More to the point...

I complained about music reviewers today on Facebook. Why stop with a status update?

On Cafe Oto's website, this...

Chris is an avid lampshade collector. He enjoys treats and loves small and large animals as well as wind, trees, and fancy gems. He is an experienced and high scoring skee-ball player. He is happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time at the town fairs.

He has released Music for Tourists LP (2006), C-Sides EP (2007) and El Radio LP (2009) with Absolutely Kosher Records (North America), Fargo Records (Europe), Pocket Records (China), Lirico Records (Japan), and Leaplay Music (Korea).

...is infinitely better than this:

"Prévost's free drumming flows superbly making use of his formidable technique. It’s as though there has never been an Elvin Jones or Max Roach." - Melody Maker

Stories are better than fairytales. Andrew Dubber spoke recently at a festival I produced (beinghuman weekend) in which he gave 5 chronological steps of promotion/income generation in the online music world (paraphrased):

1. Be good at what you do.
2. Have a story to tell.
3. Let people hear your music.
4. Let people share your music.
5. Give them an opportunity to pay you for your work.

A story like "I'm so good it's like my predecessors didn't exist" reminds me of Oasis-ian arrogance, although the Pope likes them, so who am I to judge? I support the idea of (good) artists who care about/do things other than art. Of course that quote wasn't written by the artist, it's another example of critics in love with similes/metaphors/hypothetical situations... like it's their job, lemmings obsessed with heading toward the cliff, who sprout wings mid air suggesting that perhaps R Kelly tapped in to some greater consciousness back in 1996 when the song went to number 2 on the charts and Space Jam grossed $230m worldwide.

That is all.

Curve balls required: Talking about theatre + internationalism at ICA

I went along yesterday to ICA's Open Space discussion on how theatre can be more international, facilitated by Improbable as part of London International Festival of Theatre.

In this discussion what was most needed is for these practitioners to start by stepping outside of themselves, and their practice, to first avoid the issue in an attempt to find an answer. Diving straight in to questions of touring, scale, efficiency, identity and nationality both in branding and as artists, relationship building across borders... takes the same questions and the same expertise that created the current situation, economically and socially. New directions and new ideas come from unknown/unpredictable/uncontrolled inputs that aren't found in a blackbox space at ICA filled with theatre practitioners. At the end, a participant from Toronto expressed a desire for everyone to put down their careers and do "something else" as a way forward for international perspective, which I entirely agreed with.

Perhaps LIFT was hoping for larger and more diverse participation at the event - the conversation would have been much different... the mood was inward looking and a bit too comfortable.

In the spirit of Open Space, where all ideas are included, whether half-baked, full manifestos, or unanswered questions, my areas of concern in question format below... Will hopefully be able to return eventually with less questions and more statements, or new questions and different statements:

1. If theatre wants to be more international, particularly from a UK perspective, what is their role in relation to Western secularism vs. international fundamentalist movements? What is the response to art replacing the church? How do theatre practitioners with a secular or atheist bent build relationships to an audience guided by religion or spirituality? If they don't, are we not simply creating isolated houses of western art and thought throughout the world? If theatre practitioners travel simply to perform, their perception of the world around them is guided and goal-oriented. How does that shape the way a community affects an artist?

2. Is virtual exchange enough to prepare an artist for an international audience? If international communications via the web are one-to-many, then information is always filtered through a point of view taken out of context. How much success is there from "jumping in" to an issue internationally? Is this actually a wonderful opportunity and the only practical way to join a global community, or is it only a small part of a much larger recipe necessary for authenticity?

Unfortunately I realised during the afternoon I'm not very good turning discussion towards my topic, and not always such a good listener... leading to fears I may be a "plant" in Belbin's team roles terminology! (The linked description is a bit too complementary... Plants can be troublesome for group progress.)

Work in progress...

ikhhh drewkeh deer dee dow-men!

= Ich drücke dir die Daumen = best of luck! If you're in a country where you don't speak the language that well... I've started reflecting, of course, about how I am learning the language, or how I should be doing it. I thought I would record some pointers here mainly for myself, but perhaps also others who have decided, for some strange reason, to immerse themselves in a land where they don't speak the language, and maybe perhaps also need that language to get a job and not get kicked off the island. I'm just sayin.

1. Do something specific in your target language. For me, that's yoga at the moment. A few times a week I hear almost the exact same words, with slight variations between teachers, especially in pronunciation. So now I know how to say "send your hips to the front" in German. Oh so useful.

