What do you listen to when you work out? Chances are, it is not Carnatic music. Interestingly enough, though, a social media survey conducted among those who attended the MadRasana festival last December could have us rethinking our playlists.
Besides giving feedback on the show, Mahesh Venkateshwaran, founder of MadRasana, says, “nearly 90% of the people” responded to the question ‘do you listen to music during workouts’ stating that “they listened to Carnatic while they ran, jogged, walked, stretched, meditated, etc”.
This has now led to a one-of-a-kind initiative by the city-based group (which crafts intimate classical music experiences) — exploring the scope of Carnatic music to design content exclusively for workouts. The first experiment was last evening.
Immersive experience
As the sun went down, a group of 40 gathered around musicians Vignesh Ishwar (vocals), Sumesh Narayanan ( mridangam ) and L Ramakrishnan (violin) at the NaMaargam dance company in Alwarpet.
The project, a live recording session of MadRasana Workout, unfolded in three 45-minute segments: exploring music without amplification, with output from a console, and with the use of ambisonic technology (full sphere surround sound format, where participants listen with headphones). The idea was to explore how the experience changes when both the artistes and the listeners are equally invested in it.
Mahesh Venkateshwaran of MadRasana
“There’s no compromise on the music content either,” says Venkateshwaran. “The attempt is to see how we can push boundaries in terms of content and keep innovating experiences that enable engagement and listening with a sense of intimacy.”
He adds that the initiative will continue with well-known classical artistes throughout the year, and culminate with a full-fledged digital Carnatic album for workouts.
Ragams for your burpees
Ishwar says that creating content “wasn’t as challenging” as he had thought it would be.
“I listen to a lot of Carnatic music when I work out; and more often than not, the choice of workout depends on the music I pick. For intense sessions, the pace and vibe of the ragam is crucial,” he says. “For walking, we picked songs that have a medium tempo [ragams like Suddha saveri , Sriranjani ], and for a more meditative routine, we worked on music with a calming effect [ Neelambari , Ananda Bhairavi ].”
What’s fascinating about the initiative is how committed it is about the science (taking the framework of Carnatic and breaking it down) and art of the music, even as it seeks out new technology to enhance the experience and create a platform that is innovative and inclusive.
So the next time you want to squeeze in a 10-minute Tabata routine before you head out or are in the mood for a 30-minute Surya Namaskar routine, you know where to look for some musical inspiration.
Details: madrasana.com
