Schedule for Carnatic concerts in Chennai....

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 12:35

greetings all,

Supposedly, if I am an outsider to Chennai and if I want to know about the concerts going on in the city how can i know that? Hindu lists out ...but very limited .
T hough I am often in Chennai there are often times when I miss many good cutcheries in my vicinity for the reason that there are no information of it anywhere. This has happened many a times. Rams of ramsabode does a good job but he can only source from HIndu and from words of mouth ...hence he cannot list them all. I wish there is a slot devoted for this cause so people woudl be able to add whatever they have heard of . how to make it feasible and make that go on order chronology ... rasikas inputs needed...

Vasanthakokilam coudl you take note of this....

ganesh

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 07 Jun 2009, 12:50

The Hindu is actually pretty comprehensive, but the problem is that (although some of the sabhas list their program for the coming month there at the start of each month) that one is limited to seeing today's programs, so there is no help with planning ahead.

I think that Ram's listing is the best there is, so far as out-of-season concerts go.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 07 Jun 2009, 12:56

ganesh: There used to be a calendar feature available at this forum. It is not functional now. Resurrecting that is one solution. Admin srkris will have to look into it.

Second option is: Since Ram's blog is already well known to a lot of people, make that the 'go to' place for full concert lists. You can ask Ram if he has any ideas around the logistics for it, namely, the details surrounding how people with the concert info communicate the info to him? etc., do they update the info directly, like a wiki/public calendar etc.

Third option is for you to take the leadership and maintain a calendar at Google ( for example ). It is free and you can give edit permissions to a bunch of people and read permission to everyone.

Fourth option is to use Google calendar's schedule consolidation feature ( calendar sharing, really ). This is an ideal solution if you can get the various sabhas to get on Google calendar. Let each sabha maintain their own calendar on Google. ( Or on each sabha's behalf someone maintains the calendar in Google ). And we will maintain a consolidated calendar of all those calendars and post the link to the consolidated calendar here at this forum. Then that consolidated calendar is the 'single go-to' place. It takes some boot-strap time for the word to get around. Once there is a critical mass of people checking out the calendar, there will be a lot of incentives for sabhas to get on this band-wagon.

If you need help in setting up a Google calendar please let me know.

Having said that, the big challenge will be to have the concert organizers provide the info and update it as changes occur.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 13:30

I am sure the information sof concerts going on in chennai is not extensive especially the one happening in temples goes unknown.
hindu is the only source though not extensive and on one particular day and this is a real bummer.

sure vasanthakokilam, if you help me out I can do something where people should be able to come in and check the concerts chronologically. I reckon it requires some time while people come voluntarily to say that there is going to be someone's concert coming up which is to be added.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 13:44

http://www.bravenet.com/demo/bravenet-d ... e=calendar

vasanthakokilam ....just check this out too. I did try google calender. but it is a small box for a particular time. i dont know how to list many concerts in it.

say for instance if today and there are some 20 concerts at differenct places starting at particular time.????

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 13:53

http://wpcal.firetree.net/how-to-make-a-new-event/

please check this one too. I am not able to get it fully. but what I suggest is. something like what ramsabode is fine. except that it is a one man show where he has manage the whole think and it is a sure tedium. if you look at hism june concert you woudl not find more than 10 for the whole month. what I suggest is at least some 10 people should have control over it . probably handpicked from this site itself. and all the emails of these ten mods can be listed on to the right of the page and whoever wants to add something coulld send mails to these people and some one can do the job done. it need not contain review or anything but just informatin of venue and date and artistes.

Rasikas being widely know we coudl put up a post asking people to add their programs in that site to reach maximum people. any one coudl send a mail . artiste ..... or sabha or relative of an artiste.

hopefully this one works

Ganesh

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 07 Jun 2009, 20:55

Ganesh: I checked out those links. Yes, any of those tools would work. We have to see if the wordpress blog site supports calendar sharing. Then it is a worthwhile candidate.
Many of our members already have blogs in wordpress.

