Quality of entertainment - Part 1

I was raised in a family that listened to more carnatic music than choose any other form of entertainment. Reading books was the other indoor activity when any member (except me since I was the youngest) of the family needed silence in the household. A small black and white Solidaire invaded our house when I was in 6th or 7th standard and only selected DD programs were watched at certain times with all family members. Father was the censor board of our home - he would ban anything he thought was obscene. I remember a hot discussion between the special three (elder brother, Mom and Dad - in that order) in the other room when I dropped a bomb in the house - I sang the first and only line I knew from 'Pakkadhey Pakkadhey' of Gentleman fame. Henceforth, the teenage elder brat was not allowed to influence me as I would sing anything that he sang without knowing the meaning.  My elder brother and I used to play all games from badminton to hockey inside the house when my Father could tolerate the decibel levels. Otherwise, it was strictly carnatic music and reading at home. Board games and other less-decibel activities were allowed. 

When a small red Panasonic single cassette player was bought later, the special three recorded cassettes. The repertoire was mainly Ariyakudi, GNB, MLV, MS, Maharajapuram Santhanam, B.M.K , D.K.P and T.N.S. My mom was also a fan of all classical songs in cinema. So, she added numbers of Ghantasala to K.V.Mahadevan. Of these, the most often listened to were T.N. Seshagopalan's Krishna Gaanam volume 1 and 2 of Oothakadu Venkata Kavi. My brother would sing any line even when woken from his sleep. Oothakadu ruled our house from then on.

Coming to 9th and 10th, I got exposed to Hindi cinema songs as the elder brat stepped into college. He would play the typical Rathod songs whenever he came home for his holidays.  He was taken and passed it on to me to some extent. Parents, though didn't encourage it, would leave the room to avoid his adolescent moods, I suppose. Chitrahaar was introduced to me. 

11th and 12th was a different phase. I turned off the idiot box completely to join the mad race to score high for Engineering admissions. A.R.Rahman was climbing high in the charts then. Cinema songs would be played in the town bus and small petty shops. I would hear the distant tunes from the shops in the background. That was all of it.

College days at BITS, Pilani were a grilling 4 years. First year room mate introduced Kishore Kumar and Lata. I was mesmerized. ARR was at peak. Raagamalika seniors put me more into carnatic spectrum and SPIC MACAY threw light on Hindustani and Folk music.  Shankar Mahadevan and ARR were added to my listening list in Bangalore. Mathura days were more of Kishore Da, Mohd Rafi and Lata. Marriage, at best, had introduced Ilayaraja after 8 long stubborn years.

With this background, now I go forward to discuss - Is listening to carnatic music a better entertainment than watching a movie? 

My mother sculpted my musical taste every iota. She successfully implanted the idea in me that carnatic music is the supreme most form of music. Though cinema songs were not listened to in the house generally, I didn't take it up either when I had the choice. The only song I ever liked, learnt in full and sang at home was 'Konjum Mainakkale'. Perima heard me once. Though she was spell bound and admired me as her eyes revealed, she softly advised that singing cinema songs would disrupt the tonal texture required for carnatic singing. 

Now, I am a 30 year old. I had devoted plenty of time listening to various forms of music. I have developed my own thought process for listening. Hence, I have my own individual musical thoughts and taste, uninfluenced by any single person. I have evolved more as a listener than a singer (simply for lack of energy and ability to allocate time for practice. Don't want to mention spouse's interest or the lack of it). 

I have not made friends in the past because of my musical taste, not any better now. I would look down on anyone who turned on cinema songs in the morning.  It took many years of conscious listening and thinking as an individual to break out of mother's influence. I listen to everything that appeals to me - Bruce Springsteen to V.S.Narasimhan. 

I cannot listen to hard rock and electrical guitar cacophony. Will turn off Aruna Sairam after one or two songs. Will stay away from any stereotype performance. Will totally be listening to silence for many months at a stretch. And then start with a new World Music album from Hummaa or a friend. I have self-taught to listen to good music, whatever genre iTunes may classify it as. 

That's the story of how I widened and matured as a music listener. Would complete the comparison of listening vs watching in another blog.