OUR ELECTIONS FROM A DIFFERENT OPTIC

An edited version of what was written right after the 2016 election in the USA:

A week is long enough to make some objective remarks on even a highly emotionally charged and shocking outcome.  America was failed by its leaders as well as by common folk alike in the recent elections.  They offer some interesting lessons to America and also for the much younger Indian democracy.

The Clintons’ story is one of incessant scandals, hubris, and self-centered egregious greed.  But they are not alone.  When it came to the Presidency, Obama and those in the DNC were more concerned about keeping the party in power and paying back political dues rather than what is good for the nation.  They were insiders who would not acknowledge that despite all the rhetoric and fine words imprinted in various national documents and monuments, America has remained an oligarchy of the rich and powerful few, throwing but relatively much smaller crumbs at the masses and hoodwinking them into believing that they had a democracy of equality and fraternity.  There was much “anchoring” of the minds in pre-conceived and convenient beliefs refusing to accept that the nation is changing and less willing to be hoodwinked. 

It is a compelling theory that Obama cut a deal long ago to include Hillary in his cabinet and to work for her election in 2016 to prevent the distraction of a Clinton campaign in 2012 and to ensure his own second term, and deliver he had to in 2016.  While his role in marginalizing Bernie Sanders was open and obvious and should be judged unpardonable for Obama, the former social activist, we will have to wait to really assess whether Biden withdrew due to his personal grief or saw that he had no support of Obama and couldn’t therefore win.  In fact, we may never find out.  We will also have to wait and see how much money (and from where and from whom) the Obamas make in the coming years to really judge if they are any different from the Clintons when it comes to money and greed, and if the deal makings involved more than active support in the campaign.  Already a lucrative McGraw-Hill book contract is in the offing despite the conflict of interest engendered in Standard and Poors  (along with some of the really bad apples of Wall Street) getting only a small pat on the wrist for its role in disrupting the US economy.  Don't be surprised if there are high paying speeches too lecturing to those let off easily.  [So, those of you wanting to create an Obama dynasty through Michelle, hold on!]

The voters on the Democratic side overwhelmingly trivialized the election.  The focus was not on the major challenges of climate change and an ascending China and others threatening the world and the real economic issues of the ordinary American, but more driven by issues of gender and an unfounded fear that America is not ready for a liberal who had the true  audacity of hope to call himself a socialist.  They succumbed to the successful brainwashing over decades by the rich capitalist and could not see that change that comes from above can be peaceful and orderly, but that the one coming from disgruntled masses can become chaotic and even dangerous.

Amidst this backdrop, it is not a surprise that Trump, despite being vilified in the wildest terms such as ‘wretched, ignorant, dangerous part-time clown, and full-time sociopath’  (by Michael Moore) could get elected as an ‘outsider’ based on a platform fanning much bigotry and xenophobia reminiscent of Nazism.  While his campaign debased the process enormously by the sludge smeared on all opponents and institutions and women in general, it also focused on trivia, and mutual accusations and drama instead of substantive dialogue on important issues. There is little doubt that his Presidency will set the clock back in the progress made by America and the world in many areas: race relations, international cooperation, world peace, stemming climate change and global warming, etc.  America certainly finds itself in the position of the macho man who has cut his nose just to spite his face.  The only remaining silver lining is the strong likelihood that this may mostly be a one term Presidency whose powers to do harm may be curbed somewhat by an interim Congressional election.  But with Trump, not even the Gods can predict anything, and two years are enough to do very much harm.

As noted by Noam Chomsky in his interview with Truthout (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/38360-trump-in-the-white-house-an-interview-with-noam-chomsky) , what is endangered now is not just the USA but the entire world and humanity.  The failure to alter climate change and its disastrous consequences, pushing the country to the verge of civil unrest to levels unknown, and goading the world towards more wars can quite well be the signature effects of the colossal mistake called the 2016 Elections in America.

The political class needs to understand that voter loyalties are fickle, and that the true sustenance of power lies in really taking care of all the people, and national security lies in political stability and mutual respect within and without.  Secondly, there is a need to focus on issues and solutions (as opposed to the current focus on personalities and parties).  The elite has no choice but to meet the major needs and demands of the downtrodden many, but it must do it without perpetuating an inefficient economy marked by entitlement.  The  economic pie has to be made bigger and, even more importantly, shared equitably.  Resources must be unleashed towards productive economic growth instead of being idled as corrupt, unaccounted loots, or  frittered away in fighting endless wars of attrition. 

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Postscript: A silver lining has been that the Obamas still remain untarnished by any post-WH scandal. But, America is in much worse shape with 170K dead due mainly to the stupid obstinacy of one man.  And, at this time, we are becoming the laughing stock of the world.  Having complained about elections elsewhere many times and claiming to be the right ones to oversee them, we now appear incapable of running one of our own in a credible manner.  The real question today is whether November 2020 will de ja vu, or a new beginning?  Be that as it may, achieving true democracy as envisaged in its ideal form is no less difficult than achieving Socialism, and the price tag for trying to hoodwink is indeed high.  We humans are still an evolving species with perfection still a distant ideal.

V. Ramaswami is the author of the recent book, "Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge."

INDIAN HEALTH - PART 4 - EXERCISES

This is a summary of a great book and provided as community service to you. Your feedback is appreciated.  My advice: Buy the book and use it as a constant reference.

Book: The South Asian Health Solution

Author: Ronesh Sinha, MD

ISBN: 978-1-939563-05-7

Note: This summary is to quickly get us moving in the right direction and is not a substitute for reading the book which abounds in case studies and much greater detail than what is presented here.

