No TMK in December Music Season

MaamiAtHeart · Post by **MaamiAtHeart** » 11 Jun 2015, 22:08

From facebook:

I would like to inform all of you that henceforth (beginning December 2015) I will not be singing in Chennai’s December Music Season. Right from when I was five or six the ‘season’ has been part of my musical universe and I have learnt so much from musicians, musicologists, scholars and rasikas. Unfortunately at the place I am today I am unable to reconcile my musical journey with that of the December season. I have communicated this decision to the concert organizers. My growth in the field of music has been largely due to the sabhas of Chennai and over the years they have been most accommodative and graceful in accepting my varied requests.

I thank them and all of you for everything.

Warm Regards

T.M. Krishna

TheListener · Post by **TheListener** » 12 Jun 2015, 02:46

Interesting. Did he elaborate on why?

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 12 Jun 2015, 03:48

Understandable considering the vehement criticism from the echelons of music organizers and rasikas about his departure from well established paddhati and his challenge to question the veracity of established principles.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 12 Jun 2015, 04:01

TheListener wrote:Interesting. Did he elaborate on why?

He'll be too busy running the canteens

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 12 Jun 2015, 08:40

Actually, he hails from an affluent background of industrialists. In all that he does, there is a strong business acumen; e.g. the manner he promoted his book. He has moved into a wider circle of influence, which CM would never have given him. I would be the least surprised even if he enters politics. He has no need now for the Dec prop and as he rightly gauges, there is a disconnect between the wheels-within-wheels music season dynamics, and his maverick ways. His integrity in acknowledging it and moving away from it is to be noted. The music firmament is studded with brilliant stars and is secure at least for another generation. One musician's ways and experimentation cannot have noticeable impact. We may add our best wishes for success in his well-meaning efforts, and a sense of warmth in what he is doing rather than a tone of bitterness that jars.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 12 Jun 2015, 08:55

Chellappa,
I agree with you. Whatever the next phase of his career is going to be, let's wish him fulfillment in his endeavors...

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 12 Jun 2015, 09:26

" Understandable considering the vehement criticism from the echelons of music organizers and rasikas about his departure from well established paddhati and his challenge to question the veracity of established principles."

Even before TMK, this kind of deviation has taken place..

" T. R. Subramanyam, or TRS as he is more popularly known amongst most music loving rasikas is a vidwan with uncommon traits. He is unconventional in the sense, that he is a daredevil willing to explore new avenues, regardless of whether his new ideas are accepted or not. He may not start his concert with a traditional varnam or a kriti on Ganesha. On one occasion, the opening item of his concert was a javali in kapi ragam"

Many artists have commenced the concert,instead of varnam,with ganesa krities

Cannot understand why this noise about TMK..

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 12 Jun 2015, 09:29

SO MUCH FOR REPLACING ARIYAKUDI BHANI? He will be better off staying away from his shallow approach reg. CM & politics would be ideal for him. VKV

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 12 Jun 2015, 09:43

Gents, TMK is giving a ticketed concert shortly in Bangalore and I am looking forward to it. I like his music.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 12 Jun 2015, 10:03

His music is pure and if one does not mind his manners, one can certainly enjoy it. Nothing has been said to belittle it. The quality of his music has no connect with his views on CM.

ramamantra · Post by **ramamantra** » 12 Jun 2015, 10:12

In the papers:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/ ... 862622.ece

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150612/n ... sic-season

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 12 Jun 2015, 10:18

He is one of the best for sure. His personal views are for him to debate, however preposterous it may be. It does not affect me when I listen to his concerts. I see that emerging from two different personalities. Or probably from his split personality/? I am able to agree with some of his views and some I don't agree which I disregard.

GM

ramamantra · Post by **ramamantra** » 12 Jun 2015, 10:37

ganesh_mourthy wrote: I am able to agree with some of his views and some I don't agree which I disregard. GM

Maybe you have a split personality there too.

carnaticwriter · Post by **carnaticwriter** » 12 Jun 2015, 11:08

I think it is not a bad idea. He has only quit singing in Sabhas in the December season - not quit singing altogether. Probably that is a sign of maturity - not racing with other musicians or giving importance to the Sabha ambience or the secretaries is something respectable. Having said this, it also may be his PR stunt after attaining a lot of fame singing in the season for such a long time. Had he never taken to singing in the Sabhas from day one (like Tyagaraja who refused the King's offer at a young age), it may mean a lot more than what it means now. There are many such artists - most of them unknown.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 12 Jun 2015, 12:12

Each will find the absence of a favourite artist leaving a big hole for them personally. In the wider scheme of things, the presence or absence of one artist, even if top-rank, is not going to upset any balances.

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 12 Jun 2015, 14:36

Sri R sachi,

Could u give details of TMK concert in Blore?

