As a musician-cum-organiser, I’m often asked what makes me organize event after event, month after month, year after year, in the midst of my hectic performance schedule. The short answer I always give is: passion. The long answer is: an undiluted passion for Carnatic music that makes me constantly think and innovate, to put in the mammoth efforts to organize an event of any scale and makes me willing to take risks where necessary.
So can anyone with a passion for Carnatic music become an organizer? Passion is a necessary but not sufficient condition, I say. The zeroth rule of being an organizer is to know that organisers are not all born organisers!
Being an organizer can be a lot of fun, but can also be demanding — it requires you to don several hats at once, that of an unbiased decision-maker, with zero levels of ego yet not sacrificing your self-esteem and to always bear in mind that the art is above the artist, the organization and the patrons.
Step one of organizing is to conceptualize an event well – think of a concept that will appeal to rasikas and for which you can get a good mix of artists who can provide both education and entertainment on stage. Don’t get too carried away by a desire to do an event that’s never been attempted before; keep in mind that almost any good concept can be made into a successful event, provided it is packaged well. Think about whether and how Carnatic music will benefit from your event, who the target audience is, the appropriateness of place and time, the brand value of the artists you want to feature – all of these factors in turn contribute to the brand value of your event. Look beyond personal preferences, think about what kind of music and event rasikas will appreciate best. Never stray from the traditional path that you have been taught to follow by your gurus. If you’re a musician yourself, it is important not to feel insecure when you make your list of artists!
Make a checklist and strike items off it as you go along. For instance, book an auditorium on the best available dates and then book artists within your budget; some of the ones you intended to invite may be available, many may not. Plan B is, therefore, imperative. Irrespective of whether the artists you book are stars or not, treat them with respect – and respect goes well beyond financial compensation! The line-up of artists should be as diverse as a concert song list and should offer enough to all kinds of rasikas.
Think of an aesthetic backdrop for your stage, something that will look professional and lend a touch of class to your event.
The most important step though is to get sponsors for your event. The event must enthuse prospective sponsors enough for them to part with their money! More often than not, it is difficult to come up with a self-sustaining business plan without finances already in place, given the number of variables involved in organizing an event. However, you must be ready to take risks, as sponsors will likely not part with their money unless you show them a blueprint of the event, the list of artists performing, the venue you have booked, the promotional and branding means available to them and finally whether the event fits with their brand image!
In the midst of all this are the purists who will scoff at the idea of ‘marketing’ Carnatic music or any events associated with it! Not many countries are fortunate to have as great a culture and history as India. Nothing wrong, therefore, with boasting about it, and doing enough to promote an event – on social and print media, via press releases, coverage on TV if possible and perhaps even web-streaming it so the entire world can watch.
Also important to bear in mind is that after all the days and months of hard work, sometimes the only reward you will get is a few kind words from a handful of rasikas. A successful organizer never gives up though. When the good words dry up, and when sponsorship seems scarce, a good organizer comes up with other means to fund his events, and continue to do what he is passionate about, regardless of bouquets and brickbats!
What would be great though would be to have a healthy ecosystem in Carnatic music, with adequate support all year round from corporates through their CSR programmes and the government, enabling us organisers to take as many quality events as possible to rasikas, music students and musicians.
Maduradhwani has been, year after year, a brilliantly organized event, put together keeping in mind all the above factors. It is no wonder then that every year, Maduradhwani attracts the best of musicians, connoisseurs and rasikas. The list of performing artists this year is exciting, and beautifully covers a range of genres. There is no doubt, therefore, that Maduradhwani 2015 will be an absolutely grand success!
