In relation to thoughts on earth
THIS MONTH START OF MANY STREAMS OF CONSCIOUSNESS SHARING MOMENTS OF WHERE I FIND MYSELF PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY IN THE WORLD. THE ATTEMPT IS TO MASH UP THE VARIOUS FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES INTO SOMETHING THAT I HOPE LANDS WITH SUBSTANCE. TODAY I'M WRITING IN A VERY SPECIAL PLACE, THE ARCI "GAROFANO ROSSO" LOCATED IN VOLTERRA, ITALY (A MEDIEVAL HILL TOWN IN THE REGION OF TUSCANY), WHERE MY PARTNER AND I HAVE, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SLOWLY BEGUN TO CALL HOME. ARCI IS ITALY'S OLDEST NETWORK OF CULTURAL CIRCLES, BORN IN FLORENCE IN 1957 OUT OF THE POSTWAR ITALIAN LEFT. ITS ROOTS GO BACK TO THE MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES THAT WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES BUILT IN THE LATE 1800S, AND THE CASE DEL POPOLO, "HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE," THAT GREW FROM THEM: GATHERING PLACES FOR LITERACY, CULTURE, AND POLITICAL LIFE. UNDER MUSSOLINI'S FASCIST REGIME ALL OF IT WAS SHUT DOWN IN THE 1920S, BUILDINGS SEIZED AND WHAT REMAINED FOLDED INTO STATE-CONTROLLED LEISURE. AFTER THE WAR, PEOPLE REBUILT IT FROM NOTHING, ON THE SAME PREMISE THAT CULTURE AND SOLIDARITY ARE THINGS YOU DO TOGETHER. NEARLY SEVENTY YEARS LATER, ARCI IS STILL STANDING ON THAT PREMISE. EACH CIRCLE FUNCTIONS AS A KIND OF SOCIAL CLUB: A REAL PHYSICAL PLACE WHERE MEMBERS GATHER TO SHARE A DRINK, HAVE MONTHLY DINNERS, WATCH A FILM, SIT IN ON POLITICAL TALKS, AND MORE. ACROSS ITALY, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM, INDEPENDENTLY AND MEMBER RUN, MANY ALSO RUNNING SOCIAL AND IMMIGRATION SUPPORT.
THE ARCI IN VOLTERRA IS TUCKED IN A SMALL ALLEYWAY OFF ONE OF THE MAIN ROADS IN TOWN. WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED HERE IN 2022, WE'D SEE THE OLDER MEN SITTING IN PATCHES OF SHADE OUT FRONT, USUALLY IN SMALL GROUPS ESCAPING THE SUMMER HEAT. OUT OF CURIOSITY AND A PULL TO BE WHERE "THE PEOPLE" ARE, BUT HAVING THE VERY STRONG FEELING THAT IT DIDN'T FEEL COMPLETELY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, I'D PEEP THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR ANY CHANCE WE PASSED BY, TRYING TO PUT SOME PIECES TOGETHER OF THIS MYSTERIOUS YET ATTRACTIVE PLACE. OVER THE YEARS, I'D FIND THE COURAGE TO GREET SOMEONE HAVING A SMOKE JUST OUTSIDE THE BUILDING (IN THE LITTLE ITALIAN I KNEW AT THE TIME), AND ONE DAY EVENTUALLY WALKED IN FULLY ACCEPTING THAT SOMEONE WOULD EVENTUALLY TELL ME TO FUCK OFF. THAT NEVER HAPPENED (NOW AN OFFICIAL MEMBER). AS YOU WALK IN, YOU'RE IN THE SALA BILIARDO, THE "BILLIARD ROOM." ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I NOTICED, AFTER FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOW THE ROOM LOOKED AND FELT, WAS THAT THE POOL TABLE HAD NO POCKETS. THE GAME THEY PLAY HERE IS NOTHING LIKE CLASSIC BILLIARDS IN THE STATES. IT'S ONE OF MANY VERSIONS CALLED NOVE BIRILLI, "NINE PINS." I CAN'T GET INTO IT DEEPLY AS I'VE ONLY SAT IN ON A FEW GAMES AND STILL DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT. I'M TRYING LITTLE BY LITTLE TO GATHER MORE CLUES THAT GIVE ME A BIT MORE STRUCTURE