THE CHALLENGE

We noted that the majority of Indians are fat or obese, and even the slim looking ones  are 'skinny fat' with little muscle and unhealthy levels of visceral fact.  Besides a high carb diet, the author attributes this problem to the lack of proper exercise.  Many who "exercise" harbor misconceived notions that walking alone is good enough. What the Indian needs is a set of muscle building exercises like lifting weights as well as some specific exercises that strengthen various key muscles of the body.  Muscles are the right store of glucose needed for strenuous activities and prevent its accumulation as bad tummy fat.

The author shows great understanding of the reasons why Indians lack proper exercise and are unable to maintain a regimen for significant lengths of time.  Thus, many of the suggested exercises in the book are those that are carefully chosen and can be performed even amidst a busy schedule several times a day.  Among the many benefits of exercising are: fat loss, taming insulin resistance, enhanced brain function, delayed aging, lower stress, and above all good role modeling (for the young).

SOLUTIONS

Inspired by the yoga approach and specifically vrkshaasana (the tree pose), the author recommends first a set of exercises that strengthen the core (the trunk), the roots (legs) and branches (arms).  He does not consider human engineered cardio equipment as matching a workout of outdoor exercises of running and walking in fresh air under diverse conditions.   Some of his favorite exercises are the following.

1. The squat.  He recommends avoiding sitting on a sofa but to prefer squatting (as they do in front of street corner tea shops in India) if not in the yogic posture.  The non-yoga squat extending the arms straight out with gaze forward and lowering oneself bringing the thigh parallel to  the ground is recommended for losing weight and also for strengthening leg muscles.  Squats with weights are the next higher level after one has mastered the basic squat.  Several variations of the squat are available for people at varying stages.  (see  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvzVjuY8SY ).

2. The second set of exercises recommended is the set of forward lunges which improve balance, coordination and symmetry.  "One of the best exercises for women who want to tone their thighs and buttocks," so says the author.(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gb3LNm247Y )

3. Suryanamaskar: The famous suryanamaskar of yoga (seehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38GTnjg_aBA ).  The author recommends doing each pose separately and perfecdting them first.

4. Walking: The author recommends not just walking, but "active walking" wherein one pays attention to the specific muscles involved, chooses different terrains, and trying to progressively "beat one's prior record."  A specific recommendation is to walk as a "walking corpse" facing palms forward, opening up the chest, and keeping shoulders back.

5. Weights: A regimen of weights is recommended starting from low weights and progressively increasing to higher levels.  This is one area totally ignored by Indians to their great detriment and highly stressed by the author.

The book has many more exercises and much detail on each that are not included here.  It is not just a book on diet and exercising, but also one that covers health in a holistic way dealing with things like stress management and special circumstances like pregnancy and post-natal issues.  In short, I consider it a very valuable contribution.

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Other parts of this can be found by searching through the right panel.  Have you seen my book, "Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge" available through amazon.com and flipkart.com ?

DO WE STILL NEED A CMANA ? IF SO, FOR WHAT ?

     The late Seventies when CMANA (The Carnatic Music Association of North America) was formed was indeed quite a different time compared to today.  The population of Indians in the USA was very small, with a concentration in the East Coast being primarily in Queens, New York, with even New Jersey sporting but a minuscule population of Indians.  There were few teachers of Carnatic music among us, and only a handful below eighteen who could sing Carnatic music even at the level of a varnam or perform an instrument.  There was no public, not-for-profit organization devoted mainly to Carnatic music.  Getting to listen to a leading Carnatic musician in a live concert was a rare luxury and available only in places like New York such as when an international body like the UN hosted M.S. Subbulakshmi, or at Wesleyan which had an ethno-music department.   In most of these respects, not only the East Coast of the USA, but the entire USA has undergone a major change.

     It would not be an exaggeration to say that CMANA was very instrumental in providing a backdrop in which Carnatic music could grow enormously not only in the East Coast but all over the USA.  Unlike some other organizations, which were very local in focus and often conducted all their events across just a couple of days in a year, CMANA was there year round, and year after year, despite severe losses and many other hardships.  Filling a major void, CMANA organized, on a regular basis, two tours to the US each year of a visiting troupe from India making the artists available at near or below cost to many centers including both major cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Los Angeles and many small towns across USA, where only a few Indian families were present. It has helped the growth of many local Indian cultural organizations in the US.    It provided a forum for many visiting artists, local teachers, and promising local musicians to perform. Through its ‘Great Composers Day’ and events like ‘Teachers Day,’ and programs honoring musicians and composers, CMANA raised the interest and awareness for Carnatic music among the diaspora and created a market for it.  By holding various lecture demonstrations and the like (even at significant financial loss), the association has served to increase the level of music appreciation among the general audience and to provide opportunities for the young and the local musicians to hone their skills.

    CMANA’s contributions did not stop there, but went all the way back to the very citadel of Carnatic music and the community of Carnatic musicians.  In fact, a specific event that led to the formation of CMANA was the way two (well-known) musicians got stranded due to an unexpected funding crisis experienced by their (American) sponsor and forced them to take refuge with Dr. P. Rajagopalan, CMANA’s founder, and Mr. Sury Subban who has served CMANA in many capacities and is now an Honorary (and paid) Patron.   That event heightened the need for a non-profit, public organization owned by the Indian community at large that could support Carnatic music and musicians.  Dr. Rajagopalan initiated a call to friends in New York city admitting although that one more organization may be desired by people only “as much as a bullet in the head,” but was indeed necessary.  He received warm support from many lovers of Carnatic music, and the rest is history.