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 12 Jun 2015, 14:38

Sri Nick H,

We are going to miss TMK in Chennai season.But i think Sabhas should feature him during off season concerts.He and sanjay have similar following and to that extent his absence makes difference.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 12 Jun 2015, 16:16

Yes, sir, with pleasure!

VIJAYA COLLEGE OF MUSIC (R)
53, 8th B Main, 4th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560 011
Phone: +91 9845145148
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.vijayacollegeofmusic.com

Dear Students, Parents & Rasikas,
The Vijaya College of Music is very happy to announce the formation of the Prathyarpana Foundation - an initiative of the college towards socially responsible and charitable causes. This foundation has been launched in memory of Sri L.S.Narayanaswamy Bhagavathar and Prof H.V.Krishnamurthy. The inauguration of the foundation along with the first event of the foundation will be held on Sunday, Jul 5th, 2015 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Kumara Krupa Road, Kumara Park East, Bangalore - 560001.

The programme details are given below and attached to this email is the invitation for the same. Donor passes are priced at Rs.500 each and all proceeds from this event will be used for charity. You are all requested to participate in this grand event and donate to a worthy cause. Please do forward information about this event to your friends and relatives.

Donor passes and more information can be obtained by contacting Triveni Venkatram (9845145148) or Kavita Saralaya (9844119107).

Programme Details:
4pm : Invocation by students of Vijaya College of Music followed by inauguration of the Prathyarpana Foundation
4:15pm - 5:45pm : Violin solo recital by Sri H.K.Venkatram (accompanied by Sri K.U.Jayachandra Rao - mridangam & Sri Giridhar Udupa - ghatam)
6pm - 7:30pm : Vocal concert by Sri T.M.Krishna (accompanied by Sri H.K.Venkatram - violin, Sri K.U.Jayachandra Rao - mridangam & Sri Giridhar Udupa - ghatam)
--
Regards,
Vijaya College of Music

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 12 Jun 2015, 16:26

hnbhagavan wrote:Sri Nick H,

We are going to miss TMK in Chennai season.But i think Sabhas should feature him during off season concerts.He and sanjay have similar following and to that extent his absence makes difference.

I don't keep notes of numbers (hey, Rajesh?) but... they do. He may not get a lot of concerts, but a lot of people don't get a lot of concerts, and/but there are certainly chances to hear him sing in off-season Chennai.

Ponbhairavi · Post by **Ponbhairavi** » 12 Jun 2015, 16:44

This is what I understood from his statement:
“ henceforth I will not be singing in chennai’s december music season”
TMK is not quitting CM. He would be singing in all other months of the year anywhere including chennai.. Even in December he may be available for singing anywhere other than chennai.
why december- chennai link.? that means NO MORE FREE CONCERT
“ at the place I am to-day “ means I have already earned a reputation and status of my own and my singing format has already earned public acceptance in India and abroad that I do not need to waste any longer my energy and sacrifice my earning
His present announcement is just a declaration of discontinuance of his previous practice of “free sabha performance.’ for chennai public. in december.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 12 Jun 2015, 18:22

It may not have anything to do with the money part. But, he does not need the season any more. He will sing no doubt, but it is my guess it will be secondary to his other activities like writing, participating in social causes, etc. His love of CM is imprinted in his chaste rendering. He has perhaps contributed to public causes incl. CM the most among contemporary artists of his generation.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 12 Jun 2015, 19:39

community remembers until one keeps giving and offering and once this stops, one becomes history and statistics.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 12 Jun 2015, 22:17

Twaang interview today:

‘We must make the Chennai music scene less centred on the December season’
Posted on JUNE 12, 2015Categories musicians
Swetha Kannan

In a candid interview with Twaang, Carnatic singer T. M. Krishna explains his rather bold decision to distance himself from the most coveted December music season in Chennai.

You have raised several issues pertaining to the sabha culture in the past. In a sense, many perhaps saw this decision to not sing at the December season anymore coming. Can you pin down the big trigger behind this?

There is no specific trigger. My own journey in trying to discover the music and its context led to some fundamental changes in me. In a way, this decision was coming, it was only a question of when. The way I see music as an experiential form, my issues with the unscrupulous commodification of the art, especially during the season, and the social hegemony in the Carnatic world has led me to feel more and more distanced from the music season environment. I do think the texture of the music season has changed over the last decades.

Do you feel you cannot point fingers at the system and still be part of it? Is that why you want to graciously step aside?

I am unable to offer music ‘in quiet’ amidst the music season’s noisiness. I am not as yet completely outside the system! I will be singing concerts throughout the year.

Aren’t kutcheris in the other months of the year also similar to the concerts during the December season, perpetuating the same beliefs and culture?