Seriously, we learn languages the best in full phrases. The more you can hear and practice any given phrase verbatim, the easier speaking will be. For example, saying "I thought that he said that..." is a bit more complicated in German, but something that I now say often. In german it's "Ich habe gedacht, er hat gesagt, dass..." - and that now takes about 2 seconds to say. (note- that's more correct in this form spoken than written.) It becomes like one word that functions as a preamble to the rest of the thought. So go learn a random set of phrases really really well, feel better about that small area of speaking, and build on that.

2. Don't be afraid to ask strangers to clarify. Yes, it's a bit annoying, but not as annoying as still not being able to understand anyone who doesn't slow down for you after months of living in the language. And this is something I have to constantly remind myself here in Vienna, where the waiters are, um, less than polite.

3. Take your time speaking. Don't get nervous. It's much easier to speed up your language that is already correct than correct phrases that are incorrectly ingrained in your memory.

4. If you can't understand them, they probably also can't understand you. I'm not sure why I added this one, but I somehow find it comforting. Like I'm not alone in confusion.

I don't know if this is true of everyone, but I always loved listening to and helping my friends who were trying to improve their English. I try to remind myself about that often. (PS, I've been concentrating so much on German, I have no idea if I'm supposed to use "about" with "remind"! Don't laugh.) And even though I know my German is just good enough for slow conversation over coffee at the moment, most people are excited and impressed that I want to learn. And quite a few have said it's rare to find an American that speaks German here. So there... That's all the news for now, if I think of more pointers I'll add them!

Hello there. Servus.

I thought I might, just might start blogging again. I've been living in Vienna now for 16 days. Hard to believe. Here are a few things that have happened in that time:

1. I was surprised at how much German I remembered.

2. I was simultaneously disappointed with how much I had to learn...

3. I have been in 9 coffeeshops/cafes for hot chocolate (almost a daily ritual).

4. I have inquired after work in 12 bars/restaurants, sometimes with disastrous use of the German language (I would say it's my fault, but you haven't heard the dialect here).

5. I learned... finally, 16 years later... the German articles and adjective endings in the 4 cases.

6. I started feeling a lot better about my German, especially with more than a few compliments from Austrians (it takes a lot to convince me).

7. But I still have no idea what the hell they're saying in Wienerish.

8. I have inhaled a lot of second hand smoke, usually during meals.

9. I cook every day. It's hard to make myself go out in 25 degree weather (Fahrenheit) after 6pm.

10. I have had my first jazz piano lesson.

11. I attended my third flamenco workshop.

12. I have come to terms with schwarzfahren.

13. I went hiking in the snow.

So that's Vienna in a nutshell. The people here are a bit zurueckgezogen (literally "pulled back" - withdrawn). Or perhaps that's just at first.

The more I learn, the more it strikes me how logical German is. English is such a conglomeration of the various cultures that passed through England - Romans, French - but here the language has an inner logic, where words make obvious sense. For example: Flugzeug, literally flight kit/stuff - airplane. In English, what is a plane, outside of simply knowing its meaning? It's not obvious... similarly, Fahrzeug - literally drive kit/stuff - vehicle. What's a "hicle"? Where did the "ve" come from? And eifersuechtig - literally seeking ardency - jealousy.

More musings to come. (Nachdenken - after thoughts)

Mary Helen

Games People Play

I learned 2 games tonight at the Victoria Miro Gallery.  Both of these games are for 2 people to play.  Courtesy of Siobhan Davies Dance.

NSEW

1. Stand facing your partner

2. Establish (agree on) the 4 cardinal directions: North, South, East, West

2. Join hands, with one person (only) crossing hands, so that your right hand is holding their right hand.

3. Choose a "leading arm" for each person (they must be different).

4. At random, pull with your leading arm and walk in one direction.  Your partner must correctly identify that direction (verbally) as quickly as possible by saying "North", "South", "East" or "West".

5. Either partner can change direction at any time.

6. Continue until extreme dizziness makes playing impossible.

YESNO

1. Face your partner

2. Begin nodding or shaking your head

3. Your partner must say out loud "Yes" or "No" according to your motion, without changing their nodding or shaking

4. Either partner can change at any time, and the other must identify it as quickly as possible

They were hilarious, but no one was laughing?  That's because it was Art.

More pics on Flickr.

School of Everything

There's a new school that teaches Tai-chi, Motorcycle maintenance, and jazz improvisation, anywhere in the world, for free or paid, whichever happens to be your circumstance.  So go out and learn or teach something, or both!