BEHIND THE FOUNDATIONAL RULES. ABOVE THE TABLE IS A COLLECTION OF FIVE CIRCULAR "MARI" LAMPS IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHICH FORM ONE FIXTURE. I'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE IT. THE GREEN GLASS HOUSING OF EACH LAMP SOFTLY MOLDS AND DAMPENS THE INTERNAL LIGHT SOURCE IN AN EMERALD, DONUT-LIKE GLOW, WHERE THE BOTTOM, WHICH HAS A CUTOUT, ALLOWS THE LIGHT TO CASCADE ONTO THE PLAYING SURFACE. ON ONE SIDE OF THE RECTANGULAR ROOM, WOODEN BENCHES SIT FLUSH AGAINST THE WALL. AS YOU SLOWLY SCAN THE ROOM IN A CIRCULAR MOTION, YOU'LL SEE THE FOLLOWING: A GROUP PHOTO OF BOB MARLEY, MICK JAGGER, AND PETER TOSH, ANALOG AND DIGITAL SCORE-KEEPING DEVICES, BILLIARD RACKS WITH LOCKS SO MEMBERS CAN STORE THEIR STICKS FOR THE NEXT TIME THEY ARRIVE FOR A CASUAL GAME OR TOURNAMENT, A STANDING ASHTRAY, A STACK OF SIMPLE BROWN CHAIRS LINED IN CHROME, MORE PHOTOS FROM WHAT I BELIEVE IS VOLTERRA IN THE '50S/'60S, A VACUUM CLEANER, A LADDER FOR WHENEVER YOU NEED ONE, EMPTY BOXES WHERE SOMEONE DECLARED IT IS NOW THE RECYCLING POST, A BIN, AND A TATTERED PALESTINIAN FLAG THAT HANGS BEHIND THE FROSTED GLASS OF THE FRONT DOOR TO BE SEEN WHEN YOU WALK BY.
TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE SALA BILIARDO, THERE IS ANOTHER WOODEN AND GLASS DOOR THAT LEADS YOU TO THE BAR AREA. FOUR MARBLE TABLES, THREE IN A NOOK AND ONE NEAR THE BAR, ARE NEATLY PLACED SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE MEMBERS WHEN THEY COME TO FIND REST BETWEEN OR AFTER WORK. USUALLY AROUND TWO IN THE AFTERNOON, THE SAME GROUP OF MEN COME TO PLAY A CARD GAME KNOWN AS SCOPA, "BROOM." MOST OF THEM WILL TELL YOU IT'S A WAY TO "PASS THE TIME." MORE ABOUT WHERE THEY PLAY IN JUST A MOMENT. THE FIRST RELIC IN THE BAR AREA I REMEMBER SEEING WAS THE COMMANDING BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTO OF CHE GUEVARA THAT SEEMS TO WATCH OVER YOU AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE SPACE - HE HOLDS A CIGAR WITH A STERN LOOK ON HIS FACE. ORGANIZED AROUND THE ROOM IS A FREEZER THAT IS FILLED WITH ICE CREAM, A FRIDGE STOCKED WITH BEER, JUICE, AND WATER, A SHELF WITH A VARIETY OF CHIPS, CUSTOM SHIRTS MADE FOR THE CIRCLE THAT ARE FOR SALE HANGING A BIT SLOPPILY OFF THE ARCI'S ARCHIVE OF MAINLY ITALIAN BUT ALSO MISCELLANEOUS POLITICAL BOOKS, CHESS AND BACKGAMMON BOARDS NEATLY STACKED IN THE CORNER, NEWSPAPERS, A VIETATA FUMARE, "NO SMOKING," SIGN THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO TAKE SERIOUSLY, TWO BOARDS HANGING FROM THE WALL COVERED IN PHOTOS OF MEMBERS PINNED UP FROM PAST EVENTS AND GATHERINGS, ANTI-FASCIST STICKERS, AND A ROLLING STONES CONCERT TICKET. FINALLY, THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS SPACE, THE BAR. AN ARRAY OF LIQUOR AND SPIRITS LINES A GLASS CONSOLE THAT HAS A TOP-DOWN LIGHT WHICH ACCENTUATES EACH BOTTLE OF GLASS AND ADDS DEPTH TO THE REFLECTIONS, A TIMER THAT KEEPS TRACK OF ONGOING BILLIARD GAMES SO MEMBERS KNOW HOW MUCH TO PAY, RANDOM TCHOTCHKES (SOME PERFECTLY INAPPROPRIATE), SOCCER MEMORABILIA, THE EVER-PRESENT ESPRESSO MACHINE WHICH I COULDN'T TELL YOU FROM WHAT YEAR, BUT IT STILL WORKS, AND A PABLO PICASSO GUERNICA REPLICA AT ITS CROWN.