I think the December season shows us all the symptoms of the serious problems in the Carnatic music world that need to be understood with all their nuances. And I do think that though governed by the same culture, musicians, rasikas and organisers have a calmer mind to listen and discuss music in the other months. I have a lot of respect for the sabhas as they have contributed to the art and I cannot deny that. Maybe by being part of the established music tradition beyond December we can work together and consider changes to the music world. It may be easier to have these conversations beyond the pandemonium of the music season. We have to make the Chennai music scene less centred on the music season.

The UrurOlcottMargazhiVizhain Chennai’s fishing hamlet early this year saw an alternative format emerging. You spearheaded that in a big way. What is going to happen to this vizha now? Will it get stronger, bigger in the years to come?

You can be sure that UrurOlcottkuppam festival will happen in 2016. It will certainly be stronger but not necessarily bigger. I am not sure that for an idea to contribute purposefully it really needs to become bigger.

A section of the sabha going population now feels the season will lose its shine a bit considering you are an icon of sorts in the field. I am sure these rasikas want to know if this decision is a permanent, irrevocable one…

I can assure everyone that they can hear me rest of the year. But this decision is irrevocable.

You have for some time now been moving away from just music. We hear and read you in other formats too. You are a writer, philosopher and more. What else is cooking?

Music is what gives me everything. Whatever I say comes from the experience of music, therefore music can never leave me, nor can I ever let go of it. There are a few things I am trying, let’s see.

Pic Courtesy- www.tmkrishna.com

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 12 Jun 2015, 23:11

Why music season in Chennai is confined to December? Can anyone explain this, other than a little cooler weather? This is similar to mother's day, father's day, etc. Why dedicate one day for mother when it is everyone's duty to celebrate mother every day.

Ranganayaki · Post by **Ranganayaki** » 13 Jun 2015, 01:27

Ponbhairavi wrote:This is what I understood from his statement:
“ henceforth I will not be singing in chennai’s december music season”
TMK is not quitting CM. He would be singing in all other months of the year anywhere including chennai.. Even in December he may be available for singing anywhere other than chennai.
why december- chennai link.? that means NO MORE FREE CONCERT

"No more free concert" could certainly be what all this means to most of us.. But nobody forced TMK to give free concerts, he did that on his own, if I understand correctly. That is rather generous, given his command over the available space. So it would be unfair to think that he is quitting the season because he doesn't want to give free concerts. He could simply go back to paid concerts.

Ponbhairavi wrote:“ at the place I am to-day “ means I have already earned a reputation and status of my own and my singing format has already earned public acceptance in India and abroad that I do not need to waste any longer my energy and sacrifice my earning
His present announcement is just a declaration of discontinuance of his previous practice of “free sabha performance.’ for chennai public. in december.

Sri Ponbhairavi, that is one interpretation of "at the place.." At best, we could say that it COULD mean what you say. To me, it seemed to mean "given the state of mind I am in today" or "given my sensibilities as they are today" or "given the level of personal growth that I have reached today", or "given my values today and knowing what I know today.." Even if he is wrong, he could simply be sincere. Why not? Why can't we give him that much?

I feel this man seems to be putting in a lot of hard work into service through carnatic music. Attributing to him nothing but cynical motives (I don't mean the possible cynicism of his views) makes us seem a little ugly and that is not fair to you for one.

I am not a TMK fan. I like his music very much.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 02:35

Ranganayaki,
Yes, I don't think it's about giving free concerts or about not wanting to give free concerts anymore. I think it caught his fancy to say that's he's going to do something different this December season (or, won't sing this year, but will listen, I guess). A free concert in Chennai after all benefits only the usual concert-goers and not those from the fishing village, for sure. So, that may be one of the reasons for not wanting to sing during the season.

Far from the madding crowd for him, perhaps in some remote spot of solitude while with all its flaws, the season would attract rasikAs from all over the world and create quite a bit of excitement in Chennai.

The new interview again makes it a bit ambiguous for me (well, what did I expect?). He gives hopes to his listeners by saying he will keep singing, but not in Chennai in December. I understand it as "I don't want to be giving many concerts or dealing with sabhas which are riddled with politics. They give me problems, and I am not easy for them to deal with either--so, I take my music away from the Chennai sabha scene, especially in December".

We know TMK is quite whimsical besides being creative and has the means to act out his theories and concepts about this and that. He keeps us on our toes on our guessing, 'what next?' He changes the scenario of his existence with conviction which is colored by whim, and colorful a character that he is, he attracts attention. Whether he sings in December or not, his appeal as a performer will not diminish and the press won't stop covering him...

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 13 Jun 2015, 06:06

December music season actually starts from last week of November and go upto say 1st or 2nd week of Jan . Many sabhas like safe , significant part of karthik fine arts etc who donot have halls indeed end it before Dec 15th.

