The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 13

Sunday August 23, 2015 – Part II

Seattle, WA

9:48pm – the home office

I had a 10:15am lobby call. Having done most of my packing yesterday and before I went to bed last night, I took it easy in the morning. Breakfast, a long shower, writing, final packing, and checking out of the room. The van, courtesy of Frank Ocean, arrived on time, and we loaded the first LAX-bound wave of OCGers – the Seattle Six, plus Leo, Tom, Marian, Jon, and Jacopo – heading home. For the Seattleites, a couple of hours to kill at the airport, so we piled into a restaurant at the airport to pass the time. Flight on time. I slept most of the way. Everyone home safe and sound.

Mostly packed, and ready to say goodbye to this carpet

Melvin says "welcome home you bastard."

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 12

Sunday August 23, 2015 – Part I

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

1:54am – my inside office

Home from the gig, and a lovely end of project dinner with the entire team. Packing as much as possible before I fall into bed. Out the door at 10:30am.

It was really a splendid gig. The stuff that that was shaky going in, was shaky in performance, but it was a lot of fun, and the audience was completely with us. The two When Ready, Begin’s were the real deal; played with authentic gusto and good humor. In the second one, out of seemingly nowhere I felt the impulse to get the team into motion, and they went for it. Wonderful. No one was expecting it. We had done nothing with this practice in rehearsals. But it was totally great. I pulled us out into the room for the middle section of Asturias as well.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 11

Saturday August 22, 2015

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

9:50am – my inside office

We have a long free morning to go with yesterday’s afternoon and evening off, so I stayed in bed a bit before heading down to breakfast. Met with Hernan and Mika at 9am to work through the set list for the show this evening. Our schedule for the day:

1:30 – Lobby Call

2:00 – Uber to Venice

3:00 – Arrive, move in to assess the space, sound check and set-up

6:00 – Quiet time

6:30 – Doors open

7:00 – Showtime

8:30 – Final meeting

9:00 – tbd

____________________________________________________________________________

Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists

August 22, 2015

Full Circle, Venice, CA

Entrance – Procession Chords in Bb Major

Bb Major Cascades

When Ready, Begin

Circulation – A Minor

Eye of the Needle

Lunlunta in C Hexatonic

Razor Whip

Blockhead

When Ready, Begin (with the Orchestra in motion, led by Curt in the moment)

Circulation – Dotted-Fret Magic Chord Notes ending with Quiet Chord

Thrak

Circulation – C Harmonic Minor

Voices of Ancient Children

Bells

Driving Force

Versus

Asturias (Orchestra in motion for middle section, led by Curt in the moment)

Exit – Procession Chords in D Minor

Encore – Free Circulation into Vrooom Coda

Encore – Whizz Until The World Is A Better Place

Second Encore - Calliope

With Erin, greeting the Orchestra as they arrive at Full Circle

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 10

Friday August 21, 2015

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

5:00pm – my inside office

Scheduled half day.

We began as usual, with breakfast and a 9:45am lobby call to walk down to the dance studio we would be using for today’s rehearsal. The Logistics Team met at breakfast, primarily to look at tomorrow’s gig transportation, but it became instantly clear that there was some kind of mixup in our reservation for the rehearsal space. I excused myself to go work on the repertoire list, confident it would all work out, which evidently it did.

The rehearsal was 10am-2pm. Mostly we ran composed repertoire for final assessment and timing. “When Ready, Please Begin” called from time to time, to keep us on our toes. Discussion kept to a minimum. At the end, a quick meeting to discuss the Gig Day schedule, and then most of us were off for the afternoon and evening. I had a short meeting with Mika, Hernan, and Dev, to talk what would happen after the gig tomorrow night – the final meeting and dinner.

Many headed out to get out of Burbank and explore the more interesting side of LA. I opted for a long nap, supper by myself, a bit of reading in the hotel bar, passing the time with members of the team as they returned from their adventures.

Twinkling In Motion (courtesy of the owner of the dance studio)

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 9

Thursday August 20, 2015

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

8:00pm – my inside office

A day utterly devoid of drama. I barely know what to do with myself.

