Can we define an audience for CM?

[kvchellappa]

Opinions roll out now and then whether the CM audience is rightly oriented (Madras audience is not, I have understood). Strong ideas emerge as to what is right rasikatva. Is there a yardstick for rasikatva so long as the music in question is CM (not filmy or fusion or HM biased)?
When is a musician playing to the gallery? If he is singing the songs an audience laps up despite repetition, can it amount to playing to the gallery when the rendition is authentically classical? If so, was MMI playing to the gallery?
Is it right to brand and assign fancy terms to an audience because they like a musician, no matter someone else hates him just for that reason prima facie? If a musician attracts audience and rave reviews concert after concert, place after place and day after day, and several leading artists accompany him, can it be that all are sheep and only those who can throw a technical jargon here and there and use figurative expressions, are the cognoscenti?
Is it not that we need variations in style (bani, patantaram) for a healthy CM environment? SSI said how MMI, MDR and he had their own styles (product differentiation?). Each teacher tells his student not to do eeyadicchaan copy. When an artist brings a new angle that fascinates, does it not enrich CM?
Is our view of the artist to be dimmed by comparisons between one artist and another or between the comparative recognition of different artists or by the skewed patronage of various artists?
How is an ordinary rasika to view the difference in perception? Is he to feel low that his taste is subpar? Is he to look in awe at the self-certified experts reeling out choice phrases in bitterness and malice? Is he to deny himself the joy of listening to music that is soul stirring in his state of development? Is he to be humiliated by expressions that are discourteous, to say the least?

[SrinathK]

It is for the rasika to understand that art is inherently subjective. When you are a public figure it is not a matter of if people will disagree, it is a question of when and how vehemently As a rasika, it is also going to be a matter of when you will meet that person who thinks your favourite artiste is <insert disagreeable or offensive phrases here>. No artiste can please everyone at once. The perfect world doesn't exist. As Ramana Maharishi would have said, it is better to simply be the witness who sees this all come and go and enquire as to who is the witness. I can't guarantee that will immediately give self realization , but it will calm you down, keep you in the moment and stop you from hanging on to past wounds, which when you look at it calmly are only troubling us as memories. The real experience only happens in the present moment. Most importantly we will not break our heads over topics that will probably never come to one conclusion - sometimes silence itself is the best solution to nearly all these issues, it is the only sound on which there can be universal agreement.

Then only the music and whatever that inspires us to appreciate it better remains. For us to pick and enjoy as each of us please. You are already the audience and you are defining it all the time.

[kvchellappa]

Thanks. Let me learn silence and art of living now.

[SrinathK]

And in silence one gets an improved idea after a while - see there are so many questions on a wide range of topics about both musicians and audiences at once that I feel we can turn this into a survey and see the response is which could offer us some idea as to what CM listeners expect.

I will reply after I reach home. Smartphones...

[hnbhagavan]

I don't think you can define audience for any art or show.The audience assemble themselves.Certain type of movies are seen by drivers,laborers and the like.These movies are not seen by higher taste audience.This is true for even for carnatic music.In fact you cannot get same audience for two concerts of different artists.Audience get defined only for organised courses as the streams and in take are defined.
Audience who attend vocal music do not attend instrumental concerts.
This being the case it is a great challenge even to attempt definition of audience for CM....

[varsha]

I exhort experts to attend the vidya ganapati celebrations held annually in shimoga.
i have shared pictures with friends ( cant locate them now) of
bunche of traffic constables standing with caps in hand , after duty . and stay till the mangalam

a particular cow which nudges me from the place where i stand to claim its position at an appointed time which is about fiftteen mts into the concrrt.

the priest who has come out for part of the rituals taking a break from the chains of routine and stopping to hear the pleas of a long gone composer

also remember a day in chennai when the screen was yet go up.the mother artist must have whispered to her four yesr old kid to count the strength of audience.
out came the kid , counted on his little hands and hollered
mama four peple onlyi



.

[kvchellappa]

I would request Arasi to write a poem of what Varsha has conveyed.
What a delightful group!

[VK RAMAN]

Audience in CM are a bunch of spectators or listeners who come with the purpose of enjoy, criticize, socialize, show off their dress and jewelry and finally enjoy the food served at the canteen during and after concert. Some put taalam and loudly sing to impress the audience around their chair.

[Nick H]

Definition (with thanks to hnbhagavan's post) of CM audience: Us

[arasi]

RasikAs and Music...

A very merry go round this,
Of humans and music--then
Amid the gleeful sounds--
The vyavahAram, very much
Its core, a constant hum we need--

But explode, should it? In our faces?
When the child state of bliss gets
Smothered in the sharp clanging
Of drawn swords and cry of dares?

Where art, in its mellifluous flow?
Where, when silenced by uproar?
Where its nectar course--when
Words of venom empty into it?

'unnaiyE nI unnip pAr!', said RamaNA
What better way to do it but with music?
Even if we half way succeed, if we ever do--
Where's room there for viciousness?