TMK wants a certain degree of mindshare where he wants to avoid the rat race from Dec 16 to Dec 31st. I would not accuse 100% that he is seeking exclusivity of mindshare but I would not be wrong to state that he wants to go definitely in that direction. I am assuming he means he will only not sing in the window period of Dec 16 to 31st . The key point is He may have a lot of concerts in first and second week of Dec where he draws more crowd where in during that time if you look most of his crowd pulling peers they usually will not have concerts as they are preparing for the dec 16 to 31 non stop concerts(I analyse the slots a lot and I tell that from experience). This move is a tactical move to garner more exclusivity and avoid the overlapping share of losing other rasikas who can drift to his prime competitors. Also last year he has indeed worked some how where in he presented in big sabhas and halls for free-Did that ruffle all the sabhas who were not interested to feature him free in a prime slot and a prime sabha.

Also he will have from Jan 01st to Jan10th a series of concerts . In the last 10 years I recollect he was given an exclusive 4 hour concerts where in sabhas like raniseethai hall, mudhra have given him and only him an exclusive 4 hour concerts . Also in the historic past musicians like Karaikudi Mani play one or two concerts only for him . As such he is master tactician to first watch out for exclusivity . He is still a darling for many sabhas as he has the corporate connection and he surely has the high society connection.

But for me what worries me is not the announcement that he is not singing in season as I indeed like his music . As usual when I read any of the TMK baltis ranging from he announcing that he will not sing this season, he will come in a cycle, no pakkavadyams for this concert , I am more worried that he is distancing from *vigorous* music (already bit suffering from fragmentation because of reshuffle). I am also thinking that perhaps he is in the back of the head thinking that he is not able to finish in the top league which is a feeling that I think may have just gone deeply into him - I only wish my loud thinking is wrong .

I have kept wondering why there is worldcup matches for just 2 weeks , why there is olympics for just 2 weeks with athletics and gymnastics clashing.On similiar grounds the Dec 15 to 30 season is a rush for every one - but I enjoy it. I pray and wish TMK have more opportunity to present music where he presents with vigour and without fragmentation of classical music.

pattamaa · Post by **pattamaa** » 13 Jun 2015, 07:07

Here is his detailed explanation..

http://www.dailyo.in/arts/tm-krishna-ca ... /4306.html

One can disccuss on this pages and pages together.

While the problems of december seasons, and behind scene efforts are true issues, I am not sure by not singing in december, will the issues go away?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 08:26

I read the article, and with all of TMK's soul-baring and sharing of it with the rest of the world, I still seem lost in a fog. What's the message? Perhaps it's me who doesn't get it.

Like many here, I like his music, but his 'shuffle up the order' presentation for whatever reason started making me focus more on that process rather than on his self-proclaimed 'forgetting himself and singing' mode. Seemed as though he was playing hopscotch with a solid concert experience which he and his audience could have shared happily without all his deliberate mixing up of the order of items.

In a way, it's like experiencing a Woody Allen movie. I like both these artistes' expression, but the self analysis and resulting social and artistic expressions of TMK in and outside of his art are a bit much--because in a movie, an actor says things to communicate to his audience what the character in the film is about. In a concert, as a musician, one sings to connect with the listeners. An artiste can be anything and everything he wants to be as an individual, but as an artiste, he needs to project that part of himself and share it with the audience to the fullest. At least, that's what is eagerly expected of them by the concert goers.

May be it's me (TMK says it too about himself) in that I'm like someone in my family."And you like Woody Allen?" he asks and shakes his head. May be like him, I don't get the drift of TMK's musical musings and his philosophy (the writer of this piece calls him a philosopher).

So there, whether he wants attention or not, whether he sings this season in Chennai or not,
plenty of attention he gets, as we all keep giving it to him...

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 13 Jun 2015, 09:10

The ills of a system do not condemn it altogether. The music season of Chennai is a pinnacle of development in the world of music and that is what has contributed to it immensely. While TMK is free to choose what he wants, the reason for his quitting the music season (hegemony, e.g. meaning Brahmins) is unconvincing. While it will be wholly welcome if people of other castes (it is a bane that we have to talk in terms of caste, and it becomes prominent the more you try to denounce it) take up the reins, till then the present arrangement is the best. Someone said in a comment on TMK's status in FB, 'Yes, CM is dominated by Brahmins. So what? Every community will nurture its own interest.' TMK is terribly confused between social issues and music. CM will remain elitist even when Brahmins fade into the background.
I wrote already that money is not a consideration in TMK's decisions and his love of CM is authentic as evidenced in its delivery.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 13 Jun 2015, 09:48

Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for sharing the DailyO piece, which says a lot. I have pulled out specific non-repetitive statements therein and list them here with numbers so we can discuss the specifics:

1. My decision to withdraw from the Chennai music season (the December sabha) was neither sudden nor was it triggered by any specific occurrence.
2. it would be dishonest on my part if I don't acknowledge that I have benefited from it, artistically and professionally.
3. Perhaps I should say music has fled from it, because of the noise that pervades it; noise that comes from within the music and beyond.
4. concerts show a lamentable bipolarity: sparsely populated auditoriums for some and unmanageable crowds for the handful superstars.
5. the whole music world is becoming subservient to the idea of the "popular”
6. many wonderful musicians are not just ignored, they, in fact, get to be discarded
7. donations for concert opportunities, middlemen operating at many levels
8. season has become more or less a non-resident Indian (NRI)-driven festival
9. Musicians who have a foot here and in the US also play their part in creating opportunities for their NRI students
10. money is paid, reviews are planted in newspapers
11. How much effort during the season have we made to bring diverse listeners into the art, take this art to other sections of society?
12. the world of Carnatic music is socially stifling and narrow
13. Some of us who are thought to be the powerful stars have rarely even raised the issue of the payments given to our friends and colleagues on the violin, mrudanga, kanjira or ghatam.
14. In the "frenzy of the season" now aided and abated by technology I find it very hard to give myself to the music. I am unable to find the quiet that I need
15. I did try creating an alternative by offering free concerts but the overall atmosphere is so commodified that listening has more or less vanished.
16. the season is only a symptom of a deeper lack of introspection There are of course exceptional individuals
17. the Madras music season has reached anaesthetic tipping point.
18. May be it was always this way and I just did not see it.
19. But now that I do, I cannot remain a participant.

If I am allowed to praphrase, TMK says that
the season has become

noisy
unegalitarian
ugly
unmusical
a negative influence on the art
irrelevant to TMK's goal of creating contemplative, inclusive and "true" music.

My respect for the man goes up for his frank and value-based statements.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 13 Jun 2015, 11:41

Honest and a very admirable reasoning for hos

decision.I am beginning to like him

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 13 Jun 2015, 12:20

According to the New Indian Express it is a "Sabha Shocker."

People's opinions vary: I have no idea if TMK really wants to keep his name in the headlines in this way, or if even he might be a little bemused at so much being made of a small piece of news. He's singing tonight, as it happens. He's singing tonight; he's not singing in December. He'll probably sing lots of other times. So?

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 13 Jun 2015, 12:36

@kvchellapa Sir, while I agree that CM should spread out to everyone, I have faced the problem that sometimes I play CM in my player or laptop and many people around me simply can't get used to it -- even the instrumental ones. They want to hear something that finishes in 3 min flat, loud, simple but "mania" inducing beats, etc... etc... the latest film songs. Others don't want Indian music at all. Some people just don't want ANY music. Not every music listener is a rasika. Most people of my age I know want what I term "use and throw music". My collection of CM music grows by the day, but I'm on my own. No one else close to me has any interest in it.

Which means that today I am now forced to use the earphones permanently (at a low enough volume not to damage my ears I hope) if I want to listen to CM anywhere except my own room in my house. Those days of playing CM all day on the PC speakers are over. I also don't think it's fair to blame one group of people for it either, because even in my own family it seems I'm the only one who actually shows more than a passing interest in CM at all and no, I do not discuss technical points of CM with anyone at home -- the last time I did that face to face was in IITM music club.

On one side it is easy to blame the art for becoming too "eltist" and exclusive -- the loss of music in temples and villages is definitely significant too -- but till today I have not seen any CM lover do anything that would turn anyone away from the music -- you may not believe it, but simply the enthusiasm of some rasikas doesn't appeal to the majority. When we are talking of other communities, it refers to only those communities actually seriously taking up the music, and even this is I think a small number before the whole population.

The influence of other styles of music and the patience of the average listener are far more significant factors IMHO that turn people away from CM.

@Rsachi, TMK makes several points. While I don't agree with some of the things he has written about (such as what he thinks of lighter compositions) - the problems of urbanization, commercialization, acoustics, community domination, sexism, poor and unfair renumeration, poor acoustics, slots for dollars, shoddy newspaper reviews, non-recognition of real talent, the difficulties faced by upcoming and talented kids, the lack of proactive effort of the average rasika to play their part in making a difference, the stressed out lives of professional musicians, lack of understanding of the history and evolution of our music, reluctance to embrace other paradigms, the issue of having to listen to compositions in unfamiliar languages or music without any language, the lack of numbers to sustain more than a handful of popular artistes, the decline in audiences for instrumental music, the necessity to improve teaching standards, the necessity to archive and preserve our valuable recordings, and the pernennial problem of music as an art for the soul vs music as a profession are all definitely important issues within the CM community. But the most important point is, these are all things one has to deal with after you get into Carnatic Music.

