Dec 27, 2010

Favorite Seat in the House?

For the past several seasons, I have sat behind my guru, Sri Sanjay Subrahmanyan, on the dais for most, if not all, of his concerts, especially around the December season time. This season, after the first couple of concerts, I decided to sit in the audience and listen to the concert from a different angle. I commented to someone that I was hearing his Music Academy concert from the front view after probably 7 years, or maybe more, as even before sitting on the dais behind him, I used to sit on the stage off to the side of the dais.

Even when sitting on stage behind him, I always preferred to sit behind the violinist so that I could see Sanjay Sir's facial expressions as opposed to sitting directly behind him where I would not be able to see anything except the audience.

It made me wonder where people prefer to sit when they go to a concert. Obviously this will vary from sabha to sabha, but what makes you prefer one area/seat over another?

This is completely non-technical and just something I've been wondering this season, as I made the decision to sit in the audience this time around for most concerts.

-Sandeep

8 comments:

  1. I would prefer to sit among the audience any where - either first row or balcony.. If they allow audience on the dias, then I would like to sit behind the violinist so that I could see the expressions of the singer and the percussionists.

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  2. I prefer sitting on stage - somehow, I always enjoy a concert more when I'm sitting down, cross-legged :)

    Of course, it's entertaining to listen to the comments of the audience while sitting among them - some of them are pretty hilarious - once at a concert in Bangalore, a 'mama' thought that 'Goula' ragam was 'GouDa' and thought that the artist performing that day had some political connections.. :-D

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  3. @Sandeep - forgot to mention, loved your Guru's Academy concert - incidentally, I was sitting on stage,a bit behind Varadarajan Sir that day

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  4. Depends on the auditorium. First consideration would be where the audio is balanced. Secondly, if it is a concert where the artists demand high level of amplification, as far away from the speakers as possible. In fact, at a recent kutchaer, I preferred to sit outside the auditorium where the audio levels were at a comfortable level.
    Srinivasamurthy

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  7. My Chittappa (Sri NSG) has rarely NOT asked me to sit with him on stage....But when it is Bhaktavatsalam sir who is the Mridangist I insist on sitting with the audience. I love to see him play! His round face becomes soooo cute and childish and his round body starts bouncing up and down in excitement during the tani! I just love the sight!

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  8. generally i prefer to sit in the audience...

    and for some selected concerts i would like sit on the dias, just because i want to hear what the artistes are hearing...

    during my early years with TK Murthy sir i made sure i sit right behind him especially whenever Harishankar plays with my guru... just to see Hari anna in close quarters and also to feel the vibration of him...

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