     Many of the now well-known musicians were introduced for the first time to the USA by CMANA, and to many of them that invitation formed a major milestone catapulting them to greater fame even in music circles in India.  The list of such musicians include some easily recognized names like Mandolin Srinivas, P.S. Narayanaswamy, the Rudrapatnam Brothers, K.S. Gopalakrishnan, and Sudha Ragunathan to list just a few.  With no parochial or other vested interest, the Association worked for music without any favoritism based on any criteria other than musical excellence and service to music.  With a carefully crafted award Sangeethasagara that is unique in many respects such as a clear up-front listing of the criteria for the award and the requirement of a high level of multifarious achievement for a recipient besides being just a concert performer, it has honored artists of the highest caliber.  Among the most memorable aspects of this award is the fact that it brought the venerable Semmanugudi Srinivasa Iyer out of a long period of hibernation back on the stage and got four generations of the Pattammal family to perform together.  The Semmangudi award program was even more special in that after a long time, Professor T.N. Krishnan, another Sangeethasagara, played as an accompanist after many decades.  Thus, the Association’s services do not stop at the shores of the USA.  It has established several worthy endowments in India to encourage young musicians.   I am indeed proud to have a long association with CMANA and am a staunch supporter of it.

    It is nice to see that the US landscape has changed in many ways for the better with a vibrant interest in Carnatic music supported by a large number of organizations, teachers, students, and patrons.  The number of organizers conducting music tours and holding Carnatic music programs has multiplied enormously to the extent that in places like Central New Jersey, several concerts take place concurrently on the same day and sometimes even during the same time slots by different entities.  Many organizers support performances by youngsters encouraging them to reach higher levels of proficiency.   But with a well-established ‘market’ for it, the music scene and musicians have also become quite commercialized posing several hurdles for a public, not-for-profit organization in conducting many activities it once pioneered even at significant loss and personal sacrifice of numerous volunteers and donors.  In this backdrop, an inevitable question that arises is indeed the one forming our title, “Do we still need CMANA?”  Outrageous as it may seem to some, this question has been raised even by some (younger) musicians and local teachers of music.  I would be lying if I did not admit that it even crosses my mind, although only rarely and only when I get too dismayed by the artists' and listening public’s inability to distinguish and discriminate between organizations.  Thus, the question is indeed one that deserves to be answered at least once.

    Consider Chennai as an example (although I could pick Mumbai, Bangalore, Trivandrum or many other places and other organizations).  Imagine someone asking why, given the large number of music organizations, television and multimedia, and ongoing entrepreneurial efforts of individual musicians, an organization like the Music Academy or the Narada Gana Sabha should continue to exist.  I am sure any sane person would consider the question as insane for many good reasons.  Those reasons are precisely the ones that not only would obligate an affirmative answer to the question in our title, but will even provide the fundamental reasons for strengthening and supporting CMANA:

1.     When it comes to Carnatic music and related fine arts, there are institutions and there are ‘organizations.’  The latter concentrate primarily on entertainment and, oftentimes, on private profits, but the formers’ goals go far beyond. Organizations like the Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, and Shanmukhananda Sabha are institutions that serve the art form in diverse ways.  They celebrate the stalwarts while at the same time expending much effort to sustain the art form and to generate and support future talent.  They have helped to raise the respect and stature of the very art form and its practitioners.  Some have established schemes to support musicians and musicologists, who have not been fortunate, with pensions etc.  They conduct scholarly discussions and events raising the art to higher and higher levels.  CMANA certainly belongs in the class of institutions by its demonstrated focus, activities, and accomplishments that form an illustrious track record for a 100% volunteer organization.

2.     Organizers come, and organizers go, and that has been the painful history of Indian music and dance in the USA.  When an organization is by an individual or by a small oligarchy and run with a vested interest of profit or to promote a special subset of artists or students, its activities and operation are not only hostage to the whims of one or a small few, but the very continuity of the organization gets threatened when a main person can no longer perform a lead role.  One reason Dr. Rajagopalan chose to make CMANA a public organization with elected trustees etc., despite recommendation from many founding members to keep it as a private entity, is to ensure continuity and to eliminate as much as possible the operation of vested interests or profit motives.  Again, there are very few organizations of the type of CMANA devoted to Carnatic music and related fine arts that fit these lofty criteria.

3.     A Harvard Business Review article on non-profits has emphasized the importance of transparency and fiscal responsibility as two of the most important desiderata of a real non-profit.  In its own words, this is to ensure that the obligation of the founders and trustees towards future generations – note not just their cohorts, but future generations – are met, and to assure continuity of operation over a very long future.  They called this ‘inter-generational equity.’  CMANA shines as a (rare) beacon in these respects with successive teams of trustees sharing much of the financial information with CMANA members with a high level of transparency and running its affairs with utmost probity and fiscal responsibility.  We not only need CMANA, but we need to put pressure on other organizations to step up to the highest levels that CMANA has maintained from its start in matters that characterize a true non-profit, public organization enjoying tax subsidies.

4.     An unfortunate fact of the Indian diaspora is that it has carried with it the baggage of all forms of divisions that divide Indians.  Though many organizations based on state, language, and other criteria may support Carnatic music and the arts, CMANA’s greatest strength is its non-sectarian character.  Never in my long tenure of over twenty-five years with CMANA can I cite one instance where anything other than musical merit has played a role in the selection of a musician for a tour or even for a single concert.  We, as trustees, have differed and even quarreled sometimes, but never on the issue of maintaining a high level of impartiality.  An event like the Great Composers Day, for example, is conducted with so much meticulous care to avoid even a semblance of a conflict of interest in the selection of judges for the competitions or in the opportunity to youngsters irrespective of who their guru is.  Yes, we need organizations like CMANA for this reason too.