Like yesterday we Ubered over to the rehearsal space. I opened the rehearsal with a review of the Guitarist Inside collected state exercise, and then ran the team through a 30-minute warm up designed to settle into the hands as well as working with very directed listening within the circle. We spent the rest of the morning reviewing the work we’ve been doing, with an eye to what might be useful for the performance. After the lunch break, I talked a little about what “When Ready, Begin” requires of us, and some strategies:

1. If you feel you have something to contribute, do so with conviction, without fear, and without asking for permission. Go for it without hesitation.
2. If you don’t have anything at the moment, trust your neighbors and teammates in the circle – join them in what they are doing, or respond with something that compliments it. Watch for circulations, conducted chords.
3. If you have nothing to contribute, contribute nothing, but with active and responsive intent.

For this session I asked people to call out any piece of repertoire that they felt might have a place in the performance. We played them with very little comment, simply to hear them, and to get a sense of what stage of performability they were. From time to time throughout this session I would without preamble simply call out, “Orchestra, when ready please begin”, and then we would go for it. Once established I generally cut them off. It was the “begin” part of the challenge that I wanted to address and revisit. I also occasionally checked in to see if my neighbors (a Pozzo to the left and another to the right) were paying attention, and initiated circulations out of the blue.

At this point, it was getting to be a long day. The next session was some much needed AT work with Erin.

For our final hour, we looked at “processing” (as in, engaging in a procession – Crafty-speak), and then talked through the pieces we had played after lunch, offering observations and comments, without delving too deeply into analysis. Hernan and I will sit down and have a look at which pieces we feel are both appropriate for the gig, and ready to be performed.

Practicalities, and then home. Some are going out to be treated to dinner by a local friend. I’m going to stick closer to home.

The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists - Rehearsal at Center Staging

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 8

Wednesday August 19, 2015

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

8:25pm – my inside office

Today and tomorrow we are in the rehearsal studio. This involves a 10am lobby call and an Uber caravan. Not totally dignified, but more or less functional. Dev and I, however Ubered in the opposite direction, heading down to the Shrine Auditorium to settle some final details with Ocean’s tour management team. During the ride, a call with the hotel, as we needed to transition from Ocean’s tab to our own beginning tomorrow. An inexplicably more complicated transaction than one would think. Arrived at Shrine and headed back to the offices. Saw the last of the stage set being loaded into road cases and stacked for an afternoon load out. Our contact, while always professionally cheerful and amiable, looked decidedly bummed and generally bedraggled. The Production Manager was on the phone trying to explain to someone why the gig had been canceled. I sensed this was a conversation he was having often. Concluded our business, although there remain several practical (code: money) matters to be completed before we can say this is all over.

Next on our agenda was another Uber ride, this one down to Venice to meet Erin and visit a potential venue for an Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists gig on Saturday night. The Full Circle. When I saw the name of the venue, I was pretty much sold right there. Met the owner and a number of his people. Totally the right place. Walked through all of the necessary questions.

At about 3:30 we headed north, this time with Erin chauffeuring, to meet with the team at the rehearsal studio, confident that we had found the right place. Arrived at the studio at 4:30. The team was on break. For the next period, Erin took the lead with some AT exercises while Hernan, Steve, Dev, and I, put our heads together on the gig. All agreed, it’s a “go”. Began making confirmation phone calls.

I was feeling a little toasted at this stage, and elected to sit outside the circle for the final rehearsal session from 6pm to a little after 7. The team sounded great, right from the beginning. No shortage of things to attend to, but a group I would love to hear, and even more love to be a part of. Oh yeah, I am. Took advantage of this rare opportunity to get inside the circle for several pieces, and it was wonderful.

Quick meeting to announce the gig as well as a few practicalities, and then back to the hotel. Dinner is desperately needed.

Checking out Full Circle.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 7

Tuesday August 18, 2015

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

7:25pm – my afternoon/evening office

Basically did not sleep last night.