I agree that in the GC summary view, displaying 20 events for a day would look cluttered.

One good feature of GC is, one can post a link from the calendar for an event and visitors can click on it and add it to their own GC. We have to see if other tools support this.

Whichever solution we adopt, we need to think about calendar sharing. That is quite a useful feature for consolidating events happening in different venues.
Centralized control with a single calendar may work for the CM since the volume of updates is not that high, but it does not scale well.
Calendar sharing has to work both ways. Multiple calendars ( say of each sabaha or group or person ) need to be consolidated in one calendar and from there people can
peel off events and add it to their own calendar.

srkris, if you see this, can you comment on if our site's calendar function can be restored and in what time frame? We will then look at outside tools. Thanks.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 07 Jun 2009, 21:09

I will try the possibility of implementing google calendar on the site.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:00

Performers may have their own blogs, but they may not update them. Even if they do, not many rasikAs visit their blogs on a regular basis. So, to intimate Ram or to use the google calendar for this purpose sounds good. We do have performers or interested parties scattering info about upcoming concerts under different headings in the forum. It would serve them better if they let us know about them in a space specified for this.
It is indeed a pity when listeners are keen to attend concerts but lack resources to find out about them.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:11

arasi says:

It is indeed a pity when listeners are keen to attend concerts but lack resources to find out about them.

-----------------------------------

That is another bummer for carnatic rasikas. One big reason why some of the concerts are almost empty spaces with just few people. Pathetic. the reason being inadequate information..

ram · Post by **ram** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:14

Ganesh,

Unfortunately I have been traveling outside Chennai for more than a month now and haven't been really able to gather information and update the concert listing on the blog during this time as much as I would have wanted to. Will try my best to keep the list updated in the future, though my availability in Chennai and consequently my ability to gather information about concerts happening here will be limited at least for some time to come.

Ram

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:41

thanks Ram,

but it is not a lapse at all. If you have to shoulder it all by yourself it is really a herculean task. I think we can do something about it synergistically. Besides, nobody can disregard that pains you have taken to update it regularly and I usually see your site first for any event. let us keep it going unitedly.

Ganesh

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:59

Ram,
You are the best there is, by all accounts. We do appreciate that you spend time on your service to rasikas inspite of work and of course, with the wedding being just a month away!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 08 Jun 2009, 01:50

srkris: That will be great. That paves the way for adding sabha's calendars straight into our GC as when some sabhas or groups put their stuff on public GC.

Ganesh, if you look at the agenda tab in the top of right hand side of GC, you will see it does what you would expect. A chronological listing of all the events ( native and shared ).

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 07:41

vasanthakokilam .

i am not still able to get it fully. say for instance I did a calender in my gmail under the username ranganaaath and ticked the public option . still i dont get the link if I google the words ranganaaath calender as stated by the site. besides when i type long messages in the description of the calender it does not show up when you press the agende. so far a no-go state for me . check it out when you are free please.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 08 Jun 2009, 09:30

Ganesh: Try this. I set up two calendars under two different accounts and set it as public. It is [email protected] and [email protected]

In your calendar, on the left hand side, you will see an option 'Add a friend's calendar'. Click on it and enter [email protected] . And repeat the same for [email protected]

All the events from both calendars will show up in your calendar. Click on Agenda ( top right ) and it will show what I put in 'What', 'Where' and 'When'.
For the full description, click on an agenda item and click on More details.

( You better start preparing for the event I scheduled at the Music Academy Mini Hall.

)

Others can try it too. These two calendars are in Indian time zone. Google will convert the event times to your time zone as set in your calendar settings ( defaults to GMT so change it in settings )

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 08 Jun 2009, 09:48

Sri Ganesh_mourthy,

you can try
http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/ They lists out most of the programs. You have to go to Calendar section in the middle of the page. It is generally updated for a month. I found it is reliable (though not 100 %). They also encourage people sending info to their forum. Enjoy Chennai Music.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 10:17

vganesh,

i took a quick glance an there you dont see all the information. I guess it is only a fraction of what is going on .

