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| Robert Fripp's Diary | Login | Register | Help |
09.20  Rising at 07.00, an act of ongoing rising-heroism. Reading & reflective breakfast. Check-out…  … off to collect the car & up the Dover Road to Canterbury College. 21.29 Arriving at 10.00…  … and meeting Mr. Richard Dean in the Main Reception. Mr. Dean is the man who invited me to speak to students & various members of staff & was present at the Frippertronics performance in the Harvard Coop (1979). My arrival here today is a direct result of the performance. Cf The Drive To Carbondale & the Vista splash. The presentation was through the artwork corridor…  … in the theatre…  … to c. 110 people; perhaps a dozen staff, the remainder young men & women students, perhaps 18-21. While moving to a seat in the back row, to collect myself, I climbed over a young sleeping man, endeavouring not to wake him. The first 45 minutes began with a personal introduction. I did not anticipate many of the students having familiarity with my work. When I was the same age as the students present, I was impressed that a man of 63 might still be breathing, let alone retain powers of independent locomotion. Three assumptions presented, and people were invited to state their aims. A question was asked by a female student: Q: Do you know Simon Cowell? A: No. But I know his right-hand man. This was followed by a few words on discipline & degrees of musicianship… A discipline confers effectuality in time; that is, reliability, repeatability & response-ability. The quality of our discipline is governed primarily by: 1. The quality of our attention; 2. our capacity to bear suffering; 3. our ability to respond to challenge. We may also see the development of a discipline as a process, with a beginning, middle & end. Each of these stages also has a beginning, middle & end, giving nine points in the process, each of which has its own particular quality; which we learn to recognize. Then to practical exercises on directing the attention with clapping by volunteers. Comments were invited from clappers & audience. At 45 minutes, the volitional attention-span available to a moderately intelligent adult without specific attention-training, there was a 10 minute break with the suggestion that, for those who felt this was not for them, they felt free not to return. Throughout this first part of the talk, yawning was commonplace. The second, more-voluntary, 45 minutes took the form of Q&A to about 45 people; about half the students did not return & (I believe) all the staff did; the balance was therefore older. Younger people left throughout. Questions were serious and received considered answers, not possible during the first part. One question, from a senior staff member, addressed what I understand as The Great Divide: stuck out in the desert, too far from the beginning to go back, too far from the end to go forwards. What carries us through is, primarily, our commitment to the aim. Perhaps we discover that our aim is not the life-aim we thought it might be; in which case, perhaps, the process unravels. At c. 12.15, 1 hour & 45 minutes into the meeting, it was clear that we had exceeded a 1 hour 30 minutes attention span. There were late arrivals for both meetings, the beginning of the second slightly halted by a request for an autograph by a young student wearing a John Wetton t-shirt; he appeared discomfited that his request / demand was declined. Overall: I feel that I was maybe useful to perhaps 5-6 of the college staff, and the same number of young students. I don’t have a voice for England, nor am I of very much use to young people. Alternatively put, I may be useful to young & mature adults, particularly those with major life issues & problems; and very grateful for this opportunity. The College kindly presented with a present to commemorate the visit…  The Team…  Declining a generous invitation to lunch, I allowed myself to a brief bibliophiliacal tumescence before setting off for DGM HQ via Wilton & Romain’s Emporium of Wonders, Antiquity & Delight…  … where Mr. Romain sells nothing: his pieces sell themselves. Arriving at DGM HQ c. 18.50, with David working on pretty much what he was working on when last I saw him, and a pile of stuff awaiting. The street I…  II...  III...  IV...  V...  Search Robert Fripp's diary archive. |
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