generosity and experience.
The exercise I love to practice drives you insane. Your cherished cat makes me sneeze. My favorite cologne makes you ill. That song that you said "sucks" lifts my spirits into the sky.
We are different creatures.
The bad news (when colored by #1): I can also see possible futures.
Actualizing a future possibility is only possible in slow, small, incremental steps, one decision, one minute, one hour, one day at a time. But my 'seeing' arrives in a flash, like a fully -formed song that lands in my lap, melody and lyrics delivered, fully-composed and tied in up a bow.
The difference between what I know could be and what currently is is the fuel that keeps me going, even when feel like quitting.
And I feel like quitting. About once a week, sometimes once a day. For at least the past fifteen years or so.
The good news (when colored by #2): I keep working.
BTW, #1 = #2, depending upon your seat.
I have no need to share the specifics of my heart rate, the color of the walls of the room where I observed this, the taste in my mouth, or what my feet like on the floor as write this about seeing.
- - -
I missed four days of AAD work this past week without so much as a sliver of guilt -- there are times when a new and vital priority pings or rings or sings so loud and clearly that whatever alleged intentions or plans or structures were in place must be abandoned in favor of what obviously must be addressed: this week, my health disappeared for four days.
So I will pay, even though I cannot afford to pay to not play.
One quick comment on how I operate (this slab of words offered only to break my posting silence) during this entire project: I have been conditioned with (and rewarded for developing) an ability to judge and sort (my impression of) the value of activities, opportunities, and possibilities into three groups:
Priority 1: necessary
Priority 2: optional
Priority 3: luxury
I spend a great deal of my prime-time intellectual energy measuring how and what I do in terms of its current or projected future value. This morning I saw glimpse of the negative side of my constant search for value as a form of greed.
My first reaction to feeling 'greedy' was to act immediately to give something away or do something for someone else (which I do much more than I should -- STOP -- how many times have you heard me say "Is there anything I can do for you?" or "Is there anything else you need?".)
I realize I often compensate (atone?) for my feelings of greed by being overly generous, at times to the obvious detriment of my health or balance.
* * *
Allergies exploding in my face again late this evening. Just sneezed 34 times in 12 minutes. Yes, I was counting. Need to knock myself out and go to sleep.
* * *
Saturday April 06
More allergy hell this morning. Sneezed again at least 100 times.
Took another major dose of medicine that knocked me back on my back.
Still in a minor daze from that. But much to do this afternoon to complete SC Gala wrap-up tasks.
* * *
Sunday April 07
Day Off.
* * *
home