Vasanthakokilam ,

yeah I imported it and it is brilliant. poor balaji mridangam ... why do you rope him in?!

ok. since I have set a calender, I coudl import them and view it . but what about others. I typed carnatic calender in google and i get something else.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 08 Jun 2009, 10:45

Ganesh, of course I need to get you a mridangamist and Balaji was the first one I thought of and he gladly accepted in thought-space

One nit-picky comment: Import is another separate feature, what you did is just including another public calendar.

You do not need to add a public calendar to your calendar to view it. If you know the url, you can just view it. For example, these are the links to the two calendars I createdf.

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?sr ... a/Calcutta
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?sr ... a/Calcutta

Question then is, how does one know about this url?

Google has messed up calendar search. There used to be a public calendar gallery and a search feature. That was removed by them for some reason. What I hear is they hope to bring something better. But you can still search for calendar events like any other search. It takes a day or so for these new calendar names to get on their index. I just created both of the calendars. Tomorrow or day after, try this search 'carnaticcalendar site:www.google.com/calendar'. Also try 'cmusic.calendar site:www.google.com/calendar' They may show up.

That is too cumbersome a way for people to know about this global calendar. But if we put a link to that calendar here, people may stumble on it.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 11:12

I wish we also have one where the members can add events that they come to know of.but day by day separation should be there so it can be viewed in order of chronology both time wise and day wise.

As for as sabhas coming forward to have their calenders I wonder if they do it ever.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 08 Jun 2009, 11:38

>I wish we also have one where the members can add events that they come to know of

srkris mentions above that he will look into setting one up for our site for this purpose.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 11:40

is srkis in India or US

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 08 Jun 2009, 12:13

VK Sir, I also have added Google calender to mine. it shows Lec-Dem by Sri Ganesh_mourthy on 10June 2009. But the bigger challenge to ensure all vidhwans to put their program in this.

What we can also do is that; a) We need to get email ids of all Vidhwans b) Sent an emailer to them requesting them to update this space. Probably over a period we can look out for a better tools with all like minded people. I can volunteer some work towards this, if somebody directs me more.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 12:36

yes ... the artiste should come forward too. It is embarassing even for the audience to see only few people sitting around them in a large space let alone the embarassment of the aritistes. This happens because of the poor reach.

I hope the artiste will not cringe to come forward rendering this as a self publicity. They should understand that it is good for the music society.

The artistes coudl even be personally approached since they woudl be having their schedule handy and if they can update it once in a while we can keep events calender uptodate.Most artistes are internet savvy and it is not a problem. all the is needed is their willingness.

And this approachign the artistes,a few uninhibited rasikas can do this during just after cutcheries. I think once we get hold of artiste it is easier. We can even get schedules of events like temple cutcheries too tht are not usually mentioned even in Hindu.

Comments please.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 08 Jun 2009, 12:49

VGanesh,

When Ganesh_Mourthy does Solo cutchery dont worry,there would be a never before kind of publicity ,pamplets everywhere... and free pepsi and meals and a ticket for a cutchery of an artiste of their choice just as a gesture of redemption if they feel like they have to do away the attending G_m cutcherry. A form outside for rasikas comments and critics

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 09 Jun 2009, 21:39

this thread suffers from lack of ideas....

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 10 Jun 2009, 02:05

Ganesh_Mourthy

Let me attempt to consolidate the requirements for "Chennai Carnatic Calendar" from whatever we have discussed till now. We can go back and forth between solution and requirement to see how they fit each other.

Requirements

1) URL should be easy for anyone to get to. Something like CarnaticCalendar.com/chennai or rasikas.org/calendar/chennai

2) Anyone can update the calendar for e.g. artistes update directly (?)
or
Only a limited number of people will update the calendar

3) A means for artistes, organizers to inform about the events

a) via email to one of the several admins who can then update the calendar or
b) small Post Event section in the site itself

4) Requirements within the calendar itself
a) facility to enter several events against a particular time of the day.

