QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND PREFERENCES OF MUSIC : A STUDY BASED ON BRAHMIN COMMUNITY IN THRISUR AND PALAKKAD DICTRICTS OF KERALA

Dissertation submitted to The University of Calicut In partial fulfillment of the requirement for The Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology LAKSHMY . R

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY VIMALA COLLEGE, THRISSUR (Nationally Re-accredited with A Grade) 2009-2011

QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND PREFERENCES OF MUSIC : A STUDY BASED ON BRAHMIN COMMUNITY IN THRISUR AND PALAKKAD DICTRICTS OF KERALA
Dissertation Submitted to the University of Calicut In partial fulfillment of the requirement for The Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology LAKSHMY . R Reg.No.VMAJMSY008

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY VIMALA COLLEGE, THRISSUR

(Nationally Re-accredited with A Grade)

2009-2011

CERTIFICATE
Certified that this dissertation on "QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND PREFERENCES OF MUSIC : A STUDY BASED ON BRAHMIN COMMUNITY IN THRISUR AND PALAKKAD DICTRICTS OF KERALA"is a record of genuine work done by Mrs. LAKSHMY . R, final semester student of the Master of Arts in Sociology of this college under my Supervision and guidance and it is here by approved for submission.

Head in charge Department of Sociology Vimala College Thrissur

Mr. Rajeev Kumaramkandath Supervising Teacher Department of Sociology Vimala College Thrissur

Dr.Lissy John Irimpan The Principal Vimala College Thrissur

DECLARATION
I, LAKSHMY . R here by declare that the dissertation titled "QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND PREFERENCES OF MUSIC : A STUDY BASED ON BRAHMIN COMMUNITY IN THRISUR AND PALAKKAD DICTRICTS OF KERALA" have been carried out by me under the guidance of Supervising Teacher Mr.RAJEEV KUMARAMKANDATH Department of Sociology, Vimala College, Thrissur. I also declare that this report has not been submitted partially or fully for the award of any degree, diploma or recognition before.

Place : Thrissur Date :

LAKSHMY . R

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God -Martin Luther King I dedicate this piece of work to all those who love music. First of all, let me place on record my profound sense of gratitude to Lord Almighty for guiding and enlightening me through proper channel during the course of my work. I express my sincere and deepest thanks to Mr. Rajeev Kumaramkandath, my guide and faculty of the Department of Scociology, for his valuable guidance, suggestions and motivation and without whom the culmination of my project would have been a distant reality. I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound obligation to all other Faculty members of the department of Sociology, especially to Dr. Sara Neena.T.T, Reader, Department of Sociology and Ms. Olivia, Lecturer, department of Sociology for their encouragement. I am grateful to Dr. Sr. Lissy John Irimpan, the Principal, Vimala College for providing the facilities to conduct this study. I extent my gratitude to the college and library authorities for the remarkable and awe-inspiring facilities they offered during the course of my work. My Special thank to Mrs. Vidya Padmakumar and Mr. Shankar who helped me during the course of my data collection. And i also extent my sincere thanks to the respondents of my study . I express my heartfelt thanks to my friends, who supported and encouraged me a lot to go ahead with my topic. I'm extremely thankful to my parents, for their support, love, care and affection they showered upon me during the course of the project work. Finally, words alone cannot express the thanks I owe to Sri Mahadevan, my husband,who is a great source of inspiration for me.

LAKSHMY . R

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 INTRODUCTION REVIEW OF LITERATURE

TITLE

PAGE NO. 1 -15 16 -27 28 -33 34 - 41 42 - 59 60 - 73 74 - 77

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY SOCIO ECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS PREFERENCE OF BRAHMINS TOWARDS CARNATIC MUSIC FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR MUSICAL PREFERENCES SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES APPENDIX

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.1 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.2 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 6.1 6.2

TITLE Age wise Distribution of Respondents Sex wise Distribution of Respondents Distribution of Respondents based on their Marital Status Family Structure of the Respondents Distribution of the Respondents based on Education Monthly income of the Respondents Other Interests of the Respondents Frequency of Listening to Music Kind of music Preference Frequency of listening to carnatic music Frequency of Listening to Carnatic Music and occupation Frequency of listening to carnatic music and Sex Intensity of attraction towards carnatic music Attraction towards carnatic music and Sex Age and attraction towards carnatic music Music preference and type of family Preferred mode of listening carnatic music Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community and sex Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community and Age Audience from Brahmin community for carnatic musical performances Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community and Audiences from Brahmin community Singing or practicing of Carantic music among the respondents Familiarity with popular carnatic songs Respondents sing or practice and their familiarity with popular carnatic songs Numbers of Family members learn carnatic music Number of family members with concerts experience Frequency of listening to other genres of music Carnatic music played for occasions Family members well versed in other genres of music Carnatic music as a topic of discussion among Family members Relationship between Brahmin Lifestyle and Carnatic music Rating based on following the brahmin tradition