The roller coaster continues. Morning rehearsals continuing with the Orchestral strategies and also moving on to testing the waters of available repertoire. All with an eye to performing this weekend. The domestic team is in and out of the rehearsal process as we look into work spaces, performance spaces, transportation options, and possible hotel relocation.

As we headed out for a lunch break, Dev appeared. Word from FOM that we are back on for the festival show. A combination of elation, confusion, and general giddiness. The message even included instructions regarding stage attire. The tech folk wanted Dev and one guitarist to come by the rehearsal space to test and check all the wireless rigs. I volunteered to be the guitarist, and we added Dani to the list since he is our sound liaison. Walked back to the hotel. Dev and I went to our rooms to change into more suitable attire, and for me to get my guitar and gear together. I was moving a little slowly, so the following text exchange occurred:

Me:    I’ll be down in five minutes.

Dev:    It looks like it’s off again. For good.

Me:    I’m waiting for the smiley face.

Dev:    No smiley.

Down to another group meeting, and back to an afternoon of re-re-tooling the plan.

At one point, the tech guy thought that Dev, Dani, and I, should come down anyway to do the tech work, just in case there was another change in plans, but FOM ultimately nixed that one.

I skipped the first afternoon rehearsal in favor of a shower and nap. It was clear as we approached the final rehearsal of the day that our energy was spent. An evening off is declared. For the domestic team, not so much, at least not right away. Steve booked the rehearsal/recording space 4 miles from here for tomorrow. We needed to figure out how we are going to get to and from.

I won’t hazard a guess what might come down the pike between one moment and the next. Every time my text alert rings, I wince.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 6

Monday August 17, 2015 – Part II

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

11:00am – my poolside office

So we’re up to date. Except… not.

Slept in as much as I ever do, which means I was out of bed around 7:30. Took my time. Showered. Wandered downstairs for breakfast. Many of the team in the dining room. Saw Jon sitting alone at a table, and joined him. Grabbed some breakfast and coffee, and chatted.

Just to my right, I sense the appearance of Dev, smiling with his phone in hand. “News?” “Yes, and it’s not good news. Today is cancelled, completely. Ocean is still in London, and won’t arrive until tonight. They are ceasing set construction, because there are elements Ocean needs to approve. They sound very stressed.”

Yeah, I imagine they are. I can’t imagine what this is costing them.

So, what for us. Day off? No, we need to work. A meeting quickly set up for the Management Team. Out on the deck by the pool. Not too shabby. Victor is already out scouting a close-by community center and church as possible rehearsal spaces. The conference room in the hotel is available, for a price, but it kind of sucks size-wise. But we will have a place to work. Dev sends out an email update, that the original plan is scrapped, but we will meet at the time we planned and move to whatever rehearsal space we can arrange on the fly, and take it from there.

If any of these delays were of our making, I’d be a stressed-out mess. But it is not in our control. So, we do what we do. I come out to my morning office space by the pool and type this journal. By this afternoon, everything may have changed again.

4:30pm – my afternoon office (aka, my hotel room)

An afternoon of very useful rehearsal. Three sessions, the first about an hour and the next two more in the 40-minute range. Hernan and Mika presented a number of circulation and improv techniques familiar to the European and South American teams. Nothing completely new to me, although the “razor” was a bit of a new twist I had not heard before. Mostly very fun stuff. One test run through of Thrak as a potential bit of repertoire to pin their ears back in the tech rehearsal (whenever that actually happens). No clue or sense what parts of what we examined, if any, will be of use in our work with Ocean, but in terms of building cohesion within the team… an absolutely irreplaceable investment of time and attention. We rehearsed entirely on our feet. Partly necessitated by the size of the hotel conference room, but also because we reason that we will be performing on our feet.

By the end of the afternoon it had begun to take its toll. So as I type this, Luciano is presenting Tai Chi. We have one more rehearsal session at 6pm, either out in the parking lot or on the terrace. Our opportunity to make a bit of noise, and give Tom M his first experience of The Whizz.

Not sure at this moment what tomorrow’s schedule will involve. Hopefully it will be what we had originally intended for today, but no guarantees.

