Wednesday, 15 August 2007

PPPPPP - a note

[Originally written as part of the GoodBooks/Loose Ends piece but transplanted here for editblogatorial reasons then fiddled with out of sheer idleness.]

PPPPPP, the Six Ps, is a David Albermanism for Proper Preparation Prevents P*ss-Poor Performance. While writing about the GoodBooks Radio 4 recording I was reflecting on the facts that:

  • I was reasonably well-prepared for that one - I'd really put the time in.
  • It paid off
  • I don't do it often enough

Now read on:

So then maybe it's a touch silly or self-deceiving or something to profess surprise when I prepare well and it then goes well, or at least better than "normal".

Really I suppose that in an attempt to be honest I should add that, actually, gigs always go better if I've prepared well. I know this is a bit of a "well, duh!" remark but the fact is I don't often enough do it; that I am sometimes guilty of thinking it's cool to be cool, and just turn up and, like, blow, man, except for me it's not because I am not a good enough player to be that casual about it. Or else I'm not even thinking that - I am just ill-prepared, too busy at work, or whatever - Bridge to Engineering, please engage the Excuse Generator.

On those rare occasions, for example, when I show up at Salomon and I've really worked at it and I've had parts and scores and recordings and done a lot of practice, it's really a different planet in terms of my confidence, competence ... erm ... yes.

So maybe I need to, ahem, refactor my paradigm or something and be a bit less wide-eyed, innocent and astonished when the 6 Ps works, and just accept that that's what you do. It's possibly time I started trying to take this a bit more seriously. Hmph.

Is there actually any point in this Blog Entry or Diarism or Emuārs Moment? I am not really sure, I just wanted to try to write it down.

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