Meeting Notes #19
Sunday Oct 27, 2002, 8:15pm

Ultimate Self Defense Studio, South Boston, MA
Attendees: Glenn H, David K, Victor M, Dev R, Dave T, Terry T

We arranged our stools in a semi-circle. The meeting began with two exercises, with Victor observing. First, we were to vocalize a task we were about to do and then go do it. Victor demonstrated: "I am going to take off my guitar" <takes off guitar> "I am going to put my guitar down" <puts guitar down>. We were then told to do this, doing whatever it is appropriate to do in the room. After doing this for a few minutes, Victor told us the next exercise was to do the same thing, but to vocalize an additional action in advance (so you would have to vocalize two actions when starting out). Victor demonstrated "I am going to sit on my stool" "I am going to cross my legs" <sits on stool> "I am going to stand up" <crosses legs> "DBK - I forget if Victor said anything here" <stands up>. We then did this ourselves. We then picked up our guitars and returned to our stools. Victor asked us to share our observations. It seemed we agreed that the second exercise was harder than the first. It was mentioned that just deciding what to do was a challenge. It was also likened to improvisation. Victor compared the second and first exercise with the difference between a master musician and a musician; a master is able to anticipate and simultaneously be in the future moment while still being in the present moment.

We the tuned using the three tuning forks. We then began a circulation with the instruction to try to apply what we did in the exercises to the circulation. The first circulation we were to hear what our left-hand neighbor's note was going to be before they played it and also be present for our note. For the second circulation, we were to hear the note from our two-to-the-left neighbor and the note from our left-hand neighbor before they played it.

Next showed us part of Aspiration. Victor gave out two different parts, and played a third one himself. We were rushing a bit (to be a recurring theme for the evening...) and being a bit sloppy and Victor stopped us and explained that the key to this piece is intention; technically it's easy, but the idea is to play with intention and not rushing. We then tried again (Victor starting and then us coming in) and it sounded better.

Next we played Third Relation at a tempo that was faster then was intended. Victor commented that it was interesting being that this was a difficult piece for us and that our tendency was to play it even faster which makes it even more difficult.

Next we played Eye of the Needle. Again, the tempo was rushed. Glenn asked if there was a way to deal with tempo problems in the context of a circle. Victor gave us the following exercise. Looping the D section of Eye of the Needle, the leads/burblers were asked in turn to play, subtly varying their tempo, and the rest of us were to follow their tempo. This went pretty well. Terry asked if in Guitar Craft there was a leader to look to with respect to tempo. Victor said no, not externally, but rather it's internal to each person.

We then ran Eye of the Needle again, at a better tempo. And when the tempo varied, it wasn't as drastic and we were mostly together. However, the tempo actually dragged at some points. It was observed that normally doesn't happen when we play it. Victor said that Eye of the Needle doesn't necessarily remain the same tempo throughout (in fact no piece of music does), but as we become more familiar with how it is supposed to sound, perhaps we would be more intentional about the tempo.

We then ran Third Relation again. The tempo was a bit better, but we still seem to speed up, especially during the unison section of the intro. Victor also pointed out we also tend to speed up at towards the end of each section.

We took a short break.

We tried to perform Lark's Thrak. We made it through Larks (We didn't all keep up throughout, but people were able to rejoin after dropping out), but then had trouble with Thrak. We completely lost it at the Rock-n-Roll section and Victor called a halt. We then just took Thrak by itself and it was more together. We then looped the first chord of Lark's for a while, then brought our attention to our left hands. We then tried Lark's Thrak again and were much more succesfull this time.

We then ran Eye of the Needle, and it had a better quality than our inital attempt. Likewise Third Relation.

We then circulated. Victor asked us to be aware of when he was going to cue a chord and that it could come at any time. We proceeded to circulate interspersed with some cued chords. Two chords in particular were highlighted. One consisting of the notes (we believe) C-E-G-Ab-Bb-Db and the other C-Db-Eb-E-G-Ab. We played this last chord a number of times trying to identify it and hear its quality. It really was very interesting. We then played a circulation using the notes from that chord (with a Bb suggested as being part of the scale for that chord) with some final cued chords.

Our homework for this week was to be aware of the changes that occur when we make mistakes. Try to be especially aware of it in our practice. We were also instructed to be concious of the transitions. Victor mentioned that actual chemical changes occur when we make mistakes.

The meeting concluded.

DK

Meeting Notes #18
Sunday Oct 20, 2002, 8:15pm
Ultimate Self Defense Studio, South Boston, MA
Attendees: Martin B, Glenn H, David K, Victor M, Dev R, Dave T, Terry T

The meeting began with the tuning using the three tuning forks. We seemed a little rushed, and people started tuning without following the usual procedure of listening to the first note, and then tuning on the second note of each fork.

