Chennai Music Season

[latakumar]

December Music season has been going on for eons. It is one of the highlights of the city. But instead of getting better in organization it is getting worse It is unbelievable how the Sabha's take the Rasikas for a ride. It is pathetic the way people need to procure tickets
I am very disappointed with Naradha Gana Sabha. My mother who is 78 has been going to this Sabha for years. This time she paid 8000/- on her ticket so that she will have the convenience of a reserved seat. I heard Vidwan T M Krishna wants to have his concert this season as All are welcome concert. This is fine and his wish. But Naradha Gana Sabha cannot compromise people who have already bought tickets. It is very disappointing. Now my mom has to stand in the line and get her Token and then she is not assured of a good seat. This is total mismanagement by Naradha Gana Sabha. They have to respect people who already have tickets. They have to give priority to ticket holders. This cannot be sprung upon them. They either refund that days money or give them priority. Please people you have to speak out. Don't accept everything that is meted out to you. I do not blame the artist but the Management. They should not let their members down. They are able to get away with this because no one complains. They don't realize they have paid for the concerts and they have every right to voice their concerns.
As long as people accept everything that goes around them passively
Lata Kumar ( 001-813-679-7298).

[KNV1955]

I can only feel sorry for you & your mother. Can you enter Narada Gana Sabha Toilet.Worse than public toilet. Cleveland Sundaram mama had shared in facebook the terrible condition of the toilet at this venue. Here is an article by Kalpana Mohan in Hindu. Best is to avoid such venues & opt for places like Music Academy/Nada Inbam... Academy under Murali is run efficiently. Million times better than what I have seen 15 years back.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/che ... 218590.ece.

KNV

[latakumar]

At present I want to take these people to task. I live in Florida So I want to make sure she has the comforts and does not stand in queues etc.
I shudder to think of how the toilets are. Maybe next time she can go there.

[Rsachi]

I think you have consumer rights if they deny a reserved seat. Take it to Consumer Forum.

The President,
State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission,
No: 212, R.K. Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004
044-24940687
044-24618900

[Nick H]

I generally avoid the Narada Gana Sabha main hall along with most of the other similar-size venues. On the occasions that I have been there, I find the sound system to be one of those wedding/rock-concert affairs. The mini-hall is a different matter, and, apart from needing cotton wool in the ears, and sitting out of reach of the AC blast of cold air, I like it very much.

The toilets (I only know the gents!) were refurbished only a few years ago. I suppose a lot of water has flowed [under the bridge] since then and it is a little scruffy now, but compared to facilities in other places it is still quite good.

Now, not being a regular at the NGS main hall, I am not sure, but are not the morning concerts free and unticketed? If that is the case, latakumar's mother (and everyone else) would be in a similar position, whether or not they have a season ticket, for every one of them. How man of the free concerts are given by big-name hall fillers? Is there any such thing as reserved seat for a free concert? That is the problem.

On the subject of toilet facilities, let us applaud Sastri Hall for closing their utterly disgusting outside toilet and opening up a new one adjacent to the hall. For what should we applaud them? For marching forward bravely against gender discrimination in making their new toilet gender-free. Lip service is paid to outdated ways by a couple of signs that say ladies and gents, but the men have to walk through the ladies' area, and the urinals are on show to just about everyone. By some miracle of advanced plumbing they have also ensured a flow of dark-brown water from the taps.

Let us move down the road to Mylapore Fine Arts. MFA is another sabha which owns a plot of land in Central Chennai which, whilst not being quite so suitable for a tower block as that of NGS, would make an enviable fortune in luxury apartments. Pity they cannot make any attempt at simply building a hall where one can hear the musicians properly with a decent sound system. Let us nip out to the loo. It is my choice to live in Tamil Nadu, and consequently, I think it can be said to my problem alone if I do not speak or read the local language. Consequently, I was surprised, but not to bothered, to have to ask which sign said "ladies" and which sign said "gents." The problem was put in a different light when I later discovered an Indian family, from a city only five hours drive away, looking baffled. Come on, MFAC... write the signs in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi as well as Tamil; leave out English, by all means; I will not complain ...but Tamil only?

[rajeshnat]

Latakumar
As nick wrote concert season tickets is applicable for ticketed concerts . YOur mom possibly did not know that and went to TMK concert. When a musician like TMK has reached a fairly comfortable stature , he will do more help to sabhas where he prefers it to be ticketed than making it free.

[mohan]

, I was surprised, but not to bothered, to have to ask which sign said "ladies" and which sign said "gents." The problem was put in a different light when I later discovered an Indian family, from a city only five hours drive away, looking baffled. Come on, MFAC... write the signs in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi as well as Tamil; leave out English, by all means; I will not complain ...but Tamil only?

Most airports use gender symbols to denote the gents and ladies loos. Surely MFAC can take the same approach.

[Nick H]

But I do sympathise with having to stand in line for a token, on top of having a season ticket. Perhaps they could at least have had a season-ticket/members queue?

Even so, at a non-ticketed program, there is no guarantee that the season-ticket holder would get in at all. I know it's unlikely that that big hall would fill up with general public, for a morning concert, but it's possible
[quote]Most airports use gender symbols to denote the gents and ladies loos. Surely MFAC can take the same approach.[quote]

That's what the, err, Kannadians :^) said.

[PUNARVASU]

Kannadigas.

