In this era of social media, where our attention spans are consumed by bite-sized shorts, clips, and snippets, sitting through a 2–3 hour classical music recital feels like a dying pastime—much to my dismay. Aside from the occasional Coldplay concert that fills stadiums with selfie-snapping spectators, the art of attending live performances seems to be fading fast.
This weekend, Suja and I decided to break our usual routine and drove across town to attend a recital by Vidushi Preeti Sethuraman, a promising young vocalist performing in the Bangalore suburb of Indiranagar. We had budgeted about an hour for the commute, so I wasn’t too surprised when our Ola took a detour-laden 90 minutes through the thick of metropolitan traffic. Thankfully, we arrived just in time for the introductions—and I was captivated from the very first note she rendered.
The beautiful rendition of Jagadananda Karaka had the audience spellbound, with many humming along to Thyagaraja’s Sanskrit kriti. At the end of the piece, Preeti explained how the composer had woven three primary meanings of “Sri” (श्री) into the composition. The singer’s energy was infectious—she engaged the audience with a warm smile, nodded in rhythm to encourage her accompanying artists, and infused every rendition with captivating presence.
Although Suja and I had planned to spend just an hour at the concert before heading to another appointment, the recital drew us in completely. We ended up staying for almost three hours, fully immersed in the experience.
On the way back, Suja reminisced about seeing Preeti—and her sister Aarti, both distant relatives—as little tots. She was fascinated by how “that little one” had blossomed into such an accomplished artist, carrying a mantle passed down through generations of “vidvans”. Suja couldn’t help but feel proud for Preeti’s parents, who had poured their time and energy into nurturing the talent now so visibly in bloom.
While technology and live streaming have made it convenient for us to work from home and pull entertainment into our living rooms, there’s something irreplaceable about dressing up and showing up. Sitting in the audience, making eye contact, and encouraging artists in the moment—this is an experience that no AI, Metaverse avatar, or livestream can replicate. In that sense, the techie in me hopes we remain gloriously art-loving Luddites.