Victor launched us straight into the D minor section of The Third Relation. We cycled this part for a little, then Victor began calling out instructions to us while we were playing. First we were to pay attention to the quality of what we were playing, making sure that each note was of the same volume, duration, etc. Then he had us bring our attention into our right hands, paying attention to how we picked each note, our hand and wrist position, and how firmly we were holding the pick. Next came the left hand, beginning with the pinky. What is our pinky doing throughout the pattern? What is it doing when it is not playing a note? Then we moved to the third, the second, and then, our favorite, the first finger. With each finger we addressed these questions. Then, we moved our attention to our left hand as a whole, and then to both hands. Then Victor had us put our attention into the hands of the person sitting on our left. Then we put our attention into the hands of the person on the right, and finally into the hands of the entire group. It seemed to many of us that the sound and feel of the group improved as we began to move our attention further out, rather then in one focused part.

Immediately after this exercise was completed, we played The Third Relation.

Then we played Larks' Thrak. The Larks' part was taken probably at the fastest tempo we have tried so far. The transition into Thrak was a bit shaky, and fell apart completely at the first "rock and roll" section after the 5 against 7 polyrhythm. We then played Thrak again, and this time we managed to make it through. We then played the entire Larks' Thrak.

Victor then taught us a seven-note pattern, which was the first part of Bicycling to Afghanistan. We cycled these notes, and tried counting. We then stood up, and played while shifting out weight from right to left. Victor taught another part to Martin, David K, and Glenn, and had them sing it while they played. Then we played both parts together, shifting weight, and counting. The counting switched to counting measures of four, including the measure numbers. So, 1-2-3-4-, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4, then back to 1. We then took a break.

After the break, Victor had us arrange ourselves (without him) in two rows of 3, facing each other. The instructions were for Dev and David K, who were sitting in the middle, to have a conversation. Glenn and Terry, who we sitting next to David K, would have to mimick the movements, and facials gestures of Dev, while Martin and Dave T would mimick David K. The mimickers were to mimick towards the people sitting across from them, thereby creating two mirror images of the conversation in the middle. This exercise proved to be amusing, and we all found ourselves laughing quite a bit. However, the exercise was dutifully followed. From the point of view from the people in the center, it was quite strange to see out of the corners of your eyes, two people moving and acting as you were. Then Victor instructed David K to describe to Dev how to take apart a computer. The mimickers had to mimick. Finally, David K was to show Dev a strange or weird guitar fingering. This was difficult for the mimickers, for they had to watch the person they were supposed to mimick, try to play what was being presented, and act as if they were either presenting it, or receiving it from the person across from them. We then switched seats so that Terry, Glenn, Martin and Dave T all got to be in the middle. We were instructed to act as ourselves, and to not make any gestures that we would not otherwise make.

After this exercise was completed, we discussed how we felt about the group in regards to sound, feel, and togetherness during the first exercise during the D minor section of The Third Relation. How did putting our attention into different places affect how we played as a group? How did that entire process compare to how we usually play as a group? Was it better? Which one was more "together"? Did we apply what we had done during that D minor section to the playing of Larks' Thrak directly after it? We further discussed how it is possible to get into someone else, meaning the way they speak, their gestures, etc., and this process can be very enlightening. However, people can become very sef-conscious and this should not be done with everyone. With mutual consent, this process can help you understand the other, and in a group setting, can be very helpful. What would it be like if group consciousness was really possible? Can you imagine seeing yourself though the eyes on someone else, and them seeing themselves through your eyes? What would that do to your ego and to your image of yourself?

I think following this discussion we played a circulation, though I may be mistaken as to when this circulation took place. It began, as usual, in C Major, though quickly other notes showed themselves. The circulation was short. Then we played The Eye of the Needle.

Finally, we again had a discussion on seeing yourself from the group perspective - see how others see you, and how you fit into the group. Victor asked us to ponder these questions, and to come up with multiple answers, not just locking on to the first one that we came up with. We all agreed that that was enough for the night.

DR

Meeting Notes #17
Sunday Oct 13, 2002, 8:15pm
Ultimate Self Defense Studio, South Boston, MA
Attendees: Martin B, Glenn H, David K, Alex L, Victor M

A rainy night. Only married men in attendance. The single guys must have been out on the town. We began with a few moments of quiet. Victor started us off with the second primary, then handed out variations around the circle, creating a pleasing wash of notes. He did some soloing over top. We left this, and played a similar exercise for a time. Victor called out Third Relation. There were a majority of lead players so Victor took the bass. We "tried" to play the song, and made it through, but I wouldn't say it was a quality performance. Victor then asked if it would be OK just to talk. We took off our guitars, and had a conversation with Victor. First, he asked each of us where we were in our practice. Some of us noted particular technical problems we were encountering. There also seemed to be an overarching sense of being against a wall, without knowing how to move beyond it, and the sense of being at the mercy of the variability of our bodies and concentration from day to day.
Victor then talked to us about a number of topics. It will not be possible to record more than a skeleton of what he said here, but here are some of the highlights.