Luckily for my dissertation, it seems people would like to be more musical:

PS - in all of the subjects that I "teach", there are far more teachers than learners.  Isn't that curious?  Do we all just want to share knowledge, but not absorb anything?  Hmmm....

PPS - see comments for a note from one of the founders of SoE!

um.

Sometimes I Dream I Can Step

Fear, trust and alcohol

Fear, trust and alcohol

Reposted from www.intelligentnaivety.com

For cultural entrepreneurs, social interactions are not necessarily just a means to an end but represent a source of power and a greater potential for success in their own right. Entrepreneurs in the ‘new’ industries, Rifkin argues, are motivated by being “universally connected so as to affect and shape human consciousness itself.” Baron and Markman argue that this social capital and social skills can enhance an entrepreneur’s success. A high level of social capital, built on a favourable reputation, relevant previous experience, and direct personal contacts, can assist entrepreneurs in gaining access to key potential stakeholders. Once that access is gained, four social skills – social perception, impression management, persuasion and social influence, and social adaptability – can influence the quality of these interactions, and help them reap important benefits.

The power of interaction derives from its ability to facilitate compassionate support, plus strategies for managing risk and making decisions. This adds a personal or social dimension to innovation, reflecting the importance of emotions in the cultural and creative industries. By being able to share experiences and strategies, cultural entrepreneurs create an ‘imagined community’, which Banks notes is united by a mutual narrative and emotional disclosure around their choices to move away from traditional careers.

SHARING THE FEAR

Such networks help individuals in the creative industries to manage, for example, the huge fear of failure which Storey and Sykes highlight. The lifestyles of cultural entrepreneurs’ further give them resources to manage or offset the economic and cultural risks found in the sector. For example, blurring work and leisure can be a strategy for getting to know the market, and pick up new opportunities for work.

Some entrepreneurs, for example, speak of a camaraderie aspect to sharing a financial risk, even if it goes wrong: “You’ve got two people, you’ve got two incomes, you can throw money at a wall…but it doesn’t matter: ‘I’ve just wasted three grand!’ ‘So have I!’ ‘Okay – let’s stay in for three years!’ – you’ve got that as well.” Collaborators are useful for making decisions and experiencing the turbulence of implementing an idea: “It’s quite difficult to make decisions all on your own sometimes…It’s just nice to have someone to share it and experience it with.”

TRUST

The strategies outlined above can only work if there is a shared trust between agents. According to Banks, trust plays a large role in negotiations and interactions, often offsetting more formal forms and structures of protection. For Leadbeater, “the more you can depend on people you can trust, the less risk you take. So it’s easier to take risks when you have relationships with a range of people you can depend upon…” Trust is a vital ‘lubricant’ for knowledge creation: “people share and act on ideas when they trust one another.”
Yet, whilst demand for trust has risen, traditional sources of supply (class, community, family, religion) have declined. Many cultural entrepreneurs have therefore developed their own strategies for establishing this necessary trust: they all emphasised the importance of genuine, personalised relationships. One referred to the importance of being able to “speak to clients as a human being rather than having a client/customer relationship.” Another echoed this: “they’re all people at the end of the day.”

A familiar, but often underrated, factor in achieving this familiarity is the considerable role of alcohol in facilitating these networks. Every interviewee referred to having professional discussions over a drink, in part reflecting the perceived benefits of disinhibition for idea generation. This personalisation of professional business relations reflects the blurred line for cultural entrepreneurs between work and leisure, and allows the necessary development of trust. From such trust relationships, the cultural entrepreneur can develop support mechanisms, an increased understanding of alternative views and situations, and the flexible opportunity to collaborate on areas of mutual interest.

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And the award goes to...

Many of you got an email from me last fall about your favorite creative spaces/places.  You might be interested to know the results...

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis had the most enthusiastic responses.  So keep your eye on what they're up to.  Plus their website is pretty, take a look:

Walker Art Center

A coincidence that one of my favorite jazz trios originated in Minneapolis?  I think not.

Some other favorite places were:

Burning Man

The Getty Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Rubalad, Williamsburg

World Beats Center, San Diego

Tiberino Sculpture Museum, Philly

Double Edge Theater, MA

La Pena, San Francisco

Gallery 110, Provo

Sego Art Center, Provo

Architectural Association, London

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London

Tohono Chul Park, Tucson

Epic cafe, Tucson

Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

Nothing about this survey was scientific or accurate.  But I really enjoyed reading the responses!  And I'm going to try to work them in to my studies this year...

Any others?  Discuss.