7:20pm - my afternoon office

Well there you go. The text from Dev at 5:28pm reading “Need to see you ASAP.” Immediately knew this was not going to be good news. Headed up to Hernan’s room, where Dev informed me, Herni, and Mika, that the gig is cancelled. Not us… the gig. The whole gig. Ocean is still in England, he is still not happy with the record, and he is pulling the plug on playing the gig at all.

So, we will be on our way home as soon as flights can be arranged.

What a world. Probably lots to say about what all this means to Ocean financially at the very least. But that for later, if ever.

We talked about how to tell the team. Agreed that we needed to play some music, and so we kept the 6pm call with guitars, meeting in the lobby. We moved out to the parking garage where we had planned to rehearse anyway. I assigned magic chords chromatically from C# at the 1st fret up to D at the 14th fret, and back down again. And then we whizzed until the world is a better place. Afterward, I announced that we would all meet in Hernan’s room without guitars immediately.

Crowded into Herni’s room, where Dev delivered the news.

Having spent most of the past month seriously conflicted about this whole thing, I have to say I am genuinely disappointed.

8:28pm – my afternoon (now evening) office

8pm meeting in the lobby becomes the 8pm meeting in an unoccupied hallway outside of the conference room. The European and South American team, in their meeting, saw that trying to change their return tickets was going to be a nightmare and very likely impossible. Therefore, they will stay in LA and do something. For the North Americans, stay or go is a much easier process. If we go, a ticket will appear. If we stay, nothing changes. So, we are staying. It is not going to be free. There are logistics that need to be dealt with, and Ocean is not covering things like our hotels and our transportation and our meals. One or two will probably need to leave – for reasons of the personal capital they had expended to get here. But the rest are on, and when a voice rises up like that, who can say no?

For the evening meal we headed out to a burger and pasta kind of restaurant, and put together a table of some of the North American team along with Angelinos Erin and Nora (Carl’s sister) to brainstorm all of the possibilities, what we could do, where we could do it, what connections we have in LA and what kinds of favors we could pull in. Lists are made, to-do lists compiled. Not a relaxing evening meal. Went back to the hotel pretty wired and not particularly happy.

The view from my poolside office.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 5

Monday August 17, 2015 – Part I

The Hotel, Burbank, CA

Of course, after that August 12 entry, things went into whirlwind mode, and I stopped writing. The last thing I typed had to do with “a different kind of pressure” kicking in. Little did I know.

From Wednesday morning we were indeed “on”. For the folks coming in from Europe and South America there was a lot of pressure and pervasive uncertainty. Necessary visas and last minute airline tickets. I was stressed mostly by proxy. All I needed to do was get on a plane. But it was all sorted out. The international players were all flying a day early in order to arrive in LA on Saturday so that they could have a day to get their feet on the ground. The North Americans all scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon.

From my perspective, the success of this project revolves around how quickly and completely we can transform this diverse group of players into a single and unified team of players. We all have the grounding in a common practice, but there are differences in approach that need to be reconciled. I’m turning into a bit of a nag on this topic, but that’s me.

Miraculously, everyone arrives without incident. Guitars and luggage intact.

On Sunday afternoon, the 10 North Americans meet at LAX, find the van and driver hired to take us to the hotel in Burbank, and are whisked off to our LA headquarters; a very new, and by the standards of your typical semi-pro touring musician, downright luxurious hotel.

I don’t actually have any time to appreciate those aspects. I have a couple of minutes to drop my gear off and then get down to the lobby to meet the “management team” – Tour Manager Dev, Director Hernan, Music Director Mika, Sound Tech Dani, and Director Horacio, to head into town to have a look at the rehearsal space and meet with some of Ocean’s team. A 30-minute (on a Sunday afternoon) drive through LA to the Shrine Auditorium. An incredibly beautiful theatre. Here they are assembling the stage that will be used for the appearance at the FYF Fest. Lighting, sound, all just as it will be on Saturday at the sports arena.

