To engage with others requires that we are available to engage.
Simple, unadorned comments where KC, and other music associated with me, supported people in their lives - good times, bad times, and times in between – these I cherish. They support my life, which has itself had some batterings.
I have experimented directly with various ways of engaging with audients, and those who have taken an interest in my work, since Frippertronics at the Kitchen, NYC, Sunday 5th. February, 1978 through to Soundscapes at the Winter Garden, World Trade Center on Friday 10th. December, 2010.
https://dgmlive.com/tour-dates/1231?artist=2&year=1978&liveshow=on
https://dgmlive.com/tour-dates/2331?artist=2&year=1978&liveshow=on
https://queernewyorkblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/robert-fripp-soundscapes-live-at-winter.html
https://dgmlive.com/tour-dates/2603?year=2010&liveshow=on
Mark Fenwick of EG opposed the small-scale, human-level performances of the 1979 Frippertronics touring with the Exposure album.
MF: They’ll see the Emperor has no clothes!
RF: The Emperor has no clothes.
Four Forms Of Engagement
Four Forms Of Engagement: The Basement, Ground Floor (England, First Floor US), First Floor (England, US Second Floor), Roof Garden.
The Basement: Characterised by fixity: opinions, behaviour and all forms of conduct, beliefs and thinking processes, prejudices, like and dislike. This court is ruled by egotism. Anyone that does not acknowledge Me is an affront. It is a lonely place because Little Me does not see beyond itself. Perhaps this why attention is demanded: to persuade myself that I Am when, at a certain level, I know i am not.
The world of fandom: You do what I want you to do because I have the right! Any right! I give you money! I only want to say hello! I only want to say thank you! What I really want is for you to acknowledge that Me is important.
Engagement is characterised by rudeness, unkindness, dishonesty, non-consensual actions which are then justified. What does my behaviour need your agreement? It’s all about me! And because it’s all about me, you have no say in the matter! It’s nothing for you to give me your autograph – it’s only a little thing for you! Photography! Autography! Viddying! Recording! You can’t stop me anyway!
Young emotional life of whatever age.
Ground Floor (First Floor US): We are aware of each other. Engagement is governed by manners and politeness. Adult engagement.
The First Floor (Second Floor US): We are conscious of each other. Engagement governed by courtesy. Engagement is intentional. An outcome of practice over years.
The Roof Garden: Encounter. We recognise each other through and within each other. An outcome of practice over many years.
How to deal with Basement engagements?
From my own experience…
Run away.
Decline to engage.
Block.
Seek to raise the frequency level…
One technique is to present a shock to the person making a demand, to “loosen up” the fix on what they believe they want (when something far more valuable may be available).
The application of reason: to present arguments as to why the demand is inappropriate.
To behave otherwise.
To make a gesture.
To give a look.
To make a joke.
To make an unexpected comment.
To challenge the reason for the demand.
To call out the assumption.
Sometime this has had (what I would subjectively judge as) a beneficial effect: human contact became available, if only for a moment.
Is inappropriate conduct “forgivable”? Every hour of the day, every day of the week.
Is inappropriate conduct excusable? Rarely IMO.
Is inappropriate conduct defensible? Rarely IMO. Although frequent in my professional life. There seems to be a process:
- Seeking acknowledgement in various inappropriate forms which militate against engagement.
- The form of acknowledgement is declined.
- Outrage accompanied by self-justification. Fripp dissed me! The creep.
Outrage may persist for years, in recent online examples, even some for 35 years.