     Not that I cannot cite more reasons to support my affirmative answer regarding the need for continued presence of CMANA, but if the above four will not convince you to agree and to support CMANA strongly, then nothing more will.  So, let me turn to what role CMANA should play in the future to continue to distinguish itself from the crowd of music organizers in the USA, a good many of whom may be motivated by a variety of interests not as lofty as CMANA’s.

    a. First and foremost, the Indian community in the US has come of age, and we now have a group of young Carnatic musicians born and brought up in America.  CMANA should take it as an important objective to help them attain high visibility in India and around the world so that they have a level playing field that is well deserved by their hard work and effort.  Similarly, there are many highly talented young musicians in India who lack visibility in the US, with most organizations here marked now by a competition for only name brand artists.  CMANA should revive its pledge to young talent from India by making them visible to music lovers in the USA.  I am pleased to see that CMANA has forged a major partnership with Narada Gana Sabha for this purpose.   A similar effort with one other major organization in India, I learn, may also bear fruit soon.  The trustees of CMANA deserve high kudos for thinking up such a collaboration and working hard towards making that possible.  It has indeed been my pleasure to help them in both those efforts.

    b. Carnatic music in the East Coast is still by and large an activity limited to the South Indian diaspora.  The art form is highly rich in many ways, and it would be a travesty not to bring it to the attention of a wider audience – our North Indian fraternity and our American friends.   “Man does not live on bread alone,” and certainly not we, the successful Indians in the US; Carnatic music is a cultural heritage that we need to display as proof of that.  As a leading organization, CMANA should take it upon itself to elevate Carnatic music to higher levels by taking a variety of steps to draw support from a much larger community.  In the old days, we used to have lunch hour demonstration programs in several NJ companies to popularize and inform about Carnatic music.  These, and several other means of outreach, should be considered in addition to running music programs, tours and children’s competition aimed primarily at the Indian diaspora.

    c. It has become quite evident that a very narrow focus makes an organization not sustainable.  Although CMANA needs to maintain its primary focus on Carnatic music, pragmatism requires it to support other Indian art forms so that the support base of the organization can be enlarged.  This should also form a priority for CMANA.

    d. Finally, a major regret of mine is that even after forty years of existence, CMANA has not assured its long-term existence through an adequate corpus of endowments.  It does not even have a permanent venue of its own to conduct its activities.  For the perpetual continuity of CMANA, it is absolutely important that a careful plan is evolved to raise such an endowment and to lay down clearly the principles under which the association will continue to be operated in the future.  CMANA cannot meet loftier goals like the ones mentioned above unless the trustees and organizers are freed from the financial burden.  I truly believe that for CMANA to rise to its due level, activities have to be supported by an endowment to a substantial degree. 

     Although I have stated some lofty goals for CMANA (and am doing my part to make some of them possible), it is for the community at large to step up to the plate and make it happen.   This is a precious organization of the community and not of any individual or small group. We cannot just want our children to sustain an Indian connection and culture, but we need to also make it easy for them to do that.  We need to support CMANA much more than we do at present recognizing its uniqueness as an institution and as a great legacy for future generations.  For example, a sufficient number of us are at the stage of life when we are in the exercise of estate planning, and I would beseech every one of the senior members of CMANA (and senior citizens interested in Carnatic music and related fine arts) to step up to the plate and make it possible for CMANA to free CMANA from the fear of going bankrupt through some unanticipated major loss or competition from vested interests.  Based on the support that has made CMANA to have survived and prospered this long, I have the confidence that you will not only agree with my analysis, but will join me in strengthening CMANA. 

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[1] Dr. V. Ramaswami is a former Secretary and President of CMANA.   With a keen interest in things Indian, he has authored many articles related to India and has also written recently a book titled, “innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge.”  He holds no official position in CMANA, and opinions expressed here are personal and do not represent those of CMANA as an organization.

Carnatic Music - Additional Audio Pointers

BHADRAM KARNEBHIH SHRUNUYAAMA DEVAAH !

Oh Gods, May we hear only good thrings with our ears !

Here are some fine points to attend to that will bring you closer to being a real professional:

1. The audio person cannot set the audio once and walk away.  Our concerts are long, and musicians inevitably move or shift their positions.   You need to be watchful and compensate for that.   I am not even talking about major impairments such as the ones to follow.  Sometimes, the violinist turns around resulting in a big hum from his/her mic picking up the monitor speaker.  Someone needs to be there to take care of these exigencies instantly.  During solo, the volume has to be slightly increased for the involved channel; it is true that two musicians together sound twice louder (due to the way signals behave in an additive manner and vice versa.)  This is where people who know nothing about our music and cannot anticipate various distinct parts of the performance do terribly at the board. Be warned, however, that constant meddling with the system can also become disconcerting too, both to the musicians and to the audience.

2. No one appears to use the pan controls properly.  Used properly, in a vocal concert, we should be hearing the violin more from one side and the mrdangam from another.  Perfect stereo sound cannot be obtained in the auditorium as in a studio where musicians sit in separate booths and there is no leakage from one source to another's mic, but one can come close to it with a proper selection of microphones,  the use of pan control, and running the volume at a reasonable level.   Not setting the volume too high (especially on the monitors) is necessary to minimize leakage of sound from one end to the mic at the other end either as echo from the hall or from the monitors.  [Musicians from India especially are used to very high volumes and ask for it, often  affecting negatively the enjoyment of the audience.  My advice to them: if you are serious about your music and sound quality, please take a course on audio.]

