General Buzz 2015

Social Media Reports the Season; What is happening. What more can be done

28 December 2015

Before the era of Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, rasikas who used to flock to the sabhas for the 'season' congregated in the sabha canteens (yes, offline) to discuss the pros and cons of the concert and read The Hindu for news and info.

Today, rasikas (even the seniors) are latched on to new technology which has disrupted the way we consume sabha/ concert news and our feelings on the music / dance.

I am a huge user of content and applications during the 'season' and I wish to share my observations of what the buzz has been in this area during this 'season'.

1. Each and every song at a concert that tech-users attend gets listed on friends' status updates, so you not only know what is happening in the sabha where you are at but also get to known about the nature of music at other recitals in the city. Concerts are no longer subject to the lone newspaper critic's reviews. Communities in sabhas with broader range of interests influence the way we look at a performance. There are no more anonymous rasika fora.

2. There were many changes in sabha schedules this year (due to the floods) and thanks to the overwhelming presence of the artistes on social media, we got the updates directly from them. Guide books were rendered redundant. Many artistes post their concert schedules - more is expected of them hence.

3. Most artistes are actively engaging with their fans on social media — a crucial step that has solidified their bond with the audience. Post-concert, they share photos. Perhaps, they can also post their own concert experience hence!

4. The sabha world's traditional control over the way artistes communicate to the world has been shaken by the power of the Internet. As has their creative works.

So, if Sanjay Subhramanyan has recorded a new song on 'Gum Road', we are instantaneously treated to a 'sneak peek' or a preview on his timeline. Fan photography has become common place and now rasikas are taking selfies backstage and posting them.

5. An essential tool to make the most out of this era's season is the mobile app, which ensures that we are only a finger-tap away from the virtual Margazhi music world. One example is Chennai Past Forward's 'Music Season App' - a ready reckoner on concert schedules. Tata Communication Services, last year released its own App.

6. Need to procure a ticket for a 'hot-seller' show in the most hassle-free way? If you are connected to the right group on WhatsApp, FB or Twitter, your need can be crowd sourced for you.

7. Geeky rasikas now provide a running commentary as the kutcheri progresses and give you useful information such as names of ragas or the quintessential witty remarks or 'vumboids' which is popularized by V. Sriram. All this gives a 'now' understanding of the concert.

8. Tech-platforms have proved to be a boon for up and coming artistes who use them to establish their presence and reach out to a new audience. Keen and sharp rasikas who alert us on social media of a good show by youngsters coax us to attend their next one.

The 'season' can make do with more tech-usage. Here are some suggestions -

1. Even the elderly rasika is fast taking to this the tech-engagement but many sabhas are lagging in its use. Why isn't there a one-window online ticketing option to make it more rasika-friendly? Most of the sabhas allocate only a small portion of seats to be sold online. The halls mostly open their counters only at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. - do you expect rasikas to waste time just hanging around? The absence of this service is off-putting.

2. The Season pass allocated to members are not 100% used; at the same time, the basic tickets (Rs. 100 or Rs. 200) are given for only 3 rows. It’s sad to see 25/ 50 people return due to non-availability of tickets. Why can’t the sabhas work on a ‘surge pricing’ model that changes with demand/supply, much like the way Uber or Ola function. That’s probably a leaf worth taking out of!

3. The opportunity to listen to podcasts from various sabhas should be increased - Arkay Centre (Luz) had made a great effort - this must be applauded - Arkay even has its own Youtube channel to post its videos of junior artistes. Parivadini also beams out some special webcasts on the eve of the season. But more virtual broadcasts are welcome and may happen too.

Report by Sreemathy Mohan

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