PAGE NO. 34 35 35 36 38 40 41 42 43 43 44 45 45 46 46 47 48 49 49 50 51 51 52 53 53 54 55 55 56 56 57 60 61

Frequency in following brahmin tradition and the kind of music 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.1 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 preferred Reason for the appeal towards carnatic music Role of carnatic music in a brahmin's life Nature of carnatic music Relation between carnatic music and vedas Frequency of carnatic music used in their religious occasions Frequency of carnatic music used in festivals Role of carnatic music in socializing Difference in individual and collective listening Preffered music to listen collectively or along with your community Place of residence and the kind of music prefered Musical preference of relatives stay in metros or outside india Effect of reality shows on the popularity of carnatic music

62 63 64 64 65 65 66 67 67 68 70 71 71

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO. 4.1 4.2 5.1 6.1

TITLE Area Wise Distributions of the Respondents Distribution of Respondents based on Occupation Carnatic music as a topic of discussion among friends Relation between living within the brahmin community and musical preference

PAGE NO. 37 39 58 69

CHAPTER -1

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Identity is certainly among the questions currently of greatest interest to researchers in the humanities and social sciences in the academic world. The efforts have gone so far that some thinkers have even begun to criticize the usefulness and utilization of this fashionable concept as a key tool for penetrating the complexities of hypermodern societies. There is no doubt that contemporary societies and communities are structured along many different lines, one of which is thesearch for identity, based on individual strategies to distinguish oneself , complete oneself socially, and position oneself strategically within a social whole.Ultimately, the usage of the concept of identity is only one particular method of asking in different terms the questions that have always been at the heart of the humanities and the social sciences: How are groups formed and how do they reproduce themselves over time? How do individuals lend meaning to their experiences and fit their own lives into constantly changing global society? What is the logic or what are the dynamics behind the emergence of various social differentiations and hierarchies, the acquisition of power, and the establishment of social norm. Identity is an integral part of social life. It is only by distinguishing the identities of different groups that people are able to relate to other people.

Identity remains rooted in the social experience and the membership of social groups.There are two types of identity we frequently refer to include : Individual identity and Collective identity INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY Individual identity, is constructed through self-narration and resulting in a definition of the self with and in contrast to an other, is first and foremost the expression of a social practice in which individuals, engaged in the successive moments of their existence, draw on various references and skills within themselves in order to deal adequately with the conditions which they face as various circumstances arise.Stuart Hall sees the theory of Symbolic interactionism as a good example of the conception of individual identity. From the point of symbolic interactionism the individual identity is formed in interaction with others. A person's view of themselves, or self-concept, is partly a product of how others see that person. Form the interactionist point of view people still possessed their own individuality, but it was not an individuality wholly distinct from society. Hence Identity acts as a bridge between the social and the purely individual. Using the ideas of symbolic interactionism certain theorists argues that individual identity is formed in the process of socialization, where in through this process people learn to distinguish the socially significant similarities and differences between themselves and others. According to Richard Jenkins, Identities contain elements of the 'individually unique' and the 'collectively shared'. He was of the opinion that the individual identities are shaped through the membership of social groups. Drawing on the ideas of Erving Goffman, Jenkins argues identities are formed as people try to get others to see them as they want to be seen. In that process they may or may not be successful, if unsuccessful they may find it difficult to sustain their identity they prefer. And hence identities are not just concerned with our own impressions of ourselves ( individually oriented), but also with our impression of others, and others' impressions of us(Socially oriented). Thus individual identity is both internal and external, i.e it has got both an individual connotation and collective connotation. COLLECTIVE IDENTITY The term collective identity may refer to a variety of concepts. In general however, these concepts generally pertain to phenomena where an individuals' perceived membership in a social group impacts upon their own identity in some way. The concept of a collective identity refers to a set of individuals' sense of belonging to the group or collectivity. For the individual, the identity derived from the collective shapes a part of his or her personal identity. It is possible, at times, that this sense of belonging to a particular group will be so strong that it will trump other aspects of the person's personal identity. To put it another way, Collective Identity is the idea that through participating in social activities, individuals can gain a sense of belonging and in essence an