PAST THE BAR IS A PASSAGE THAT LEADS TO WHAT I'D DESCRIBE AS A DINING, EVENT ROOM AND AT THIS TIME, THE CARD PLAYING AREA. THIS IS THE SIMPLEST OF THE THREE SPACES, EXCLUDING THE SMALL KITCHEN CONNECTED TO THE REAR. ON THIS SIDE OF THE ARCI, THE LIGHTS ARE USUALLY OFF DURING THE DAY TO CONSERVE SOME ELECTRICITY, MINUS ONE CEILING FAN THAT MOVES THE SOMETIMES STALE AIR: A TELEVISION AT THE FAR END DIRECTLY ABOVE THE KITCHEN ENTRANCE, SOMETHING LIKE EIGHT TABLES WITH FOUR CHAIRS EACH, TWO FRAMED PRINTS ALSO ON THE WALL NEAR THE KITCHEN DOOR. ONE OF JUST TEXT READS L'ITALIA RIPUDIA LA GUERRA, "ITALIANS REJECT WAR," AND THE OTHER, ABOVE IT, A PHOTO OF THE GREAT ROBERTO BENIGNI WITH ENRICO BERLINGUER IN HIS ARMS. MORE PHOTOS OF MEMBERS ARE FOUND IN THIS ROOM, BUT CONTRARY TO THE BAR, THESE WERE CAREFULLY FRAMED AND PLACED TO SURROUND THE ROOM AS IF TO CREATE A SORT OF EMBRACE OF MEMBERS WHO ARE STILL WITH US AND SOME WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY. LIKE THE BAR'S GUEVARA PRINT, AND PERSONALLY OF MORE WEIGHT, IS AN IMPORTANT PAINTING. IF I HAVE TO GUESS, I'D SAY THE SCALE IS SOMETHING LIKE SIX BY NINE FEET. IT WAS MADE BY A NOW CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE STAYED HERE, EIGHTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ENNIO "PIZZI" FURIESI, WHICH DEPICTS THE END OF THE WORLD FROM A FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE. IN THE PIECE, YOU SEE A GROUP OF VOLTERRANS (ALL REAL PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN, SOME I KNOW BY NAME) LOOKING OUT OF WHAT I BELIEVE IS A GLASS BOX AS THE WORLD IS COLORFULLY DESTROYED BY A METEOR. ALL OF IT SOFTLY LIT BY A SINGLE DIRTY WINDOW WHICH LOOKS OUT TO THE NEIGHBORING COURTYARD FILLED WITH HYDRANGEAS, AND A DOOR PROPPED OPEN DURING BUSINESS HOURS.
NOW THAT I'VE EXERCISED THE MUSCLE OF EXTENSIVELY DESCRIBING A SETTING THAT HAS BECOME DEEPLY SPECIAL TO ME, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS: MAX ROACH'S MEMBERS, DON'T GIT WEARY. I REVISITED THIS RECORD LAST WEEK AS I'VE CONTINUED EXPANDING MY OWN PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ARCHIVE OF SOUNDS BEGINNING ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AS I DECIDED TO PART WAYS WITH STREAMING PLATFORMS, WHICH DID A GOOD JOB OF RENDERING ME MORE OF A BYSTANDER THAN AN ACTIVE LISTENER TO THE MUSIC I LOVE, A PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN PROFOUNDLY INSTRUMENTAL TO MY PRACTICE AND LIFE. MORE ABOUT THE SYSTEM I'VE CREATED LATER, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN STARTING YOUR OWN COLLECTION, YOU CAN BUILD OFF IT.