3. Sruti: Some musicians keep the electronic sruti box so loud as to drown everything else.  This is very annoying and is something that all musicians should pay attention to when they are performing on stage.  It also makes it hard to discern problems and to make corrections.

4. Microphones:  (a) It is important to pick high quality microphones appropriate for vocal and/or for the specific instrument.  Shure 58 is the minimum, yes the minimum, quality to shoot for.  Try to pick mics in such a way that their response curves do not tail off in the frequency range of whatever frequency range you are trying to capture and remains pretty flat in that range with high fidelity; this is particularly important for violin and the left side of mrdangam.  (b) Be wary of powered microphones.  The slightest movement of the musician towards or away from the mic becomes highly noticeable, with the former making a vocalist look like he/she is shouting.  These may be great for studio recording in a controlled environment with one song at a time, but it is unrealistic to expect musicians to maintain a constant distance throughout a 2.5 to 3 hour concert.  Note also that the closer the vocalist gets to the mic, there will be increased bass in the voice.  With powered mics, if their lip touches the mic or if the violinist's bow touches the powered mic, God help you!  (c) I personally hate the cheap contact microphones that many Indian instrumentalists use; these days, some leading artists do use good mics, but the audio people have not learned to deal with them.  The cheap mics and/or poor audio settings distort sound, and I bet have very bad response curves.  Once the source is bad, there is little the person at the mixer board can do, especially if the channel gets overloaded and clipping occurs.  Musicians who insist on using contact mics should purchase one from a good store with the help of someone with a high level of expertise and after testing in the store with several of them.  (It is customary for professionals in most professions to invest in equipment for one's own trade!)

5. When you have a duet like of various famous sisters, please equalize so that they sound reasonably as one voice when they sing together.  Same for violin duets etc.

6. Speakers: The high frequency cone (which is the uppermost in the speaker) should be above the head of the audience close to the speaker.  Otherwise, they get a headache from the higher frequency sounds.  This is often forgotten by many who do audio.   When the hall is long and deep, it is often a bad idea to blast from just 2 speakers in the front.  Have 2 additional speakers somewhere half way, but run the volume low and just enough so that those farthest from one pair of speakers don't hear two distinct versions of the same music.  Turn the speakers so that they are centered towards the center of the half portion at the back of the hall (or the last row) you want to serve with them.

7. Recording: Remember that a lot of things can be fixed later but not the overload resulting in frequency clipping.  [When you exceed the maximum level, your system just sets things to the highest level and you lose information totally].  So make sure your gain and volume levels do not overload the channel.  When preparing a recording, please do not shut off the sruti between pieces and let it sound like a continuous concert, and also avoid abrupt starts (what technically is called 'attack') etc. and consider using fade in and fade out if necessary.  Set the recording level at about -6dB (and not at 0dB as most Indian technicians do) to avoid overload.
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The author Dr. V. Ramaswami is a former President and Secretary of CMANA (Carnatic Music Association of North America).  As a volunteer, he has managed the audio for CMANA and some other non-profits for many years.  As a researcher in the citadels of technology - Bell Labs, Bellcore, AT&T - he has also had the privilege of learning many technical aspects of audio and video from experts and sometimes the very inventors.  He himself holds several patents related to video distribution over the Internet and related communication technologies.

Carnatic Music - Audio Engineering Basics

BHADRAM KARNEBHIH SHRUNUYAAMA DEVAAH !

Oh Gods, May we hear only the good !

NOTE:  The goal of this post is to give some general pointers to those managing audio in Carnatic music or Bharatanatyam programs and written for a non-mathematical, non-technical person.  All too often, the enjoyment of a program is really affected by audio problems. Hopefully, these comments will be helpful to some.  I have kept things at an elementary level and avoided jargon as much as one can.  I have to be cryptic to save on space.

1. Frequencies are measured in Hertz.  Also kH stands for kilo Hertz or 1000 Hertz, ie one thousand cycles of the signal wave per second.  Sharper, squeaky sounds are in the higher frequency range. Thus, for example, Balamularali Krishna's voice may traverse a frequency range that is lower than the one traversed by Musiri Subramanya Iyer (or a female vocalist like MS).  The Hz level changes continuously as the singer "goes up or down."    Understand the frequency ranges of voice and various Carnatic instruments.  This is important in setting the equalizer. [Male voice: 100Hz - 1800 Hz; Female voice: 150Hz-2500Hz; Violin: 350Hz - 4000 Hz; mrdangam: 100Hz-2000Hz; these are approximate].  Just to understand how these numbers relate to what you hear consider these: if you push up the higher frequencies, a male voice will start sounding like that of a female and a female voice will become very squeaky,  violin will become unbearably high pitched and squeaky, mrdangam right will start sounding metallic.  Push up the lower frequencies and you distort sound again - some examples: voice and mrdangam right (sollu) will become less clear; violin will boom in lower octaves; left side mrdangam will boom drowning most others.  Got it?  This also gives you a hint on what to change if you see these types of problems.  Play around with your home equalizer if you have one and if not with the treble (high frequency) and bass (low frequency) knobs.  Best is to try doing the experiment with only audio portions where only one musician is performing.   [Unfortunately, many systems today like Bose don't let you do anything; trust me, they provide less optimal sound than what someone who knows, even moderately, what to do with manual controls.  It is just like using your camera in Auto versus Manual. Rarely will a professional put the camera in the auto mode unless they know they won't have the time to compose their pictures!].

