structured with informal interactions between the audiences
and the artists. full halls for Carnatic music (especially in North India) is really
something special.
Tell us about some of the challenges you face while creating the line-
up for the summit You had a stellar line up this year in terms of performances. How
important do you think it is to combine and bring artists of different
genres together on one single stage?
With so much talent in our country - it is always difficult to
decide what to leave out rather than what to put in. Which is
why you find a musical abundance of riches at the summit.
Keeping the balance between genres - as well as keeping the
underlying principle to be one of excellence is always a concern.
Ek Sacha Sur - our tagline is at the back of our minds all the
time and we try and stay true to that. It is also a challenge to
curate performances which are exclusive to the summit as
they have to be conceptualised and then commissioned to the
relevant artists. With all of the above however, I have to say
that the musicians are willing to experiment and respond very
positively to new ideas some of which have been seen over the
last 3 editions.
What is your biggest aim through this summit?
Our biggest aim here is to create a significant platform for
our rich heritage and all genres of Music where the audience
commits their time for 2-3 days to hear, seek, learn, talk
and discover music. All those who come to the summit have
committed that time towards this deep immersion into music
- something that is very difficult to achieve when people
lead such busy lives. The aim to develop discerning musical
audiences who are able to take in what’s on offer and also to get
the musicians to delve deep into their learning and creativity
and offer performances which are special. Classical and folk
music take centre stage at the summit.
How do you think the audience reactions and behaviour has changed
since the first year?
To start with there are more numbers. Also the profile of the
audience is what is amazing to see - there are people coming
from all over from South Africa to Nasik from Pune to Bhopal.
And Jaipur has responded well. Such a big cultural initiative is
bringing people from all over who are ready to invest their time
and money and they then like to experience all aspects of the
summit from early morning sessions to the master classes, to
films, late night sessions and even the food. The commitment of
time is a big deal these days and we find that people are willing
to make that investment if you make it worth their while. Also
to see audiences enjoying the nuances of classical music with
People are not uni-dimensional in their taste for music. If you
give them an opportunity to listen to different things, they
respond. The mistake often made is when we try and judge what
we think the audiences will respond to. That's not how human
reactions work. The very nature of man is to seek and find. If
your intent is pure and you offer the “excellence factor”, no
matter what genre it is - people will respond. Music is ingrained
in our very DNA as a country. So it’s really important to give
people that access in order for them to discover, rediscover
and/or find their musical quotient.
People do tell us that they find it difficult to attend two great sessions
happening at the same time in different venues. Is there a way this
can be addressed in the coming editions?
Well - nothing about discovery is convenient. You have to
make a choice - as you choose from a great gourmet menu at a
restaurant. You cannot order everything. It is this very process
that leaves you asking for more, seeking more and feeling that
your musical journey is not complete. While we do understand
that people want to see everything, the musical energy that is
produced in having simultaneous sessions where people go
from one to the other and make a choice is something special. I
have seen people give up on their lunch, dinner and breakfast
in order to be on time for a session. That is really gratifying.
Having said that- the schedule will be looked at to ensure
that people find it easier to attend some of the bigger concerts
without a conflict.
What can the summit goers look forward to in the year 2020?
A lot of new things. New talent - that needs to be discovered,
new concepts, more venues. Will be revealed closer to the date.
Your message to the people who couldn’t make it for this
year’s summit
If you are a music lover and could not make it in 2019 - watch
this space for information on IMS 2020 - Your musical journey
doesn’t get better than this. This is a musical movement - join it.
The
Score Magazine
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