The moment we walk in, it is clear that this process is a long way from completion. The original plan had been for us to rehearse there Sunday night. Clearly that ain’t going to happen, but we kind of already knew that. Since Dani is going to be our technical liaison, and Dev of course is the man in charge, we let them go talk to the people they need to get to know, and the rest of us stepped back into the shadows to kind of take it in and begin to visualize this show; that and staying the hell out of the way of union stage, tech, and teamsters.

Back to the hotel for 6pm inaugural meeting with the full team. We are in the conference room, which is really a bit small for us, but it is our only option for group work in the hotel. Around the room making brief introductions. A couple of people I don’t know, personally. A few I’m only acquainted with. And a whole lot that I’ve worked with for 10, 20, even 30 years. Very good discussion of what this gig requires of us. The plan is for us to head out for dinner afterward, but Ferni wisely suggests that getting together with guitars if only for 15 or 20 minutes. We take a short break to get our guitars, and meet again in the conference room, standing. Music Director Mika takes us through a couple of circulation strategies that they work with in BGE, involving full chords in whatever key is called. For me, very good to have to think fast like that. And it is really quite lovely. Maybe we can just do that for 25 minutes while Ocean sings over top? That would be something to see. Gets me quickly back in the groove. Steve proposes a couple of improv strategies. We can feel the group coming together very quickly. As we are quiet, and already over the time we set aside for “checking in with guitars”, but something is poking at me, so I initiate a simple circulation. Half a dozen times around the circle, and three chords at the end. What comes to my mind, and the immediately to my lips… “Ah. There we are.”

A walk into Burbank, a Thai restaurant located as a good option. Good food. A beer or two. Simple socializing for the team. Back to the hotel, a nightcap in the bar. While there, Ocean’s team contacts Dev with the schedule for Monday: to the Shrine in the afternoon, a couple hours for us to rehearse on our own, work with tech, dinner, and then a rehearsal with Ocean at 8pm. Wonderful. Up to bed and a good night’s sleep.

Shrine Auditorium - not quite ready for us

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 4a

Thursday August 13 - Sunday August 16, 2015

I failed to maintain my journal for the next few (totally crazy) days. I fill in the details on Monday August 17. But in the meantime, these:

Melvin registers his objections to my plans

Nevertheless, ready to roll

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 4

Wednesday August 12, 2015

The Home Office, Seattle, WA

11:00am

I woke up this morning well before my alarm went off and the first thought was, “this is the day that Hernan pulls the plug on the project.” Grabbed my phone, groped for my glasses, and checked my email. There was a pile in my inbox, including one in which Hernan was saying “enough!” and another in which Dev was saying “we’re on!”

In Seattle, a flurry of activity getting our seats set for the outbound flight on Sunday. I am still waiting for “the other shoe to drop”, ie confirmation that Hernan and his team have flights booked.

Somehow, I have the sense that there will be no sense of security about any of this until we are all sitting in the same room together in LA. Then, of course, a different kind of pressure kicks in, but it’s the good kind. These matters of logistics and practicalities and contracts and travel are just soul-sucking. I’ll be so happy when all we need to be concerned with is making excellent music.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 3

Tuesday August 11, 2015

The Home Office, Seattle, WA

2:20pm

Still no confirmation. Spent my morning getting my ducks in a row, making sure I have my gear ready to go, putting my gig clothes through the laundry, and going through the pre-packing checklist. One lesson and a short bike ride to take care of a couple of errands. I’m genuinely a little nervous about the lack of news. I’d be more uncomfortable except that I know how stressed Dev, Hernan, and Tom, are right now, and compared to that I’m basically on vacation.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 2

Monday August 10, 2015 – Part II

The Home Office, Seattle, WA

3:30pm

Contract signed, sealed, and delivered. I’d love to say “We are on!” but FOM is on an airplane from LA to NY, and won’t arrive until late tonight, so it will be the morning before we have a contract executed. Poor Dev.

8:30pm

It appears that my flights to and from LA have been confirmed. That’s pretty hard to argue with. Money where your mouth is, and all that. Feeling optimistic.