[Nick H]

Ahh... thank you

[latakumar]

Rajeshnat, This concert was originally part of the package or the season concerts. But on Vidwan TMK's request it was made All are welcome. Which is very nice of him.
But the Sabha is making all the ticket holders also come and get the token on a first come first served.
RSachi thanks I will take it up with them.

[latakumar]

Update:
I just got a call from my Mother. She had sent a friend to pick up the token.
She has got the first Row. She is very happy because she talked to the administration and voiced her concern.
I hope every ticket holder got a good seat.
But thank you for all your feedback.
Lata Kumar

[rajumds]

Update:
I just got a call from my Mother. She had sent a friend to pick up the token.
She has got the first Row. She is very happy because she talked to the administration and voiced her concern.
I hope every ticket holder got a good seat.
But thank you for all your feedback.
Lata Kumar

She was lucky. See post #14 in http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... e4a759410d

[mahavishnu]

I'm glad this was resolved. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that they will have the common sense to resolve an issue like this before it happens again.

Mods/OP, could we change the title of this thread to something less generic? The topic does not reflect what is being discussed here. Thanks!

[latakumar]

Thanks for all the feedback. Even though I am happy that my Mothers problem was resolved. I still feel sabhas should be careful when handling situations like this.
My mother talked to the Authorities and expressed her concern and the limitations cos of age on Thursday. So once again I want to re-emphasize that people
should not take things meted out silently.
Thanks,
Lata Kumar

[rajumds]

I still don't get what the OP is trying to convey. The reason why TMK wanted his concerts to be free is to give a chance to those who can't afford tickets to attend. If seats are going to be reserved for those who bought tickets for other concerts, the very purpose is defeated and that is what he conveyed in the tweet also.

If you can stand in queue like others please do, otherwise forget attending the concert. In fact what NGS did is wrong, allotting seats for season ticket holders for a free concert

[Rsachi]

Hold on folks, please could you look at it like this as well:
1. A senior citizen (viz. prime audience for classical music) buys a season ticket to enjoy all concerts including TMK
2. TMK wants his concert to be thrown open free.
Why should 2. supersede 1.? Only reason would be if organisers don't know how to fulfil both 1 and 2.
Solution: allot the seats via FCFS basis through queue AND some token system for 2. and intimate ticket holders at 1. In advance accordingly.
AND
compensate those in 1. suitably if they are unable to attend the free concert because they didn't collect tokens or stand in queues.

Bottomline: FREE concert need not mean we deny people a seat because they are unable to stand in queues for long.

[latakumar]

Rsachi
Well said!! If Vidwan TMK's concert was an extra concert than the scheduled one I agree the ticket holders should also be ticketed the same way.
But this was part of the scheduled concert for which tickets were already purchased then the ticket holder gets priority.

It is so simple a concept. And it has nothing to do with the artist.
It does not matter what age or class

[rajeshnat]

Latakumar
TMK concert in NGS also had once a year- one concert player Karaikudi mani playing mrudhangam.Hence great crowd. I would like to know one thing from you or others.

Is this concert despite morning one , was initially scheduled as ticketed by NGS, where obviously the season ticket holder should have a right of first choice . Did TMK later convert it as free concert using his muscle ?.

Or

Is the concert always a free morning concert from the day when the schedule was put.?

In any case when artists reach commercial success for the sake of gathering "more rasikas ", they need not throw it open for public for free.

[rajeshnat]

Hold on folks, please could you look at it like this as well:
1. A senior citizen (viz. prime audience for classical music) buys a season ticket to enjoy all concerts including TMK
2. TMK wants his concert to be thrown open free.
Why should 2. supersede 1.? Only reason would be if organisers don't know how to fulfil both 1 and 2.
Solution: allot the seats via FCFS basis through queue AND some token system for 2. and intimate ticket holders at 1. In advance accordingly.
AND
compensate those in 1. suitably if they are unable to attend the free concert because they didn't collect tokens or stand in queues.

Bottomline: FREE concert need not mean we deny people a seat because they are unable to stand in queues for long.

How will you intimate ticket holders for case 1? Call them in their mobile ,they may even take up the call during another kutchery . Sorry rsachi your solution is not pragmatic at all . Sabhas should dictate if an artist is fit for ticketing in the evening or push him/her for morning free or ticketed. Few years back some concerts in the morning is also ticketed , but now it is dwindling and almost all concerts in the morning are freee .

It is a challenge , always some people outside the hall will scream that they were not let in despite it being free .Also there could be a 80 year old mama who stood in the queue who got in ,but a 90 year old season ticket mAmi who was just late by another minute who did not enter in as the hall was full and in turn thinking that despite season ticket i was not allowed. We have ramanavami, pullaiyar chaturthi,etc and zillion occassions during rest of the year where the concert is free. In this case for Karaikudi mani himself the hall would have had huge commercial success(irrespective of main artist). The problem here is a fairly successful commercial artist like TMK takes his concert from evening /morning (ticketed )to morning(free) and creating quite a bit of logistics nightmare for the sabha administrators.

[KNV1955]

Hi friends For whatever it is worth keep writing about things other than music like Toilet Condition in Sabhas;Acoustics; behaviour of Sabha officials;Canteen food. It appears the noise made is heard. I overheard a Sabha official telling " Toilet clean a panna sollupa. Kanna Pinna nu ezutharanga. Also Music Academy has quietly increased the season ticket rates from Rs 1000 to 1250 for balcony seats, a 25% increase in 1 year which is not fair. It was Rs 750/- 5 years back. I hope they will not increase next year. They should cap at this level atleast for another 5 years.