• What we are trying to learn to do, at this level, isn't all that hard. Maybe twice as hard as learning to drive a stick shift. We need to develop the confidence and the familiarity with our instruments so that playing is as effortless as getting in the car and driving to the store. At that point, there isn't any division of attention involved. Getting to that point can take a couple years.
  
• We need to find a place of unity within ourselves. A person of integrity (someone who has integrated the various parts of themselves) is not one person when they are by themselves, and another person when they are with other people. It becomes, "I am this being, and I have this personality, with light and dark sides, and I have this aspiration" at all times, regardless of circumstance. There is a leap to the next level of integration that must be made. You can spend 20 years getting one thing at a time to line up, while letting other things fall apart.
• This is a process of becoming comfortable with yourself. People who are on this path, wind up doing the things in their lives, and having the experiences, that allow this transformation to take place.
• There is freedom that comes from knowing that one is on the right path. It is like getting married. It changes how you apply your effort. When you get married you no longer have to wonder "is this the right person?" The question becomes "how can I love this person?" Similarly, when you know you are on the right path, it allows you to focus your efforts more directly on the task in front of you, rather than casting about wondering if you should be doing something else.
• Things do not get easier as you go along. Victor reiterated the advice that Guitar Craft is not for those seeking comfortable lives. Each station along the way has its own sacrifices. In each sacrifice, there is a part of who you have known yourself to be that dies. This process doesn't feel good, and it isn't pretty.
• About all we can do is want it really bad, and have patience. If we're not getting anywhere, we just don't want it enough. The only power we have is our wish. That is the doorway through.
• People who are attracted to this work, its almost as if, there is the faintest spark of light inside them, like the faintest star in a black night, of the sense that they are something more than this personality and this body.
• Why not warm up to James Brown? Do what it takes to energize yourself.
• Vocalizations are primal. Our first act of volition when we are born is to make a sound. At one level, it really is about, "can you sing this stuff?"
• There is a practice of passing qualities from one person to another through sound. Music is like language in this sense.
• When a person is playing what they hear, there is a directness to it. Even if you don't agree with the way they are hearing it, you still know where they stand.
• There is a practice which is to listen with your inner ear (imagination) to entire pieces from beginning to end. At first you will mostly hear your part, and your attention may drift. As you become more proficient you will hear all the parts vividly. Victor said that the implications of the fact that humans have this ability to imagine and that it can be developed has mind boggling implications. He said "it's really the death of the culture of commerce."
  

The meeting adjourned, after a bit more quiet, around 10:30. We are on for next week. There is a Ben Bennett meeting at 5:30 next week as well.

GH

Meeting notes #16
Sunday October 6, 2002
Attendees: Martin B, Glenn H, David K, Alex L, Victor M, Dev R, Terry T

The first instruction was to arrange our stools in a semi-circle facing the long mirror on the wall.

The meeting began with 3 tuning notes. Victor counted the group in for Eye of the Needle. The group performed the piece with a brief moment of silence. Then Victor counted the group in for Third Relation. The group performed the piece then again ended with a brief moment of silence.

Victor counted in Lark's Thrak. The group performed Lark's but Thrak was too slow so Victor called it off. Then the group was asked to play the entire Thrak part twice. Victor asked us to play just the G-section. Then Victor asked us to clap the G-section. The first round was a bit rough but it came together later on. The exercise came to an end when Victor called it off. There was silence, Victor was thinking.

Victor the presented the same exercise as above but over the C-section of the "rock 'n roll" part. This time, however, the group clapped the C-section for a few rounds. Then Victor asked for the C-section to be played. After Victor called it off, he asked the group to play the entire rock 'n roll section. After it ended, there was silence. Again, Victor was thinking.

Victor then decided to divide the group in two. The first group consists of Glenn H, David K, and Alex L. The second group consists of Glenn H, Dev R, Martin B, and Terry T. Victor the presented an exercise which the second group would clap and count out loud while the first group plays the 'rock 'n roll' section. The second exercise continued in the same manner but with the first group clapping and counting and the second group plays. Victor then asked both groups to play the rock 'n roll section.