MEMBERS, DON'T GIT WEARY WAS RELEASED AND ISSUED IN 1968 BY ATLANTIC RECORDS. IT WAS RECORDED AT RCA'S STUDIO B IN NEW YORK OVER A TWO-DAY BLOCK. FOR THE SESSION, ROACH BROUGHT IN A NEW GENERATION OF PLAYERS: GARY BARTZ, CHARLES TOLLIVER, STANLEY COWELL, AND JYMIE MERRITT, WITH ANDY BEY AS A GUEST ON VOCALS. THE RECORD IS ESSENTIALLY A MEDITATION ON EXHAUSTION AND ENDURANCE IN THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE, FRAMED AGAINST A SPECIFIC, BRUTAL MOMENT IN NINETEEN SIXTY-EIGHT AMERICA. THE TITLE ITSELF, DRAWN FROM A SPIRITUAL/GOSPEL PHRASE, FUNCTIONS AS BOTH A RALLYING CRY AND AN ADMISSION OF FATIGUE. "MEMBERS, DON'T GIT WEARY" IS SOMETHING SAID TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TIRED BUT NEED TO KEEP GOING. BELOW IS THE ART WORK, TRACK LISTING AND PERSONNEL:
A1 - ABSTRUTIONS (STANLEY COWELL) A2 - LIBRA (GARY BARTZ) A3 - EFFI (STANLEY COWELL) b1 - EQUIPOISE (STANLEY COWELL)
B2 - MEMBERS, DON'T GIT WEARY (MAX ROACH, ANDY BEY) B3 - ABSOLUTIONS (JYMIE MERRITT) GARY BARTZ - ALTO SAXOPHONE
MAX ROACH - DRUMS JYMIE MERRITT - ELECTRIC BASS STANLEY COWELL - PIANO CHARLES TOLLIVER - TRUMPET ANDY BEY - VOCALS (TITLE TRACK)
HERE'S A DOWNLOAD LINK FOR THE RECORD IN THE OFF CHANCE YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE SPACE FOR A MEDITATION OF YOUR OWN. THE TOTAL RUN TIME IS 31:17. I URGE YOU TO FIND A COMFORTABLE PLACE, FREE OF DISTRACTIONS, AND LISTEN TO IT FROM START TO FINISH. AS I MENTIONED, I'VE BEEN AWARE OF AND HAVE LISTENED TO THIS RECORD OVER MANY YEARS, BUT AS OF RECENT, IT'S TAKEN ON A NEW LIFE. I'VE INTENTLY LISTENED TO IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TEN TO FIFTEEN TIMES THIS PAST WEEK. LISTENING TO A RECORD OVER AND OVER ISN'T SOMETHING I DON’T REGULARLLY, BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THERE ARRIVES THE EXCEPTION THAT KNOCKS YOU OFF YOUR FEET. NOT BECAUSE YOU DECIDED, BUT BECAUSE IT HAS, FOR YOU.
I'LL TRY AND KEEP THIS NEXT SECTION BRIEF (NO PROMISES) AS THERE'S NOT MUCH TO IT. SIMPLE PROCESSES ARE KEY TO FORWARD MOVEMENT. A FEW THINGS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS APPROACH (SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS YOU MAY HAVE OTHER IDEAS):
- MUSIC LISTENING DEVICE. I'M CURRENTLY USING AN OLD IPOD 5TH GEN. AT FIRST I USED MY PHONE BUT QUICKLY REALIZED TWO THINGS: ONE, THE MUSIC TOOK UP TOO MUCH SPACE (DEPENDING ON THE QUANTITY), AND TWO, I DECIDED IT WAS OF MORE IMPORTANCE TO DECENTRALIZE THE PHONE AND USE A DEDICATED DEVICE FOR MUSIC CONSUMPTION.
- A COMPUTER OR LAPTOP FOR STORING, DOWNLOADING, AND ORGANIZING YOUR ARCHIVE TO THEN SYNC TO YOUR CHOSEN DEVICE.
- TWO SSD HARD DRIVES, ONE AS AN EXTERNAL SOURCE AND THE OTHER AS A SAFETY BACKUP. THINGS HAPPEN, AND THE LAST THING I'D WANT IS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT TO BE LOST.
THOSE ARE THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS TO THE PROCESS. NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE WORKFLOW I USE WHEN DOWNLOADING AND ORGANIZING THE FILES:
- A SOURCE FOR DOWNLOADING MUSIC. TODAY I'VE ACQUIRED FILES VIA BANDCAMP, BUT THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES OUT THERE.
- DISCOGS, AN ONLINE REPOSITORY OF TONS OF MUSIC THAT I USE AS A WAY TO REFERENCE GENRES, RELEASE DATES, AND TRACK LISTINGS OF THE RECORDS DOWNLOADED TO KEEP THEM PROPERLY ORGANIZED ON APPLE MUSIC (ITUNES).
- ON ONE OF YOUR HARD DRIVES, CREATE A FOLDER CALLED "RECORD DEPOSITORY #A-Z." WITHIN THAT FOLDER CREATE TWENTY-SEVEN INDIVIDUAL FOLDERS STARTING FROM # AND THE REST A-Z. THIS WILL SERVE AS YOUR MAIN HUB OF MUSIC.
- ON YOUR COMPUTER CREATE A FOLDER CALLED "SOUND ARCHIVE," KEEP IT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT EASILY (IN MY CASE, DOCUMENTS). WITHIN THIS FOLDER CREATE TWO MORE FOLDERS, ONE "RECORD DOWNLOADS" AND THE OTHER "MOVE TO HARD DRIVE." IN THE "DOWNLOADS" FOLDER, MAKE INDIVIDUAL FOLDERS FOR EACH RECORD YOU HAVE DOWNLOADED, WHICH SHOULD BE ORGANIZED BY THE NAME OF ARTIST FOLLOWED BY THE NAME OF THE RECORD. FOR EXAMPLE: MAX ROACH - MEMBERS, DON'T GIT WEARY.