Varsha rains wisdom with his pastoral past
When man, child, cattle met in music--
His modern ways of sharing that bliss
Do not make him forget that state of being

Under the ever green tree of music,
We, all and sundry come to rest--
In that music which unites, we hope
Our differences are bundled away--

Musicians bring us their art, not their lives--
Just the art which is also their life--
They come not to share our lives--
Only their love for their art they find in us

To share their bounty--just that--
Take it or leave it--no one compels--
Find another tree, savor its shade,
Speak of it, let others share or not

In the end, this universal thing, this magic, music--
Is for all to share, human, animal, and above all--
For 'unnaiyE nI unnip pAr! 'to guide us in our pursuit
Of whatever we can find of life, with music, magic...

* * * *

[arasi]

Chellappa,
You asked for it, and you know you can't shut me up easily!

[kvchellappa]

Thank you.

[priyaram78]

As said in the earlier post, yes it is difficult to describe the audience for carnatic music. There are many who dont like carnatic music for many different reasons. But there is surely one basic quality which most of the people who regularly attend carnatic concerts have. Appreciation and some Regard for the Divine Leelas of God and an interest in listening to the Praises of a higher power whether it is Sri Krishna, Sri Rama or Devi. All the Kritis of carnatic music composed by Great composers who themselves were devotees describe the beauty of deities and their Divine Powers. Even one who attends a concert for intellectual, scholarly reasons, including also one who is not much into carnatic music, cannot remain seated without being moved listening to the heart rending devotion filled Kritis at some point. The Raagams, the lyrics, everything have a unique Divine power. Thats the greatness of Carnatic Music.

[thanjavooran]

Arasi,
One word. Excellent explanation!
Thanjavooran
23 08 2015

[munirao2001]

KVC Sir,
Q.1. Is there a yardstick for rasikatva so long as the music in question is CM (not filmy or fusion or HM biased)?
A. Yes. One’s own choice of goal- Attainment of spiritual blissful moment(s) or attainment of pleasure
Q.2. When is a musician playing to the gallery?
A. When the intent, content and delivery aspects and planned and executed to command and receive the appreciation arisen out of emotions of excitement and surprise elements, unmindful of compromise (s)on quality of excellence.
Q.3. Is it right to brand and assign fancy terms to an audience because they like a musician?
A. It is right for creating and cultivating a group(s) who prefer the ease and comfort of being with a large group, objectively assessing, unquestioningly and derive pleasure. It is not right for groups (s) who are unconditional and take efforts to listen with knowledge and qualitative subjective assessment.
Q.4. Is it not that we need variations in style (bani, patantaram) for a healthy CM environment?
A. Style is instinct and it’s natural. The intent is critical to judge quality. If the intent is offering pleasure for one’s own self gratification even with compromise on excellence, it is unhealthy for any Classical art. Style being method and manner in delivery, mostly results in distortions, creates habituation and affects the quality. Artist attaining the popularity creates the benchmark, craving for such method and manner and its poor imitation.
Bani is re creativity of the original creativity with variation but with integrity to uphold the quality in the original creativity. Patantaram purity is respect and reverence to the original creativity and its value(s) and its offer to the rasika with re creativity of the original in its pure and pristine form meeting the recall pleasure needs.
Q.5. Is our view of the artist to be dimmed by comparisons between one artist and another or between the comparative recognition of different artists or by the skewed patronage of various artists?
A. Need for comparison is a cultivated trait and habit (deep in memory and conditional). It requires training the mind to attain the state of being unconditional. Minimal efforts required to go with popular stream. It requires greater knowledge and efforts to assess the quality, its resultant pleasure or bliss in subjective reasoning and logic of art and its role.
Q.6. How is an ordinary rasika to view the difference in perception?
A. If ‘ordinary’ rasika is a rasika who is not discerning rasika with minimal knowledge and efforts for true one’s own enjoyment, such rasika will only find comfort with the perceptions of identity and image established and willingly endorses or promotes for his own sense of security in the choice.
Sir, I hope I have answered to your questions meeting your acceptance. If not you are welcome to raise further questions.
munirao2001

[shankarank]

It may help if rasikas in this forum record their experiences of their first foray into listening - how their tastes evolved as they heard more.

Serious rasikas provide more authentic data - and in every step of the way from appreciating a popular song to be a discerning listener - I consider them authentic!

[VK RAMAN]

Retired, nothing else to do, who had grown in music oriented family during younger days, ease and comfort of being with a large group, part time engagement, majority not interested in engaging in referral, not rich enough to buy tickets and attend, living close by sabhas, looking for cheap food, etc etc - making these comments as controversial ones

[shankarank]

VKR - are you the flautist who performed in CLT, IIT Chennai once late 80s/early 90s or so? You are so dejected always!

[arasi]

VKR, as I know him: lives in the US, loves bhajans, sings in them too? A good singer himself, you can find him on Youtube...

80s, 90s, studied in Chennai? No. He is among the golden agers here!