Outside the CM circles, the real problem is a much more simple one - getting into CM in the first place! It has less to do with "CM being narrow and socially stifling" and more to do with the fact that this music has always been something for the enthusiasts and not everyone wants a DSLR, do they? It takes a committed and sustained interest to stay with Carnatic Music, to go beyond the 1st 5 minutes that most new listeners will ever spare for it, to at least listen to a few minutes of CM everyday, or to listen to CM for a second day, or a second time even, which is easy for children and not so easy once people get even a bit older -- and most people will not do that. Believe me, by far the biggest problem of 'em all in CM is to get a new listener to listen to it a second time!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 13 Jun 2015, 13:17

SrinathK,
You have made so many points!
I am in a minority of one in my family as an avid Carnatic rasika. Others have moved away after learning CM.

I feel TMK has made a very honest "from the heart" decision and I respect him for it.

Whether he will introduce radical reform into the field of CM is a totally different matter.

I think almost every field of social and cultural activity is going downhill for a variety of inexorable reasons. The one obvious reason in my opinion is the demand for "instant gratification", "all is fair in... as long as you aren't caught."

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 13 Jun 2015, 14:06

@Rsachi, I edited my post up there a little bit. Here's the part I added : '...by far the biggest problem of 'em all in CM is to get a new listener to listen to it a second time!"

Too much work stress these days and many other factors these days - you have to be a real enthusiast to listen to CM today. But whoever is in it for the long haul has made a friend for life

-- and that is something that can be very easily done from infancy (and before) but as soon as one gets even slightly older ... <sigh> The truth about the CM audience is that the rasika is an enthusiast, one who is "bred" for the job.

I don't mean to be offensive, but it's true.

CM has never at any time in history been as accessible to society as it is today thanks to mobiles and the internet and yet it seems to be balanced by the need for more proactive interest from today's listeners? Or has it always been this way?

And here's another one : http://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/j ... a.features

However an interesting article I once read about WCM implies that people have been making the "decline" complaint for almost a thousand years! But here we are now, and the music still survives.

I have found the entire recorded legacies of old era WCM musicians on Youtube -- no one's complaining. Looks like WCM really stopped selling then (despite throw away prices) and this is the only way to go. At least we can be rest assured that unless there is a global cataclysm of some sort, the recorded legacy of CM is safe.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 13 Jun 2015, 14:40

In Nov. 1978, I was lucky to hear a Beethoven 5th Symphony live in Berlin Philharmonic. The cassettes sold there were VERY expensive for me. A few weeks later I saw the full set of Beethoven's symphonies on cassette by Deutsche Gramofon at a shop near King's Cross in London being sold for something like £100 or so. I asked the storekeeper how come they were ao costly. He said sagely that if you wanted the best music, it would always be costly. They were chrome tapes with Dolby B rec.

The Bayreuth Wagner festival ticket costs a ton and is sold out for years.

CM can also be elitist and costly, but the very spirit of Indian arts is to make them accessible to all. "No easy path to knowledge" need not mean "no easy access to listening". I thank the AIR radio for being truly egalitarian. And even today, AIR Bangalore is doing a fine job.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 13 Jun 2015, 15:11

CM will be truly eltist the day I feel even a back row ticket price is unaffordable.

But a few home concerts uploaded to the Tube once a while can't hurt, or could it?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 13 Jun 2015, 16:56

Why once in a while? You can find at least 500 hours of excellent music in HD video today free on the web. Plus various streaming and sharing services. Plus blogs like Parvathi. Plus the king of archives: sangeethapriya! Plus AIR. Plus Arkay and Parivadini.....

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 13 Jun 2015, 19:27

While whatever happens behind the scenes may be true,but when musicians settle down on the dias at Music Academy,i found that performances could by characterized by the classicism and true to tradition.Most of the artists give their best and music flows uninterrupted without speeches.I cannot understand what is ailing music as such.The process of getting funds and other behind the scene activities are part of the game as without funds the show cannot go on.If you go by the list of musicians who perform,merit looks to be the only criteria.When you compare with the bills for eating in AC restaurants,the ticket prices are really cheap.Particularly Music Academy has kept the rates very less for balcony.The concerts are conducted systematically and i do not find TMK's remarks convincing.May be he knows more about behind the scene activities than me.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 19:47

Srikanth,
Your posts are worth reading in any thread, and you are a typical example of a young person who can get attached to CM and can enjoy it to the full. There are others here, all different in how they got to be this way--family and surroundings come into it, but elitism? In the days when not every household had a radio, there would be youngsters who would go to listen to a concert in their friends' houses, listen to music anywhere--by a window when music was played, in the park where you could hear AIR music aired. Elitists?

By the same token, some concert goers are not rasikAs. Those can be called elitist, of course.
It's the same as in the western classical music scene--rich, city dwelling, culture-seeking individuals include CM in their activities, just as going to the club to play tennis? They are in the minority, of course.

