A Rasika's Asks of Artists
Here are some humble requests to artists from a rasikā presented as ramblings.
Very Important
Do not announce the rāgam in advance. Part of a rasikā’s enjoyment comes from letting the rāgam roll around in their minds, waiting for that flicker of recognition, and the subsequent feelings it brings up, feelings, memories, nostalgia, familiarity, and such. Announcing it in advance takes away all of that. Instead, ideally announce it after the ālāpanai and before the song. Or, after the song for short pieces where there is no ālāpanai. This gives the rasikā a solid chance to figure out the rāgam, and possibly even guess and anticipate the song based on the presentation of the ālāpanai, without keeping them in the dark for the entire piece should they fail to figure it out by the end of the ālāpanai.
For uncommon rāgams, make a brief introduction to it. Singing Niroshta? Chances are, your audience has not heard it. Talk about the obviously interesting thing about it: what that word means and how the rāgam is constructed.
Speaking about interacting with your audience, please do! Talk about who the composer is, when they lived, and what the composer thought and felt when they were singing it. Present the meaning of the lyrics. This is a huge way in which the audience connects with the piece. This is especially important due to the diversity of languages in Carnātic music and the low probability that the audience even understands the language of the composition. Talk about why you are singing a certain piece, about why it is moving you. On that note, thematic concerts are both fun and educational for the audience and can leave them with a better depth of experience.
Ensure your tālam is clear, visible, and can be followed. Especially when presenting a kalpanāsvaram, your audience must be able to see your tālam. Best if they can see it throughout the entire concert. Some artists have a non-standard or cryptic way of presenting the tālam which makes it impossible to discern what part of the tālam they are in. Don’t be one of them. Is is an instrumental concert? Then have an additional person on stage solely for keeping the tālam and presenting it visually.
For RTPs, please “teach” the audience the pallavi before launching into it. This is doubly important for tricky tālams, nadais, or eduppus. Triply important if this is an instrumental concert. For those, please pick a pallavi that is constructed simply enough that the audience can “hear” it in their heads when you play. And take your time to teach it to them vocally before you start with your instrument.
Insist on a high quality audio experience. For both the in-person audience and an online audience if you plan to record and publish the concert online. The mixing technician should either be able to appreciate Carnātic music or be excellent at taking instructions from you. If you don’t have a technician, learn the basics yourself. There is nothing that makes a concert unwatchable than a sub par audio experience.
Nice to Have
Keep the stage clear of distractions. Remove all unnecessary objects. Four disposable plastic bottles of water with loud labels reflecting light cannot possibly increase the audience’s enjoyment of the concert. Remove them. Hide them behind something. Better yet, use a beautiful flask in a style appropriate for the concert. Remove the mess of wires.