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 10 Jun 2009, 02:13

Solution 1
=======

Let us see how "Google Calendar" fits into this

1) To create a Google Calendar, there has to be a gmail-id.
2) Someone with "google-id" creates a "Chennai Carnatic Calendar"
3) Make the calendar public
4) Add some other people to update this calendar
5) the public id is not something easily rememberable
6) So, the public id has to be embedded inside another site.
7) assuming that we do create a site we can implement the requirement 3 in that

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 10 Jun 2009, 02:20

Solution 2
=======

Calendar in rasikas.org

The biggest advantage is that members already exist and the site is available. However, I think we need to create an easy way for artistes / organizers to communicate. As for the features within the calendar, that will have to come from srkris.

naaree · Post by **naaree** » 10 Jun 2009, 02:21

vganesh wrote:Sri Ganesh_mourthy,

you can try
http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/ They lists out most of the programs. You have to go to Calendar section in the middle of the page. It is generally updated for a month. I found it is reliable (though not 100 %). They also encourage people sending info to their forum. Enjoy Chennai Music.

Once there, click on the "+ Google Calendar" icon at the bottom right. It will be added/merged into your personal calendar.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 10 Jun 2009, 10:41

the artistes having control over the calender schedule is a good idea. anybody can do it on behalf of them. their students.. or just anyone.

and strictly the calender page would not have any tags,with reviews or other information. I think google does not have it. this coudl be a strictly a schedules and venues page and the artistes should feel assured about it .

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 10 Jun 2009, 21:54

I knew this is a slwo process but never thought to be this slow...

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 10 Jun 2009, 21:59

Yes. If we want others to do the work, and hand it to us in a platter, it would seem slow. And it has been like 3 days since you posed this

I know I am being blunt, but it seems to me that all you are doing is complaining why "it is not getting done". Some new ideas require initiatives which more importantly require *work*. Some one has to do it. If you are not willing to do it, please don't complain about lack of progress.

Arun

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 11 Jun 2009, 08:50

ArunkJi, G_M,
it is also possible that this forum does not have the required technical expertise to do the same or those members have not noticed this

I have already mentioned that I am ready to volunteer this work provided I am directed. But it is important this initiative is put in our forum so that I am sure many people would benefit out of it. Could be that we as a group do the home work and be ready by December so that we can establish contacts with Vidhwans during the peak season and launch. what Say?

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 16 Jun 2009, 11:18

Hi vganesh,

I appreciate the interest shown by you. It is easier to prepare a site but to set the ball rolling you need to rope in the artistes.
I simply reckon that it is they who should show some constructive enthusiasm as they are the one who can dispense max information to a site devoted to concert schedules.So, willingness to approach the artiste is a good gesture by you.

Arun,

You should understand that team work is the name of the game here.Essentially I would not be benefitting much out of this as I dont live much in chennai and I dont even go to concerts due to paucity of time. But whenever people ask me about cutcheries and schedules in Chennai I really dont know where to direct them. I have myself suffered this at earlier times when I wanted to go to a concert and there are very scarce information. What you get in Hindu is sometimes a drop in the bucket. They cannot cover all temple cutcheries and neither can Ram as apperently he is shouldering the whole affair.

So let me tell you that I am not expecting an offer on a platter, and this is only with the best of interests. If this project consummates , this is actually an offer on a platter for the chennai rasikas.

strangely though, not many are really interested in this . And those very devoted people like vasanthakokilam or skris are the ones living not in Chennai to the best of my knowledge. They would only enjoy vicariously unlike the chennai concert goers who can directly benefit out of it.

Yes , I sure know that this thread will not be as interesting as a thread like '' Bon voyage ....." " welcome home ....." " top 5 alll time " or " best looking artistes" ..... the threads that can have instant take offs.

