Background & FAQ

Background

I was set to visit Cleveland for the 20th celebration.  This was to be my first trip to the famed festival.  Plane tickets had been purchased, car and hotel reservations made, ticket for the dance purchased, etc.  I had committed to assist with a local concert of KVN.  Unfortunately a delay in his tour, caused the concert to be postponed to the same weekend as the Aradhana, resulting the termination of my plans.

Things worked out well this time.  I planned the trip eight months in advance.  The purpose initially had been to veg out with the music and take it easy.  Slowly the scope increased to - interviews with artists.  Then came a "few" picture requests by people.  Since I had never been to the festival, I made an attempt to connect with the organizers to solicit assistance.  One of them apologized for not being able to provide a preset plan with the explanation "the Cleveland Aradhana is a pretty informal event, for all its size".  So I took the advice and let events take place as they occurred.  It was a tad frustrating and stressful the first few hours, since I did not know anyone when I got there.  However, it made me appreciate the informality and size of the event(s).

FAQ

Is this going to be an annual report?
That depends on the support that the report generates.  As mentioned earlier, the purpose was to garner resources for the CAC.  If the feedback from the CAC indicates that it was an effective project, I may (MAY is the key word) opt to do something similar next year.  Otherwise, I hope this report inspires someone else to take up the work to bring the event to your computer.

Is there a format to the presentation?
Yes.  The web pages contain the following material -

  • Photos
  • Sound Clips
  • Comments
  • Tips for potential attendees
  • Links for information

Except for the links and tips, which are spread across the report, the material is organized by the date of the proceedings, and the chronological order of the events.  The commentary reduces as the days progress.  Not all of the comments necessarily apply to the section that they are written in.

What is the best way to enjoy the material?

  • View/listen using broad band - Due to the presentation format with photos and sound clip quality/quantity, the material is best experienced on broadband.  This is a lot (70+ pages, 400+photos, 40 min of audio clips, and 15+ pages of commentary) of material.  Pace yourself.
     
  • Font and size - The web was designed using Arial 10 pt as the font.  While the browser will adjust to your monitor and default, I recommend using Arial 10 point if it is convenient.  I used Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.5 to create and test the web pages.  It was developed using Netobjects 4.
     
  • Monitor  - The photos are in 24 bit color JPEG and are best viewed on a CRT rather than LCD monitor.  The color adjustments were made on a Samsung 900NF monitor.  The browser width recommended is 700 pixels.
     
  • You will need an MP3 player to listen to the audio clips.  The latest version of RealAudio  or Winamp (my preference) player will work.

How do I navigate through the report?

  • Follow the sequential links until you reach the event summary page.
     
  • Click on the thumbnail photos to access the events for the day.  Place a bookmark on this page  to return quickly.
     
  • The list of events for a day also have a thumbnail photo next to the title.  Click on the photo to get to the final set of pictures, sounds, and comments.  Note that some pages have a meg (disk space) of photos.  It may take a while to load them.  You may opt to turn off the loading of graphics in your web browser and load each picture individually.

Why is the background black and text gray?
I experimented with several options and realized that a black background brought out the pictures better.  At times the edges faded into the report.  The visual impact seemed better than having a color or white background.  This is the first time I have taken up an web based audiovisual project.  Therefore standard conventions may not be used.  Hopefully I will have the time to improve my presentations skills in the future.

Why is the audiovisual quality not the best and/or small?
Several reasons.

  • I did not have access to the sound board(s) to record some of the sound clips.  Therefore the natural sound had to be captured.
     
  • I am not a photographer by any means and had borrowed a digital camera (Sony ) from a friend. It took a while to get used to its features and weaknesses.  Additionally, I was unfamiliar with the venues and lighting.  You should notice the quality of picture improve from the first set taken at a venue.  So chalk it up to operator error.
     
  • Also due to the quantity of photos, I had to limit the resolution to 640 x 480 pixels.  The digital zoom also may make some photos fuzzy.
     
  • The CAC agreed to provide short sound clips of the performances, but were unable to do so by the time the report was ready.
     
  • The sampling of the audio material had to be limited to save server space.  Click here if you want to help.

Why are there no in-depth analysis of performances?
I do not have the proper background to make the analysis.  Even if I did have the knowledge, I would not want to analyze for other reasons:

  • I recommend purchasing the CDs and listening  for yourself.
     
  • My opinion is that all analysis of creative performances is subjective, even if there is a general consensus at times.
     
  • I do not have the time.  Visit sangeetha.com's discussion section for the thread on the Aradhana.

Why are there no in-depth analysis of the activity behind the scenes?
I was not going for a 60 Minutes expose piece, Entertainment Tonight, or a documentary.  This was my first experience of the Aradhana in Cleveland.  I think it will take a while for an outsider to get an understanding of the people, the stimulus that causes actions to take place, and the activities that take place before and after the event.  I had no idea how daunting a task the research would be.  I will defer the work to someone more interested and capable for the moment.

Where are the song lists for the performances?
I was unable to get them from the attendees/organizers.  The CD set that you can purchase at the Aradhana web site should help.  Also search Google's rec.music.indian.classical news groups and sangeetham.com .

Why are there grammatical and spelling errors in the report?
I have reviewed the material several times and spell checked the text.  However, I did not have the resource of an editor.  Therefore I am sure that there are spelling, grammatical, and other problems embedded in the text.  My apologies.

Can I get copies of the photographs?
I personally will not entertain requests for the "originals".  The photos have been turned over to the CAC.  Please contact them.  Note that the photos are at a 640x480 resolution.  You can extract the photos from the browser of course.

How do I contact the author?
Go though the report.  On the final impressions page, you will find the links to my email address (assuming I still have this job).  Remove the "removethis" suffix from the email address.  I needed to try and reduce spams.

Can I get the full recording of a concert or concerts?
Yes, but not from me.  The CAC has published a copy of the proceedings.  Visit the web site to view the cost and options. Click here to continue.