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Going out for a night to see your favorite band, performer or singer can be entertaining. Tips for enjoying shows, expectations, and advice for getting tickets.

Attending a rock music concert for the first time can be quite an experience. You are able to listen to the music live, and see the musicians perform before your very eyes. Rock music is full of energy, and when played live, it enlivens audience, encouraging them to dance and shout with excitement. The crowd serves as the meter by which musicians gauge their performance, and the fans serve to keep the musicians going strong.

Not every concert allows you to see the performers as close as you`d like, but the music sounds dynamite no matter where you are sitting, and thanks to technology, huge screens can assist in bringing you up close and personal with the musicians. Some concerts are performed indoors, with the crowd seated, others out in the open, with the crowd standing in front of a stage. When fans are standing up, they are more likely to expend their energy in the form of dancing or jumping about excitedly.

Sometimes, this can become dangerous, as in the case of slam dancing, and if you`ve never been to a rock music concert before, it is a good idea to steer clear of mosh pits and slam dancers because you could become seriously injured. There are people from all walks of life that attend such concerts, and as with any large gathering, it is a good idea to keep your personal belongings close to you at all times. Try to leave valuables at home if possible. They could be stolen or lost quite easily in the crowd.

Occasionally, people even bring drugs to rock music concerts, either to use them openly or to attempt to sell them to others. Fortunately, law enforcement officers are on the scene in most cases, to deter such occurrences. Avoid contact with drugs at all costs because they could land you in serious trouble or cause significant injury or impairment.

For the most part, people have a mutual respect for one another at such gatherings, as most of the people are fans who have come out to enjoy the music of a well-liked musician or band. Come with a friend, or better yet group of friends, to ensure safety. Stay away from dangerous activities, and keep your eyes open to possible dangers at all times. You don`t have to be full of fear at every moment, just be wise to your surroundings. After all, you are there to have fun and enjoy the music.

Tickets to rock music concerts range in price, usually anywhere from twenty dollars to fifty dollars, or more depending on the popularity of the musician, location, etc. Also, tickets tend to sell out quickly, so you`ll want to get them as early as possible. Be prepared for loud noise at the concert. Dress comfortably according to the weather. Cameras are discouraged as they are somewhat of a hindrance to carry around, and could be lost or damaged. Bring some money for T-shirts and other memorabilia, and snacks and sodas if you prefer. Above all else, have fun and be safe!

Written by Vanessa Zanella -

The Kanada Constellation (Part 1/3)

All higher human endeavours have at their core a body of knowledge, mastery of which is deemed a sine qua non for participants in the field. Without this requisite mental clothing no serious advance can be expected of the aspirant. In the realm of Hindustanica a deep friendship with the fundamental Ragas and their associated Ragangas is the necessary equipment both the practitioner as well as the cognoscente must carry. And in the pantheon of Raga, the melodic deities that fall under the rubric "Kanada" are acknowledged as vital sustaining blocks of the Hindustani entablature. This Kanada Constellation will be the subject of our current investigation.

Let us first examine the kernel of Raganga Kanada. Throughout this voyage, M denotes the shuddha madhyam. Shorn of bells and whistles Raganga Kanada (pronounced "rAgAnga kAnaDA") may be reduced to two tonal clusters, one each decorating the poorvAnga and uttarAnga regions. They are:

(M)g (M)g M (S)R, S

and

(P)n-->P

Now, if we furnish a bridge to the above with an avarohAtmak n nPMPN(M)g or a plain n P (M)g we have said essentially everything there is about the Kanada Raganga. There is, however, much to be said for proper swara-ucchAraNa, meeND, and punctuation, without which Kanada would be dead on arrival.

The word "Kanada" is an apabransha (corrupt form) of "karnAT." For a historical account and occurrence of Kanada in the literature the reader is referred to Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's epochal work Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati. Our focus here will be on the au courant Raga structure and observed performance practice.

<-- Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" in his study in Allahabad

Bhatkhande enumerates 18 traditional prakArs of Kanada. Of these, only about 7-8 are 'basic,' in the sense that they embody an independent swaroopa. They are: Darbari, Adana, Suha, Sughrai, Nayaki, Shahana and Devsakh. The rest are either hybrids spun off by combining elements of one or more rAgas with Raganga Kanada (eg. Basanti Kanada, Gunji Kanada etc.), or, they are realized by imprinting small, specialized swara clusters on the Kanada fabric (eg. Raisa Kanada, Mudriki Kanada etc). A third sub-group appears at first glance to comprise of hybrids, but its members mesh so naturally with the Kanada anga that their aesthetic sensibility and content impel us to accord them the respect given the fundamental Kanada prakArs. These are, namely, Bageshree Kanada, Kafi Kanada and Kaushi Kanada. Incidentally, the plain ol' Bageshree (without the explicit Kanada artifacts) was in the olden times considered a form of Kanada (vide Bhatkhande).