I am ready to spend some time on this with the best of interests and looking for some enthusiastic inputs. I have been too busy taking care of my ailing mother and hence coudl not devote much time of late. I am looking around for methods to make it more feasible and It requires some time. Once again thanks vganesh

And , whoever have been cycinal of this better learn to eat their words.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 16 Jun 2009, 11:31

Hi vasanthakokilam and skris,

Sorry I took some time off. I am game to resurrect the project and I am at your constant disposal.

I am hunting around for some calender sites that best works for this purpose . I am also creating some simulations and I shall be back soon.

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 17 Jun 2009, 09:53

G_MJi,
The calendar is up...

Kindly provide feedback at http://rasikas.org/forums/post123960.html#p123960
Thanks to Sri SRKris

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Jun 2009, 10:09

Yes, hail to the chief

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 17 Jun 2009, 12:40

i did go through the calender. great work. but i think members could send a mail to any of the moderators who can add the schedule to the calender instead of every one having control over it. The next step could be to approach the artistes and I dont thing they should have any problem with this. we could even periodically send them reminders to their email address. I am not in chennai now. once I go to chennai i can also contact some artiste on my part. about the email to which informations are to be sent I think a few people can have control over it. but should make sure that once a message is read they promptly input that into the calender.

Mods if you need a helping hand I can manage that too.

Hope this is fine ....any suggestions and amendments welcome.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 19 Jun 2009, 12:47

Why can't we allow any logged in member to add an event? There are 2 concerts today and I would add them if I could.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 19 Jun 2009, 13:04

I think the mods feel that too many contolling hands might cause a chaos and hence they are slow in shaping it up. My suggestion is , the informaiton could be sent to the mods to an email address dedicated for this and to be added to the calender. A few people can have control of the email.

ram · Post by **ram** » 27 Jun 2009, 10:59

ram wrote:Ganesh,

Unfortunately I have been traveling outside Chennai for more than a month now and haven't been really able to gather information and update the concert listing on the blog during this time as much as I would have wanted to. Will try my best to keep the list updated in the future, though my availability in Chennai and consequently my ability to gather information about concerts happening here will be limited at least for some time to come.

Ram

Information about concerts known to me (till the end of July 2009) have been updated at http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/concerts-in-chennai/

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 27 Jun 2009, 18:27

Well done!

You seem to have expanded to include a number of dance performances too

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Jun 2009, 20:05

Ram,
Thank you for the update amidst all that is going on in your life! Even those of us who are not in Chennai like to look at your blog every now and then.
I see Chitra vina Ravikiran teaming up with Anil Srinivasan. Hope someone covers the event, though the concert is on a week day.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 29 Jun 2009, 18:27

vasanthakokilam,

I guess our calender is ready for a take off. Only that we need people to pour in the informations. I ll be in chennai for a week and I could get in touch with some of the artistes attending by attending the concerts

. I could talk to them personally about the calender . It would be ideal to obtain their email id and we could send send a reminder mail periodically. Artistes could send
mails to a mail consigned for this something like [email protected] or whatever and I suggest some few people could be designated for checking it and adding it at appropriate time slot of the calender.I know this is still in its nascent stage but can have deluge of info once we rope in the aritistes.

Thursday I would be in Chennai and honestly I dont know where to look for the schedules. Hindu obviolsly and Ram's site.

Vasanthakokilam any suggestions before me going to artistes and broaching this idea?

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 29 Jun 2009, 18:29

again what happened to the calender. it is not opening ???

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 29 Jun 2009, 23:57

g_m, I just checked. It seems to be OK to view.

There is now a sticky topic under the concert reviews forum: http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... vents.html

Let us use that topic for any discussions. I will continue there.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 30 Jun 2009, 10:02

I am wondering if rasikas lead me with some info on cutcherie from thursday. Once I go to chennai I have to rely on HIndu and I dont know how much of info I would get there .

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 30 Jun 2009, 12:29

You will get very good info in The Hindu, but only for the actual day of publication.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 03 Jul 2009, 11:19

hi vasanthakokilam,

I might be visiting some artistes and what is the email address you suggest that I could give them? i wish we do something that facilitates mnemnic.

Ganesh