2. In terms of equalization thus for a male vocalist, I may set the equalizer with the frequency  around 1200 or so high and tapering down to the sides; for a violin may be centered around 2000 Hz; etc.
Make sure successive frequency knobs form a reasonably continuous curve. [The modern day digital mixers are a challenge to most technicians since it is much harder to get a smooth curve without a lot of experience and a larger screen to work with.  I still prefer analog mixers for this reason.] Since you are not doing some fancy stuff with a separate equalizer for each instrument or musician, use the main person as your guide for this.  Things may have to be changed later depending on the auditorium, the size of the crowd (that alters sound characteristics ), etc. for which your ears are your best guide.  There is no one single set of numbers that work always.  So, treat these as starting points.
After setting the equalizer thus, adjust individual instruments or channels with the frequency knobs low, mid, high on your console which cover different frequency ranges.

3. Volume and Gain: One big cause of problems is setting the gain high.  Without getting technical, think of gain as the input volume level.  If gain is set high, a small movement towards the mic by the musician can amplify things very much.  Such abrupt moves will make them sound like they are shouting or screaming.  (Hear those awful squeaks in the auditorium? Most of these are due to high gain settings.)  A common mistake I see with most audio people in Indian programs, including so-called professionals, is that they treat the gain control as the main tool for increasing or lowering volume.  That is really asking for trouble.  Golden Rule 1: Try to make do with the minimum possible level of gain to avoid squeaks and overloads of your system.  How do you find it?  Here is a simple trick.  Set the volume control at 0 (i.e., at center), let the person play or sing and increase gain just to the level that is comfortable.  From then on change using only the volume knob!  Volume knob is what controls the output level.  Golden Rule 2: Move the knobs gently and in a continuous motion at a very slow rate; especially so with gain.

4.  If you hear the violin or the left side of the mrdangam booming, reduce the lower frequencies.  Some violinists and vocalists will ask for more "base" without realizing a little bit what it can do to how they sound.  Make them play the lower octaves and use that as a guide.   Pay attention to the right side of the mrdangam; is the sollu clear?  if not ,you don't have enough treble (higher frequencies) for that; does it sound too metallic (then you have too much treble or are using high frequency ranges too much).

5. Never work without a stage monitor.  Make sure you can increase or decrease the volume on the stage monitor without affecting the way things sound in the hall.  Don't run the stage monitor too high.  Then amplified sound enters the mic, gets amplified again, and this process repeats God knows how many times since things travel at speed of light, overloads your channel, and you get a terrible squeak; in the worst case, it blows your equipment (yes, I have seen that happen too!)

6. Unless you have undergone some serious professional training, stay away from things (especially done manually) like Effects (Reverb) which some musicians will ask for although they have no clue whatsoever what it means or how it affects sound.  [You may be able to get away with the automatic setting of Vocal-SmallHall or Vocal-LargeHall for most Carnatic programs giving good reverb but beware of hall reflection properties of sound.  If it feels like you are hearing multiple versions of the same sound, don't use it!]  Smile, nod your head, do what you have to do.  In my long years, the only musician I consider as knowing anything about sound engineering is Sangeethasagara Balamuralikrishna.  How I wish a day comes when no one is allowed to ascend the stage without some minimum training on using the mic and the essentials of audio!

Also, when it comes to recording, please set the peak level at about -6dB.  One common error I see especially from India is to set it at 0dB resulting in frequency clipping.

Some other golden rules: #3 Go  and listen from various places in the auditorium and readjust. #4 Dont respond to each and everyone who comes to you and asks you to change this or that.  #5 Have some trusted people (like those who you know can make a good judgment about sound quality) who can tell you. #6 Don't set up and walk away for good.  Unexpected exigencies do occur.  #7 Don't get too cocky; there is a heck of a lot to learn, and at any stage, what we know is a very small part of what is out there to learn.
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The author, Dr. V. Ramaswami, also wrote the books 'Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge' as also 'Bhaja Govindam - A Topical Exposition'  besides writing and editing several books in his fields Applied Probability & Telecommunications.  He is a former President & Secretary of CMANA, the Carnatic Music Association of North America under whose Presidency its Sangeethasagara award was instituted.  He has penned over 40 compositions in Carnatic music.  A probabilist by profession, he has been a serial inventor with many patents, and among his positions was one as Chief Scientist at Bellcore.  He has published over 75 scientific articles and written and/or edited several books.  He was named a Distinguished Science Alumnus by Purdue University, an honor given to a very small percentage of its graduates.

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Some additional comments related to audio in  future posts.  Your comments are most welcome. Please post them here and only here if they relate to question, additional technical matters etc.  Kudos and criticisms you can place wherever you choose.  If you have not seen the page for my book, kindly visit http://www.innovationbyindiaforindia.com
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NOTE ADDED AFTER SOME SEQUELS TO THIS BLOG:
You may also wish to read

https://veeraam.blogspot.com/2016/10/carnatic-music-additional-audio-pointers.html

and
http://veeraam.blogspot.com/2017/04/audio-basics-for-carnatic-musicians.html

INDIAN HEALTH - PART 3 - DIET

This is a summary of a great book and provided as community service to you. Your feedback is appreciated.  My advice: Buy the book and use it as a constant reference.

Book: The South Asian Health Solution

Author: Ronesh Sinha, MD

ISBN: 978-1-939563-05-7

Note: This summary is to quickly get us moving in the right direction and is not a substitute for reading the book which abounds in case studies and much greater detail than what is presented here.

PROBLEMS OF TYPICAL INDIAN DIET

Excess Carb: The key number is Net Carb defined by

NC = Total Grams of Carb – Total Grams of Fiber

(MyFitnessPal.com provides NC values for most Indian food for free.  Surprise or shock yourself as the case may be by playing around. 1 home made dosa=34g !)

