The Guitar Circle I
Guitar Craft 25th Anniversary Completion Course
Special Project: The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists III
Convento La Pace, Sassoferrato (Ancona), Italy
6:49am
Slept deep and hard. Still didn’t need my alarm to wake me, but it was close. Moving rather slow this morning. The dress rehearsal was hard work, to be sure, but not as physically grueling as the marathon the night before. Still, I am more tired than usual. The aim for this performance is for the Orchestra to play for about 20 minutes or so. Strangely, this felt harder than an hour. Perhaps the pacing is different. Or, for a shorter time it is possible to maintain a greater level of attention; like a sprint versus a marathon. In some ways, the hardest part was remaining still and composed in the green room during the encores. Some blocking issues to deal with before tonight. There will not be a great deal of guitar playing today, or at least not group work on the guitar, in order that we might be fresh for the gig. If I had to guess, I would imagine that the encore group will be a minor exception – we need to tighten a thing or two up.
No fog today. Took my daily morning photos out window of my room, and noticed that the snow on the tops of the neighboring mountains has all but disappeared.
9:08am
Amusing associative thinking this morning. All of yesterday’s deep contact AAD extending through time to so many people – today, completely irrelevant. Sat well. AAD contact with those participating in the course was strong. Found myself singling out a handful of people here on the course that seem to me to need a little extra support today. But it was all very light and easy. Kept thinking, “Guitar Craft no longer exists. I have no obligation to do any of this.” Obviously not true. But something gently liberating about the feeling that today I can choose, even when the reality is that I have obligations and responsibilities, and commitments to honor. And one exercise that is for Life, regardless. That is also somewhat liberating, in a different kind of way.
I was thinking at breakfast about how good it is to have Adam and Michael here. Personally, it is great, just because they are people whose company I have always enjoyed. But in addition, they stand as kind of representatives for everyone who has ever moved on from Guitar Craft for any reason. I find myself in life occasionally in conversation with a former Crafty, and the most difficult part of it for me is that we are never talking about the same thing. Always (always!) I find that for them Guitar Craft IS as they perceived it when they were a part of it. But for me it is something entirely different, on every level. I am not just dealing with their perceptions of how it was then, or the effects of time on memory, but even when the facts are correct, they are correct about a time that no longer exists. I’m in 2010, but I’m having a conversation about 1990 as if it were still 1990. I have been able to see a bit through Adam and Michael’s eyes, as they get a snapshot of present day Guitar Craft. Extremely useful to me.
A gentle but purposeful day ahead. Some things to do, but avoiding the unnecessary. Jokingly, but only “just” jokingly, thought the schedule ought to read something along the lines of:
9am – Tai ChiSomehow I don’t think that will happen, but perhaps if I adopt the attitude that this is how my day will go, it will go something like that. Meanwhile, my right hand as an appointment with the metronome.
10am – Tai Chi
11am – Tai Chi
noon – Tai Chi
1pm – Lunch
2pm – Siesta
3pm – Tai Chi
3:33pm
Spring has arrived in Sassoferatto! It is incredibly beautiful out, and there is a warm and steady breeze. I just took a shower (lukewarm at best) but it was not so bad, and afterward I was able to go sit outside in the sun to dry my hair. We have no large group music activities today. Lots of time for personal practice, but keeping our Music-Energy in reserve for this evening’s performance.
A short meeting with Robert, with guitars, for the Schizoid Monks, a little before noon. He gave us mostly encouragement, along with a pointer or two. We ran a couple of sections with him, took a look at tempi, and then did a once-through of the entire piece. One of the things I enjoy about Robert is that he is lots of fun to play guitar with. He may jump in and join us for our performance tonight. Or, he may not.
I had a quick meeting with Bill, to clarify a few bits of the bass part, and we drilled them for a few minutes. Then until lunch I turned on the metronome and reacquainted myself with my right hand. My playing goes to hell on these courses because, strangely, I get very limited time for personal practice. But if I don’t want to tank my part on this piece, the encore in the final performance of the final Guitar Craft course, I need to have a reliable and well conditioned right hand. And that was not going to happen by itself.
Lunch was the main meal today. Roasted vegetables and salad. Very nice. We will have an early “buffet” rather than dinner tonight, at 5pm. Green Room at 8:30, and we are off! Just at the moment, however, this feels like nap weather and I am inclined not to fight the impulse.
10:51pm
Concert completed. I haven’t a clue how it went. Schizoid Man was fun, but I made so many mistakes.
In the Green Room, Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists, Convento La Pace, Sassoferrato, Italy, Friday March 26, 2010
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