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The OCG Meets Frank Ocean, or Not - Part 1

The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists Meets A Huge Popular Artist

or, Not

Everywhere: July 10 to August 14, 2015

Los Angeles, CA: August 15-23, 2015

Monday August 10, 2015 – Part I

The Home Office, Seattle, WA

8:30am

So it feels like I need to keep some notes. I’m not in the journalizing business these days. There was a time when the online journal was a part of my daily life. But the time came to let that go, and I did. This project feels like it needs to be documented, or at least annotated, if only in the most rudimentary way. So this morning it is actually raining (a little) and I thought I would take a few minutes to go through my emails and texts and make some notes about how we got this far.

• July 10, 2015. Tony and I get an email from Hernan, containing all of the correspondence that has taken place regarding an offer for the Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists to take part in a performance with a Huge Popular Artist, Frank Ocean. So far, what has transpired is:

• June 22, 2015. Ocean’s management [FOM] contacts Robert through his office, saying that “Frank Ocean is enamored with Robert and The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists and wants to incorporate that into the show”, and asking if they would be available for an August show in Los Angeles.
  
  Robert’s office responds that Robert will be in King Crimson rehearsals throughout August and unavailable. He suggests that FOM contact Hernan and the Berlin Guitar Ensemble.

• June 23, 2015. FOM sends an inquiry to BGE

• July 9, 2015. Hernan responds to FOM, indicating interest, while explaining that the BGE is a much smaller ensemble than The Orchestra, and asking for details about what Ocean is envisioning.

• July 10, 2015. FOM responds to Hernan with thanks and asks if there is a group in the US that might be able to do the gig.

• July 10, 2015. Hernan forwards all of the correspondence to me and Tony, asking if we would be interested in taking on the gig.

• July 11, 2015. A round of discussions between me and Tony, primarily wondering what in the world Ocean has in mind that would include The Orchestra. Does he know that what we do is improvise, or does he imagine this is an ensemble of pros who can be counted on to sit down and sight read charts? Also expressing serious doubt that an ensemble that size could be brought together in the time available.
  
  Even if everyone in Seattle was miraculously available on short notice, it still would not be an Orchestra-sized group. The NAFGC needs to drive this. I forward all of the correspondence to the NAFGC Board, asking who will be the spokesperson for North America on this discussion. I mention all of this to the team at our weekly Circle, and we continue pondering what all this might involve. I have looked up Ocean’s tour schedule for the summer, and it looks like the date he is talking about is a large, high-profile, festival on the weekend of August 21-23, which makes the whole idea of the Orchestra somehow fitting into the concept even more surreal.

• July 12, 2015. A whirlwind of correspondence with NAFGC, including more questions about what in the world Ocean is thinking, and a general tone of disbelief. Meanwhile, the sense is that Dev should be the contact for both Hernan and FOM as this moves forward, so that The Orchestra can respond with a single coordinated voice. Correspondence from Hernan updating us on his discussions with FOM, including the issues of timing, the difficulties of getting players from Europe and South America to Los Angeles, and the never-ending request for concrete details about what Ocean is envisioning for the OCG.

I want to wrap up the email thread between myself, Tony, and Hernan, and move the whole thing over to Hernan and Dev so that nothing slips through the cracks. Taking on my (it comes naturally) role of Mr Negativity, I voice all of the questions I have about the gig.

At this point a week passes without much correspondence or discussion. I confess that my attitude tends toward the notion that this is probably a whim on Ocean’s part, and that FOM is going to conclude that it is just all too complicated, and convince Ocean to move on to another plan.

• July 20, 2015. In my role as President and Executive Director of Seattle Circle, get an email at the generic “admin” address, which reads:

Hi there,

I am trying to find a guitar ensemble, similar to Robert Fripp’s Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists…do you perform as a group or just teach?

thanks

It takes me a couple of beats to connect the dots between this inquiry and the discussions between Hernan and FOM. Then a bell goes off, and I pull up all of the correspondence with Hernan. Sure enough, the sender is FOM.