If you meet the metabolic six-pack, limit carbs to 150g/day.  May need to move to 80-100g to burn fat depending on how far you are from the norm.

    For someone meeting the criteria given in Part 2, the recommended NC per day is in the range of 100-150 grams, although the very physically active may tolerate more.  Those who are challenged with respect to obesity measures will have to drop down to 80-100 grams of carb per day to achieve fat burning.  But most Indians routinely consume 300+ grams per day; most don’t even know that.  They chase some other numbers like total calories or total fat etc. incorrectly.  They also harbor many myths and do not understand that certain fats (like coconut oil and ghee), in the absence of excess carb, are not harmful but become fattening with excess carb. Excess carb leads to insulin resistance and unhealthy visceral fat lining internal organs (abdominal fat is a sign of that) that generates inflammatory agents.  The book recommends carb control as the most important step in controlling many of the metrics associated with the metabolic six-pack.  Patients are seen to show significant progress even in 3 months with proper carb control and exercise.

Warnings: (i) You must avoid too much loss of fluids and sodium if you are moving from a high carb to a low carb diet.  Typically, people may need only a cup of broth.  (ii) If you have a health condition like high BP, diabetes, or a heart problem, you must consult your doctor or a trained nutritionist before you make drastic reductions of carb. (iii) Those engaging in over 1 hour of intense exercise or games (not casual strolls) can take an extra dose of carb in the form of a sweet potato or a serving of rice 30 to 60 minutes later to replenish the glucose store in the muscles.      

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.    Flat Breads: Avoid or severely limit high carb foods (Paratha=47g; Naan=35g, chapatti=24g, masala-dosa=30g, 1 bread slice=15g; all numbers approximate and can vary with brand etc.)  Replace with low carb food (Coconut Flour chapatti=3g; almond toast =1 g; almond flour pancake =2g; romaine lettuce=0g).  Try chopped cauliflower for masala in place of potato.  Try adai or pesarettu instead of dosa high in rice content with more lentils.

2.    Starchy Vegetables:  Substitute starchy vegetables (aloo sabji=40g/cup; aloo paratha=40g; corn 1 cup=30g; peas 1 cup=20g; pumpkin and squash = 20g/cup) with (cauliflower=2g/cup; crunchy leafy vegetables; sweet potato; finally, spaghetti, zucchini, summer squash=5g/cup)

3.    Rice etc.: Intake in the Chinese population of rice is apparently 600g/day of carb (won’t be surprised if it is so for many in South India).  Substitute high carb items (1 cup white rice=40g; 1 cup basmati=76g; 1 cup spaghetti=40g; 1 cup brown basmati=68g) with  alternatives (cauliflower rice =4g; shredded cabbage=4g; Shirataki rice and noodles = 1g.  Other alternatives are chopped broccoli, carrots).

4.    Lentils etc.: Substitute high carb items (cooked dal=30g/cup; kidney beans=30g; chickpeas=30g) with (rasam 5g+vegetables; add volume with protein foods like paneer and nuts; add richness with toasted almonds topped with extra virgin olive oil, ghee, or coconut oil.)

5.    Sweets: Avoid high fructose corn syrup, liquid sugar like juices and sodas, designer coffee drinks, mango lassi, fruit smoothies.  (1 raw mango=30g; 1 cup pineapple=20g; 1 banana=24g; 1 cup prunes=60g; 3 dates=50g) .  Instead, use berries (1 cup blue berries=15g; raspberries=7g; strawberries=10g).  (There is not even a need to mention Indian sweets which are sugar high.  A strategy adopted in parties successfully by someone I know is to either take the desserts first so as not to overload oneself after the meal, or to consciously make room for some and go easy on the main courses.)

Breakfast: The author recommends having breakfast after an exercise, so that the muscles draw their glucose from the accumulated belly fat.  Those, who can, should consider an omelette, soft-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs for protein.  Avoid cereal from boxes laden with carbs as well as oatmeal-banana.  Instead, he suggests almond meal, almond flour, or coconut flour pancakes, low carb Greek yogurt, berries and nuts.  For him, skipping breakfast altogether is not as sinful as some make it out to be either, and many may find themselves feeling less hungry as they do around ten or eleven after a glucose heavy breakfast.  He also recommends intermittent fasting by those who can do that.

Protein: Lentils are the main source of protein for vegetarians, but unfortunately they come laden with carbs.  A couple of eggs is highly recommended by the author who asserts that will increase your cholesterol less than a bagel or high fiber cereal we normally eat.  Nuts and seeds (almond, macademia, sun flower seed) are good sources of protein, minerals, fiber and healthy fats as are butters made from them.  Quinoa is high in protein, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium but be aware of its NC.  Almond flour or coconut flour breads,  a bowl of lentils with ¾ vegetable content (don’t overcook vegetables) is a good choice.  Protein shakes with regular or coconut milk as base with some added nut butter is a good choice.  Avoid fruits and prefer vegetables for shakes.  Vegetables with high protein content are: asparagus, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower (do not overcook!).

Fat: Saturated fats found in dairy (milk, butter) and in coconut (oil, butter, flakes, milk) are good when not consumed with excess carbs. Monounsaturated fats (olive, extra virgn olive oil, avocados, macadamia, almonds) are heathy; don’t heat the oils in this class to high heat.  In the case of Polyunsaturated fats, Omega-3 is good, but avoid Omega-6 (vegetable oils are big offenders) which creates inflammatory effects.  Transfats and partially hydrogenated fats are unsuitable for human consumption.

