There once existed a time when Indian classical music was meant to be performed in silence, stillness, and with time. Our parents would often play a song on the radio where a vocalist began a slow, meditative alaap, or savoured the rhythmic crescendo of a Carnatic performance. But alas, times change, now you encounter a snippet of that same performance while scrolling through a cooking or dance reel, or even some new meme trend on social media.
The Sudden Shift In Music
Short-form video platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have completely transformed how we consume content. Their design is based around instant gratification, quick engagement, catchy moments & hooks, and emotionally charged clips. Whereas for decades, Indian classical music stood as the antithesis to that ethos, demanding patience, and asking you to sit with it.
Yet, times and artists have changed. Musicians today, even those practicing classicals, have started to rework their songs to fit a 30-60 second clip on such platforms. An attempt to reach new audiences, to stay relevant, and perhaps an easy approach towards ensuring that their art doesn’t fade away.
Musicians On Social Media Platforms
But what has led to this shift in the musicians of today? Well, the answer is quite simple:
- Visibility
- Relevance
- Economic Sustainability
Social media has become the new big concert stage to showcase whatever sort of talent you may possess. Just one viral clip and you might just be on your way to becoming famous globally.
Social media platforms have become a new place for people to connect and relate with from all over the world. Whereas classical music has always been a bit heavy and harder to connect with for most, especially for the newer generations. Social media and memes serve as the perfect bridge to connect these vastly opposed elements together. Sometimes through funny clips, or sometimes through a new trend of some sort.
Lastly, social media platforms are great for becoming economically sustainable if you are able to build a big enough network. Brand deals, workshops, digital concerts, and various other possibilities become available.
Where Does This Shift Lead To?
This shift, despite a completely new direction, isn’t necessarily a bad one. The increased access and exposure to traditional music through things they connect with is a great way of developing interest in new forms of art. Also, social media platforms have provided a stage to many young and old singers who could never showcase their talents in front of the world.
Plus, there’s the cultural crossover. Global artists coming across our arts and trying to fuse it with their own, whether through collaborations or adopting different art forms while making their own. The same applies to us as well. We have already seen many classical musicians collaborate with lo-fi producers, jazz artists, or even EDM creators.
And perhaps it’s forcing a creative rethinking. How do you retain the soul of a raga while working with the constraints of short-form media? That question alone has led to fascinating experiments.
Performative Over Authenticity?
Since there are pros to this shift, the cons are sure to be following closely behind. Ragas for instance, are emotional frameworks and were never meant to be consumed through a 30 second short clip. Because then it misses the nuance, the tension, the build-up, everything that makes classical music what it is.
There’s also the matter of intention. Music is ideally supposed to be expressive, especially classical music. But in their attempts to go “viral” the risk of intentions being diverted is always there. Are they making music simply for performance sake, or is there an expression behind it?
And the biggest concern is attention span! A generation which has grown enjoying fast paced content where the information and entertainment is instantly served will become unable to sit through longer forms of content eventually. This will lead to many losses, one of them being cultural.
A Balanced Approach
Fortunately, there are still those who understand the importance of cultural preservation. Some artists are approaching this shift in an extremely intelligent way while managing to keep their art forms intact. Uploading only the snippets of their performances, behind the scenes, or even educational content about ragas.
I don’t feel there exists a need to fear this change. Since our classical music has always found a way to evolve with time. Through gharanas, patronage shifts, transitioning from royal courts to radios, and then finally from sabhas to smartphones.
But evolution must come with consciousness. Today’s musicians must be made aware of what they’re giving up, and listeners must become willing to go beyond reels and TikTok to explore the true richness of music lying beneath.