The casual observer of the kAnaDA constellation is often assailed by what appears to be a higgledy-piggledy state of affairs. A general description of the Kanada variants is a hopeless task given their wide variability. With the exception of Darbari, on which near unanimity prevails, the remainder of the Kanadas resist capture into neat one-size-fits-all packages. It must be emphasized, however, that there is no ambiguity apropos of the Kanada kernel itself which is at once recognizable. The divergence in Raga swaroopa obtains from the supporting tonal constructs. Be that as it may, the tack I propose to take is the one adopted by Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" in his classic volumes of Abhinava Geetanjali. One version is identified as canonical, the primary carrier of Raga lakshaNAs, and deviations from that norm are suitably accomodated in discussion. I do not intend to submerge myself in the depth and detail, lingering on minutiae, found in Ramrang's treatise. Only the highlights will be illuminated. Ramrang's own audio illustrations of the Raga swaroopa and sketches of his compositions will be adduced ahead of the heap as we run through the Kanada catalogue.

Raga Darbari Kanada

Legend assigns to Tansen credit for giving the ancient Kanada the new interpretation which we today associate with Darbari. It is a monumental rAga, unmatched in Hindustani music for its gravitas, difficult for its swara-lagAv, and profound for its emotional impact on both the innocent and the illuminati alike.

Kesarbai Kerkar of Goa (1892-1977) -->

Darbari is the premier Kanada, the flagship of the Ranganga; indeed a mention of 'Kanada' is by default taken to mean Darbari. Occasionally it also goes by the name Shuddha Kanada. The swara set is supplied by the Asavari thAT: S R g M P d n. The attack on the komal gandhAr is crucial. Much is made of the ati-komal nature of this Darbari gandhAr. However, in Hindustani music, as in most Indian music, a swara is not characterized by a single frequency point. The kaNs imparted, the intonation, its relative placement and attack, all these are critical and go into making the swara what it is. It cannot be overemphasized that the swara is not the same as 'note.' The komal gandhAr in Darbari is ati-komal, to be sure, but the kaNs are far more decisive. There are two approach modes to the komal gandhAr. The Arohi gandhAr receives a kaN of the rishab, the avarohi of the madhyam; in both instances the gandhAr is rendered Andolita. This sui generis komal gandhAr is the lifeblood of Raga Darbari Kanada. In notation we have:

Arohi use of gandhAr: S R (R)g, (R)g

avarohi use of gandhAr: (M)g, (M)g M (S)R, S

The rishab is the vAdi and an vital nyAsa sthAna. The pancham is likewise another important location for repose. The Darbari komal dhaivat is a reflection of the gandhAr in that the Arohi kaN is purchased from the pancham, the avarohi from the komal nishAd. Although there is an important difference - the dhaivat is langhan (skipped) in avarohi prayogas whereas the gandhAr is indispensible:

M P (P)d, (P)d, (P)n-->P

and

S", (n)d n-->P

Observe that the dhaivat lends an austere presence in the mandra saptak; several major Khayal compositions locate the sam there.

The Kanadic (P)n-->P is characterized first by a forceful P- kaN to n and then a meeND back to the pancham. The aforementioned 'bridge' - nnPMPnMP(M)g - delivered with a forceful gamaka puts the ball back into the poorvAnga court and the melodic sequence is resolved all the way back to the shaDaj via (M)g M (S)R, S.

Darbari is a poorvAnga-pradhAna rAga, the mandra and madhya saptakas are the regions of activity. As a final comment, the tAns in Darbari never run the linear gamut (eg. SRgMPdn etc), but are conceived in double and triple hammered combinations (MMM PPP ddd etc) or in other vakra formats. Forceful gamakas are liberally employed once the initial development has warmed up.

A sample chalan for Darbari is now formulated:

S, n'SRS (n')d', (n`)d' n' P`, M' P' (P`)d' (P`)d`, d' n' R, S

S R (R)g, (R)g, M P, nP (M)g, (M)g M (S)R, S

M M P, M P (P)d (P)d, (P)n-->P, n NPMPn (M)g, (M)g M R, S

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