Additional Remarks: Indians tend to exhibit Vitamin D deficiency.  A daily vitamin supplement is worth considering if the daily diet is not providing enough vitamins and minerals.  Indians according to the author lead a highly oxidized lifestyle, which accounts for high rates of inflammation. (We take early AM, as first thing in the morning 15 minutes before anything else, the anti-oxidant 'nutraMetrix Isotonic OPC-3' on the advice of our own doctor and have found it to be very helpful. A capful is supposed to have anti-oxidants equal to several glasses of red wine.)

Please read the book for more information on food for children, pregnant women, etc. as also for understanding better the rationale.  At its price, the book is a great investment.  Treat this set of blogs only as a quick refresher or summary of the bare minimum facts.

Other parts of this can be found by searching through the right panel.  Have you seen my book, "Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge" available through amazon.com and flipkart.com ?

INDIAN HEALTH- PART 2 - METRICS & THRESHOLDS

This is a summary of a great book and provided as community service to you. Your feedback is appreciated.  My advice: Buy the book and use it as a constant reference.

Book: The South Asian Health Solution

Author: Ronesh Sinha, MD

ISBN: 978-1-939563-05-7

Note: This summary is to quickly get us moving in the right direction and is not a substitute for reading the book which abounds in case studies and much greater detail than what is presented here.

THE IDEAL NUMBERS FOR ASIAN INDIANS

      We will first recall the target metrics to watch and the thresholds.  Explanations on the significance of these metrics etc. are to be given in a later post with our focus on getting to actionable items first. [These summaries are also for myself so that I don’t have to keep searching through the book repeatedly.]

     The book recommends a set of six goals, which the author calls “metabolic six pack.”   They are both goals to aspire for as well as a check with regard to how healthy one really is.   Abnormalities in them are often indicators of ongoing or soon-to-occur problems.  It is, however, counterproductive to get hung up on the last inch, or the last pound, or whatever measure and stressing out.  However, the closer you move to the ideal, the better off you are.  The key is to start making a constant movement in that direction and maintaining once good levels are reached.

METABOLIC SIX-PACK: (1) If you are a male, bring your waist circumference to 35 inches, and if you are a female to 31 inches; (2) Get to a triglyceride level below 100 mg/dL (1.13 mmol/L);  (3) Get to HDL cholesterol to a level greater than 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) if you are a male, and above 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) if you are a female; (4) Reduce your systolic BP to 120 or under and diastolic BP to 80 or under; (5) Bring fasting glucose level to below 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) and A1C to below 5.7; (6) Get hs-CRP level (inflammation marker) below 1.0mg/dL.

Two ratios:  Two ratios strongly recommended for South Asians and associated targets are: (i) Triglycerides/HDL < 3.0; (ii) Waist/Hip < 0.9 for males, and < 0.85 for females.  [Measure waist (tummy) at the level of the navel without tucking in, and hip at the widest point keeping a tape measure as parallel to the ground as possible.]

A crude measure of fitness is BMI (the Body Mass Index).  It is defined as:

           BMI = (703 x Weight in Pounds) / (height in inches x height in inches)

                    = (Weight in kg)/(height in meters x height in meters)

Note: 100 centimeters make a meter.

Some rules of thumb accompanying this measure for South Asians are:

        Underweight if BMI < 18.5; Healthy if BMI is between 18.5 and 23;

  Overweight if BMI is between 23 .1 and 25; Obese if BMI is greater than 25

WARNING: Though easy to measure, the BMI is not adequate as a measure because, among other things, it does not differentiate fat and muscle.  Abdominal obesity is a better indicator.  Stay with the metabolic six-pack measurements.

    The book  (Appendix B, pages 358-360) provides a detailed set of WHO recommended parameters for an even larger variety of metrics.  The typical health challenged Asian Indian, however, will do well to concentrate on the above and to work on improving them unless there are specific reasons identified by a physician.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1.     There are many other metrics and associated thresholds given by WHO.  One of these is Total Cholesterol/HDL < 3.5.   An advanced lipid profile may be needed if you are violating this or other cholesterol based requirements in the metabloc six-pack.

2.     Blood pressure: You are pre-hypertensive if your systolic is between 120 and 139 or diastolic between 80 & 89; Stage 1 High if systolic is between 140 & 159 or diastolic is between 90 and 99; Stage 2 High if systolic is > 160 or diastolic >99.  If not normal, it is recommended that you monitor your pressure at different times of the day daily at least for two weeks, make a chart, and share it with your physician.

3.     Blood Glucose: Normal if fasting glucose < 100 mg/dL, A1C< 5.7, and OGTT  < 140.  OGTT refers to Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, which is not administered unless there is a need.  Pre-diabetic if fasting glucose is in the range 100 to 125, or if A1C in range 5.7 to 6.4, or if OGTT between 140 and 199; Diabetic if fasting glucose > 126 or A1C > 6.4 or OGTT > 200.

4.     Specific requirements on LDL cholesterol is not specified by the book due to the reason that LDL itself decomposes into smaller and larger particles, and smaller ones cause problems.  Thus one can have a “normal” LDL level although could be quite unhealthy since a large portion of the LDL is made up of smaller particles.  The metabolic six-pack has measures that can be good markers of cholesterol disorders and if they are violated, your doctor should obtain a detailed cholesterol profile for you.

5.     There are many myths with regard to diet, exercise, fat, and cholesterol prevalent among all and particularly among Indians.  Examples of these are: (i) ghee and coconut oil are bad; (ii) lentil rich food is necessarily healthy; (iii) walking alone is sufficient as exercise.  We will examine these in later sections.

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Other parts of this can be found by searching through the right panel.  Have you seen my book, "Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge" available through amazon.com and flipkart.com ?

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