In general, CM may be brahmin caste-based by the number of rasikAs you see in a hall, just as you see more of the senior set, but let's not forget the number of outstanding and humbler artistes who are part of CM history until today.Yes, they have not given their due--just as women, those from a different state--and the list goes on.

Music has the power to draw audience--it doesn't necessarily have to be CM. So, we cannot expect all to turn to CM! I cannot see most baseball fans in this country to ever show any interest in a game of cricket!

The brahmin community has absorbed CM through generations as a cultural expression for one reason or the other, and that has had its impact.

Yet, to say that it is exclusive to them is far fetched. we leave out many of those excellent musicians and rasikAs (many patrons among them) from the past and in the present.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 19:51

Bhagwan,
You make some valid points as a consumer too. In a business oriented world of today, the consumer being satisfied is a big factor.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 13 Jun 2015, 19:56

Classical, serious music is elitist by nature. Even for those of us who claim that we are merely emotionally reactive, and not in any way scholarly or appreciative of technical points, it still requires more work, more effort, to listen to long serious pieces than it does to three minutes of pop. In this respect, though, one can self-elect to the elite: there are no background checks done before they let us into a concert.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 20:44

Nick,
We are using the word 'elite' in two different senses, I think. You mean it in our cultivating in ourselves a finer ear and in trying to understand the music we care to listen to. I used the word 'elite' earlier in a shallow sense of keeping up with the one's societal role models--not forgetting that there are some true music lovers among them as well.

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 13 Jun 2015, 20:47

Perhaps there are frogs and wells, and some frogs wonder if the well isnt perfect, while other frogs are either perfectly happy with it, or think "in spite of all these faults, home is still home

?

While I still prefer the kind of music he used to give before (i find his current style too monotonous for me - but I know many people who love it and find it very meditatave), and also dont always agree with everything he says, I actually agree with more/most of his points than not. I can certainly follow/understand his logic for dismissing his own style in the past (e.g. when he said in the past, he knew exactly what to do to get a rousing applause, and thus it was formulaic) - although I still liked that style better

Arun

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 13 Jun 2015, 21:35

TMK is dramatizing the whole thing. The flaws in the music season reflect those in the larger society. When I read foreign novels, I get a feeling humanity behaves as one species.
TMK has that extra energy (he himself said of it in a speech as a remark from his wife) which extends his teens. His penchant for that elusive egalitarianism and justice is nothing new; far greater persons have worked at it; and it will continue as long as humanity does not evolve into a superior species; it is good to fight for them. But, to make out that he is doing it and others are shirking by working with the system is non-sense.
I have no respect for his frankness and honesty of purpose as his language is strident and manner rambunctious; he is flagrantly offensive and suggests that all others are dishonest (something like Kejriwal).
The music season is doing a world of good to music. I met a person who came from Kerala for the music, not for the noise or any other attraction, stayed in a room for the season. Another came from Srilanka, a student from middle class. There are many such. SRSM people from Bengaluru visit there in the season to book the artists as all are available then. There are many benefits. The artists benefit in no small way. Mercifully, TMK himself has acknowledged that he has benefited.
His reasons do not convince me. NRIs add muscle. So what? All along rajas and the rich have patronized the art. It would not have survived otherwise. The musicians make business deals. They are in the profession and have to further their profession. What is wrong? Did he not promote his book in his concerts by making the organisers to announce it and offering to sign in the copy? Some concerts are sparsely attended and some overcrowded. Even in off season, it is so. What is the solution? Should not the sabhas be complimented that they are hosting artists who are unlucky to be patronized? The sabhas are not trying to diversify the audience. He is kidding. CM is not something you can spread like tappankutthu pattu. What sensible effort could have been made to attract people to CM. A very small percentage of Brahmins are interested in CM. Even among those, it is doubtful how many will give priority over another engaging event like cricket or tennis. Music has fled from the season? Are the thousands of people who run there fools? Are they there for the noise and bhajji and gossip only? Or, does he mean it has fled now because he is not going to sing? The CM is a socially stifling and narrow? Only in season? He made a funny point in an interview that others are prevented from attending the concerts by the subconscious will of the Brahmins. Not being a student of psychology, I leave it to the experts to paraphrase it. Are the points applicable only for the season? (His reasons for the tirade against the concert format are as funny).
It would have been far better if he had worked in the system and tried for improvement. Offering free concerts and dictating to the sabhas that season ticket holders also should stand in queue with others was a funny solution to correct the ills. He has clout by birth and by his professional competence, which could have been better harnessed in a becoming way to extenuate some of the ills of the system, than making noise in public forum.
As it is, his exit from the mega event, which is a historic development, something that does Chennai proud, is a reaction that is not on balanced consideration. He could have quit silently perhaps

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 13 Jun 2015, 22:45

T M K has added naatak to his list of skills

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jun 2015, 23:05

Harimau,
sangeeth naatak and no Academy?