"Can I have one volunteer?" said Victor. Alex L was chosen. "What did you observe?" asked Victor. Alex L then described his observation to the extent that the group reflects tentativeness. Then Victor asked how Alex observed this and his answer were body gesture and facial expression. Victor then asked "what other words that can describe those gestures or expressions?" Several words were presented with one from Martin B. that seemed to hit the spot with Victor.

The next exercise was presented to the group with 4 bars of Thrak chords and then go right into the first 4 bars of the rock 'n roll section. This was repeated for a couple of times. The next step was to count while playing this exercise. Once that was repeated a couple of times, Victor asked the group to play the entire rock 'n roll section. Afterwards, Victor asked for five volunteers. All raised their hands but me so Victor asked me what I observed. I told him that I wasn't looking but I was listening. So Victor asked me what I heard. I told him, I hear headache, which was the first word that came to my mind. I also told him that the group seems to be pushing or rushing. So Victor instructed us to pull back slightly. The rock 'n roll section was played in that manner. Afterwards Victor asked what I think. I told him that it felt loose and it seem to have some breathing room, but that might or might not be good for this particular group.

We took a short break.

We resumed with Lark's. Lark's was attempted twice. Later on Victor asked us to count while playing Lark's first chord. It presented to be challenging so Victor offered those who have difficult time counting to just tap their foot. After Victor had called off that exercise, we attempted Lark's the third time.
Victor called for Lark's Thrak with the assumption that Thrak does not have to be metronomically accurate with Lark's. After the piece was played Victor mentioned that it would be a shame to go in to a performance with this piece knowing that we never completed it once. Lark's Thrak was attempted the second time. Although not perfect, the group completed the piece. The piece was followed by silence which lead to the conclusion of the meeting.
Next meeting: Sunday October 13 at the Ultimate Self Defense Center in South Boston

TT

Meeting Notes #15
Sunday Sept 29, 2002, 8:15pm
Ultimate Self Defense Studio, South Boston, MA
Attendees: Martin B, Glenn H, David K, Alex L, Victor M, Dev R, Dave T, Terry T

The meeting began with three tuning forks. We then moved onto a run-through of Eye of the Needle. As in previous weeks, it felt like even more progress was being made. We spent some time on the ending, being reminded that the last note isn't (necessarily) loader than the rest. We ran the ending with the basses and the other parts separately (at which point David K was asked to play the final bass line with Victor and Dev, leaving Martin the bassiest of basses) and then together a number of times.

We next moved on to Third Relation. This felt about the same, with possibly some isolated moments of togetherness, but also some very obvious parts which are not there yet. We were reminded that the first note of each section (particularly the intro) is not louder than the rest. We looped some portions for quite a while (presented here from the melody point of view, though the basses were looping their respective parts here as well): the final Amin section (which ends/accents on the A instead of the E) before the 1st descending line, the 1st descending line, the Amin section with the variation, the main melody section with the variation, the main melody section without the variation. Rinse, lather, repeat. We did this while tapping our feet left-right-left-right, then adding a vocalization ("bop") on the left foot (the 2 and the 4). After all this, we played the entire piece through. We then brought our attention to our left hand and then took a break.

When we came back, we re-tuned via the tuning forks (going right into it rather than the "standard" ping-listen-ping-tune).

We then ran through the entire Larks a couple of times. People dropped out of various sections at various times; it seemed like this was mostly for fatigue/physical reasons rather than not knowing which note to play (though there were some clarifications made afterwards). We were asked to have this by next time.

Free circulation. We started out in C Maj, then moved into playing notes from the scale: C-D-E-F#-Ab-Bb, then back to C Maj. In the second section, some "other" notes snuck in, but it felt like the piece really ended back in C Maj.

Finally, we ran through Thrak a number of times. During the Rock-and-Roll section, the players on the 3 and the "and" of 5, were also asked to play the CMaj on the 1 the first time in both sections. The Rock-and-Roll section is still not quite there, so we finished up looping the short version via clapping, which started out not-so-hot and finished up not-so-cold. I think we basically made it through twice ok.

We were asked by Victor if we could come back next week knowing all of these pieces. A "what is knowing a piece?" discussion ensued. Victor relayed a story of how he had been taking performance lessons from someone who was tougher than Robert. His attitude for just about every "problem" was "just do it", and that we should have the same attitude. There is obviously need for and benefit from quantity of practice, but master musicians don't make excuses for why they have a problem ("right hand isn't there today", "sick", etc) They do whatever it takes to perform and deal with the problem later. So there is a sacrifice that needs to be made, in that a part of yourself needs to be put aside at that time, yet there becomes an even greater need to take care of yourself at the apropriate time. Victor also explained that while playing in the style we are attempting may not feel as "fun" as playing loose, when we achieve what we set out for, the amount of "fun" we can have playing there is even greater.

Next Meeting - 10/6

DK