- AFTER YOU'VE DOWNLOADED A RECORD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THE ALBUM ARTWORK SO YOU CAN THROW THAT INTO THE INDIVIDUAL FOLDER TOO. I'VE FOUND THAT THE EASIEST WAY TO FIND THE ARTWORK IS TO DO A GOOGLE SEARCH OF THE RECORD NAME FOLLOWED BY SPOTIFY. THIS WILL USUALLY POPULATE THE COVER, WHICH CAN THEN BE DRAGGED AND DROPPED INTO THE FOLDER.
- ONCE YOU'VE DOWNLOADED A NICE BATCH OF RECORDS AND FOUND THE COVERS, LET'S SAY TEN, OPEN APPLE MUSIC (ITUNES) AND DROP THEM IN ONE BY ONE. IT SEEMS TO WORK BETTER WHEN YOU DO THEM THIS WAY, AS THE AUTOMATIC FILE MANAGEMENT IN APPLE MUSIC (ITUNES) IS A BIT HIT-OR-MISS. SOMETIMES IT WILL IMPORT IT AS A COMPLETE RECORD WITH THE ALBUM ARTWORK, SOMETIMES IT WILL IMPORT IT WITHOUT THE COVER, OTHER TIMES IT WILL IMPORT AS SEPARATE TRACKS WHICH THEN YOU MANUALLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO CATCH ON THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ONE, YOU'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE EVENTUALLY. ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT WHEN YOU IMPORT THE RECORDS INTO APPLE MUSIC, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY MAKE A COPY OF THE RECORD IN THE ROOT FOLDER ON YOUR COMPUTER, MEANING IT TOO SERVES AS A BACKUP.
- AFTER THIS IS DONE AND EVERYTHING IS ORGANIZED TO YOUR LIKING, PLUG IN ONE OF YOUR HARD DRIVES AND MOVE THE DOWNLOADED FOLDERS TO THE CORRESPONDING ALPHABETICAL FOLDER BY ARTIST'S FIRST NAME IN "RECORD DEPOSITORY #A-Z."
- ONCE YOU'VE NOTICED YOU'VE STARTED TO GET A NICE COLLECTION GOING, THIS IS WHERE THE SECOND HARD DRIVE EARNS ITS POSITION. MAKE SURE BOTH HARD DRIVES ARE PLUGGED IN AND SIMPLY TAKE YOUR COLLECTION FROM THE FIRST HARD DRIVE AND DRAG IT OVER TO THE SECOND ONE TO ENSURE A DOUBLE BACKUP.
AS I WRITE THIS UP, I REALIZE HOW MAD I AM FOR DOING THIS AND WONDER IF ANYONE WILL ACTUALLY PUT IN THE EFFORT TO BUILD SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES. WHAT SEEMS SIMPLE IN MY HEAD IS ACTUALLY QUITE LABORIOUS, BUT ONCE YOU START, YOU'LL BUILD A PROCESS OF YOUR OWN. THE IDEA IS TO TAKE WHAT WORKS FOR ME AND REFINE IT FOR YOU. I’LL LINKED A VIDEO BELOW TO HELP, GODSPEED!
TO WRAP THIS UP, I WANTED TO CHECK IN ON THE USE OF THE "SEQUENCING WORKBENCH" AND ASK IF ANY OF YOU WOULD BE OPEN TO SHARING SOME OF YOUR CREATIONS FOR A POSSIBLE SPOTLIGHT IN NEXT MONTH'S LOG. IF SO, PLEASE SEND THEM TO GABEMORIVERA@GMAIL.COM WITH A SHORT SUMMARY.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER I WILL BE DOING A FEW THINGS IN COLLABORATION WITH PHOTO FARM, A COMMUNITY DARKROOM BASED IN CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA. ONE, TEACHING A TWO-DAY ADVANCED DARKROOM CLASS WHERE WE COVER SOME TECHNIQUES TO FURTHER YOUR PHOTO-MAKING PROCESS (SIGN-UP HERE) AND ALSO AN ARTIST TALK DURING "CLICK!" PHOTO FESTIVAL IN CARRBORO. MORE INFO ON THIS TO COME AS WE ARE STILL IN THE WORKS.
AS ALWAYS, PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER WITH A DONATION OF YOUR CHOICE. LOTS OF LOVE AND TIME HAVE GONE INTO THIS MONTH'S TRANSMISSION.
GIVE THANKS, BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, CATCH YOU IN A MONTH'S TIME.