Chellappa,
Loved your post. I tried to, but couldn't say it all as well as you could!

Arun,

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 13 Jun 2015, 23:25

@NickH, More than elitist, I would prefer to use the word "enthusiast". The enthusiast describes the rasika type best suited for CM. Even here though despite listening since before I could speak my first words, I am only now beginning to feel the enormous effort required to sit through and absorb the size of it all. You see, I have decided to make a note of every song I hear with it's raga, tala (w/ kalai and eduppu) and composer as I was not too happy that there is no list out there that has the specific tala details I needed. It's far from perfect and there are a lot of points to improve on, but here's the point. The condition is that I must at least be familiar with the opening lines of the song, if not the whole song for it to be on my list. Why? Because I decided I needed a challenge, otherwise it wouldn't bring out my best effort... -- ok I was a music student with the potential but for various reasons I couldn't learn as much as I would have liked, but the fires never died. I have always wanted to remain a student of the music.

At first it was easy going. I realized then how much I had absorbed over the last 25 years, the overwhelming majority of it in the last 8 years. But by the time I had got to around the 600 mark, I realized I was sailing in uncharted waters. Now I was out of my comfort zone completely as a listener and I had to put in a lot of effort to listen to every subsequent song and gain at least some familiarity with the unknown. Somehow I've got to 966 as of today, but the last 400 or so of those aren't nearly as familiar as the others before them.

I needed to evolve a new technique altogether for getting familiar with unknown repertoire based on a process of spaced repetition -- making it a point to listen to one composition at least 3-4 times in a week. At first it was very hard and even my (young and still plastic) brain found it tough -- I had sped up the listening process 10x. The biggest enemy was my own comfort zone. My mind would have gladly settled to listen to a familiar Thyagaraja krithi I had heard dozens of times before -- what was I doing wrestling my memory with an Oothukaadu Navavarna anyway?

Call me crazy, but it has it's benefits. My musical grasping capability has never been higher! I memorized the entire Ksheera sagara Shayana in mayamalavagowla (Dhruva talam - 4 kalai) in just 3 days. Now a days I sit with a lyrics note in my laptop whenever I listen to any song and it's usually not so hard to find online. Still, the target of 2000 compositions I set for myself feels like Mt. Everest and why won't it? But I'm lovin' every second of it.

Now I can begin to appreciate the sizes of some musician's repertoires.

What I've learnt is -- consistent listening is the name of the game. Dedicated and planned listening brings out potential in you that you never believed you were capable of. Even with so many years of listening, I realized I had fallen into a comfort zone of a few hundred songs at the most and it would be an uphill task to plunge even deeper into the music I loved. Which is something rather extreme considering that most people I know have a better chance of plunging twice into the Ganga river at Gangotri than to plunge twice into a 10 min CM listening session ....

Can't blame them for it. And I haven't told anyone about it either, because I am crazy enough as it is

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 13 Jun 2015, 23:32

OK OK OK. HALT!

RELAX. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU READ LAST POST.

I did not imply that you need to listen like I am to follow Carnatic music -- if anything this may have given you the impression that CM may not be even for the elitist, but for the truly insane. That is not my point... my goals are crazy therefore so are my methods. If you want to widen your kelvi gnanam you may do what I did. But the point is this :

What I have realized is that to be a rasika of CM is very simple, not difficult at all. Even listening 10-15 min a day regularly on a sustained basis with the openness to listen to new things and go beyond what becomes familiar has HUGE implications in the long run. That is all that is really required to make a lifetime rasika of CM. If one has the patience and time, one can listen to the bigger items and I would strongly recommend a few live concerts in a year. It's that simple. But few will listen from Day 2 on....that is the difficult part.

@arasi I am NOT going to get into the community and commercial debates.

I am just a music lover and let it be just that!

Our music had always been at the top of the game as far as accessibility is concerned. If WCM is the comparison yardstick for elitist, than CM is definitely a lot closer to the common man than anywhere near elitist. But yet while internet accessibility has increased exponentially, still only another MMI could probably draw everyone down to the rickshaw drivers down to the concert. In my opinion, the LIVE PERFORMANCE today is somehow not as down to earth as it used to be, though how much of this is due to the influence of other forms of entertainment is a different subject altogether. There are enough free concerts by many talented artistes where one can go and sit in peace, free from worries of not being able to find a chair so I cannot claim that there are less opportunities for today's music lovers. But I think today we have too many choices and what is more demanding will give way.

The irony is that never has the music been so accessible from some angles, but never has it been harder to persuade your near and dear to come to a kutcheri today! Nevertheless, I don't think we need to fear. CM has always been facing survival issues across history and has nevertheless survived and evolved through it all. Besides, we are really budget friendly as compared to WCM !