A new flurry of email. I immediately forward this to both NAFGC and the Seattle team. The NAFGC registrar indicates that he also received a similar general inquiry. It is clear that this guy is deadly serious and on a mission. I draft and send a response, cc:ing Dev and bcc:ing Hernan, re-forwarding to both the NAFGC and the Seattle team:

Greetings [FOM],

Yes, we do perform. Between 2005-2011 we presented "Tuning the Air” here in Seattle, a weekly concert featuring 8-12 guitarists performing in the round, with the audience in the center. You can see a short film about Tuning the Air here. Everyone in the Seattle Circle has worked with Robert Fripp, The League of Crafty Guitarists, and the Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists, some for as long as 30 years. In May 2014 Seattle Circle organized and hosted a short Northwest Tour of Robert Fripp and the Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists.

I have cc:ed Dev ([Dev’s phone number]). He is part of the North American Federation of Guitar Circles, the group that coordinates and facilitates Guitar Craft activities in North America. He is probably the best person for you to talk with in terms of laying out what you have in mind, so that we can see if we are in a position to help you out. The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists generally involves 30-100 guitarists. None of the individual associated Guitar Circles, including Seattle Circle, is as large as that.

Very best wishes,

Curt Golden
Executive Director
Seattle Circle, Inc, a Washington 501c3 non profit corporation

Seattle Circle
PO Box 70270
Seattle, WA 98127

• July 21, 2015. Response from FOM, with Dev cc:ed:
  
  
  

Curt, thank you for the response.

I am definitely looking for closer to 30 guitarists.  Does anyone in the US do that?

I send a side note to Dev that this is probably the place for him jump in. Unnecessary. He’s already on it.

I find every online example I can of the OCG, and send them to Dev, to forward to FOM. Does he really know what the OCG is/does? Is that really what Ocean is looking for in a backup band? We want to give him every opportunity to gracefully back out. We definitely don’t want to fly people in from all over the world, and to show up at our first rehearsal only to discover that Ocean has unrealistic expectations about what we do.

At this point, I lose a specific date line and bullet points. The discussion and negotiations move, as they should, to FOM, Dev on behalf of the NAFGC, and Hernan. On some correspondence I am cc:ed, and I am getting periodic updates and reports from both Dev and Hernan. I will not enumerate the details of what is being discussed, but it is all the right stuff. And it is being worked out by the right people. We are not a group that is really set up to jump at opportunities on short notice. Just the international nature makes putting together an ensemble that large a very cumbersome process. And since there are very few professional musicians involved, there is the added complexity of getting time off from jobs, not to mention working out the responsibilities to family. So having a couple of people focused on the project, with the capacity to make decisions, means that we are able to respond as swiftly as this leviathan can.

Most of what is being worked out are practicalities: travel, housing, feeding, and all of the attendant money matters. What is not really becoming any clearer is what, exactly, we will be doing in this show. Does Ocean want a “string section”, or are we reading charts, or are we interpreting existing arrangements to create something playable by a guitar ensemble, or does he want us to do that thing that only the Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists does? [As of the moment I am writing this summary, I still don’t know the answer. Dev and Hernan, who are in direct (and constant) contact with FOM have thoughts on the subject, but they remain educated guesses at best.]

Over the next week or so the process of putting a team together was underway. Hernan identified the players he works with that he feels are up to the challenge. The NAFGC did the same for the North American team, and I volunteer to speak directly to the Seattle-ites on the list. By July 28, a solid provisional list is together. In Seattle, only 2 players that I speak with have commitments that prevent them from taking part. Since the CGT is going to be performing at the Seattle Creative Arts Center on August 1, with the Seattle Guitar Circle in the opening/support slot, I also volunteer to sit down with them and see if they would be willing to join the team. From the CGT, one is instantly on board, while the other two demure for reasons of family and professional obligations. By August 2, we have what looks like 26 players and 2 support (tour manager and sound) available.

For the next days it is all about business. On August 8, the contract finally arrives, and is clearly in need of refinement. Naturally, it is a Saturday. Flurry of emails, and Dev is on the job.

That brings us to this morning, when the amended contract arrives while I was writing out this summary. Five days before we fly to Los Angeles. It is over to the NAFGC and Hernan to make the call. I suspect the answer will be “yes”. I hope so. I am up for an adventure.

Feels like today is D-Day.

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