"identity" that transcends the individual. Collective identity is the product of a conscious symbolmaking effort, seek to satisfy a people's need and desire by sharing common references or grand ideas, in which a group of remarkable individuals discover themselves and develop close ties based sometimes on having socialized together, sometimes on some factor that unites them, such as language, traditions, artforms and sometimes on manufactured references. Collective identity is therefore, in particular, the expression of a narrative shaping and forming of the group. There is general agreement that collective identitywhat used to be called the soul of the peopleis constructed, that is to say, manufactured from elements drawn from historical materials and reified (or petrified) as identity references, which incorporate a greater or lesser number of traditions. To penetrate to the heart of the collective identity of a group that recognizes itself in this identity is to show how various forces developed a representation of this group over time which enables it to duly give birth to itself, locate itself in the evolving strands of its life, and endow itself with a certain retrospective and prospective consistency. Social identity is something that reinforces the collective identity of groups of people or communities. According to Richard Jenkins "Social identity is our understanding of who we are and of who other people are, and , reciprocally, other people's understanding of themelves and of others." Thus collective identity is one that is shared with other people as a member of a larger social group, such as linguistic, faith, cultural or ethnic group.Empirical manifestations of collective identity can vary in a number of significant ways.One important axis of variation is the size of the collectivity, and the corresponding scope of its claims. If the essence of collective identity resides in a sense of we-ness associated with real or imagined attributes in contrast to some set of others, then it follows that collective identities can surface among almost any grouping or aggregation in a variety of contexts, ranging from relatively small cliques and gangs to sports fans and celebrity devotees to laborers and occupational groupings to neighborhoods and communities to even broader and inclusive set of categories such as sexual and gender categories, religions, caste and ethnic groups, and nations.Thus there are many aspects that help in the formation of collective identities like religion, caste, culture, spirituality, language, gender and ideologies. CASTE AS A MANIFESTATION OF COLLECTIVE IDENTITY Collective identities can be multidimensional and be multi-layered within a specific locus, and they may also vary by type. The multi-dimensionality of collective identity is indicated by reference to its cognitive, emotional, and moral dimensions (Jasper and Polletta 2001; Melucci 1989). A basic social stratification system in india , Caste is one of the manifestations of collective identities based on or formed out of these dimensions. Caste is an elaborate and complex social structure which

divides people on the basis of ascribed social status, which includes elements of occupation, culture and tribal affiliation. Members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race. Oxford dictionary defines caste as any of the Hindu hereditary classes, distinguished by relative degree of purity and pollution (of blood), whose members are socially equal with one another and often follow the same occupation.The Indian caste system has been in use for many years. Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly. It has kept a sense of order, and peace among the people. There are five different levels of the system: Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each of these categories are the actual "castes" or jatis within which people are born, and die. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. This system has worked well for Indian people and still has a major role in modern India. The vedic description for the origin of the ChaturVarnas (four castes) goes like this "Giving a human form to the society, we may say priests and teachers are its expressive face, rulers and warriors its protective arms, traders and farmers its supporting thighs and servants and labourers its transporting feet."Purusha Sukta: (The Hymn of God); Rigveda. Each caste based community has their own cultural traits, which shows their identity and through which they are known to others . These traits could be their traditions, practices, beliefs, values, ritual systems, colour, food , ethnic wear, the kind of art forms and music they patronize, occupations, customs, rules and regulations. As far as this dissertation is concerned it deals with the collective identity of a caste based community called 'Brahmins' in general and Iyers , i.e the Tamil Brahmins who have migrated to Kerala in Particular and it's relation to one of the above said cultural traits called 'Music'. Here is an Over view of Brahmin Community in India and Kerala BRAHMINS OF INDIA AND KERALA : AN OVER VIEW According to 2001 census, Brahmins constitute less than 4.1% of Indian population. Specifically, Saraswat Brahmins constitute less than 1% of Indian population. The term Brahmin denotes both a member of the priestly class in the Hindu varna system, and a member of the highest caste in the caste system of Hindu society. The Sanskrit word Brhmaa denotes priestly class and caste . The history of the Brahmin community in India begins with the Vedic religion, also known asSanatana Dharma, in ancient India. The Vedas are the primary source of knowledge for brahmin practices. All the sampradayas of Brahmins take inspiration from the Vedas. Brahmin communities and castes in

India are broadly divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins. Pancha Gauda Brahmins Panch Gaur (the five classes of Northern India): 1) Saraswat, 2) Kanyakubja, 3) Gaua brahmins, 4) Utkala Brahmin, and 5) Maithil Brahmin. In addition, for the purpose of giving an account of Northern Brahmins each of the provinces must be considered separately, such as, North Western Provinces and Pakistan, Gandhar, Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh, Rajputana, Nepal, Oudh, Central India, Trihoot, Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Assam etc. The originate from south of the (now-extinct) Saraswati River. Pancha Dravida Brahmins Panch Dravida (the five classes of Southern India): 1) Andhra, 2) Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), 3) Karnataka, 4) Maharashtra and Konkon, and 5) Gujarat. They originate from north of the (nowextinct) Saraswati River. In Andhra Pradesh, Brahmins are broadly classified into 2 groups:Vaidika (meaning educated in vedas and performing religious vocations) and Niyogi(performing only secular vocation), which are further divided into several sub-castes. In Tamil Nadu, Brahmins belong to 2 major groups: iyer including dikshitar, shastri, sharma and gurukkal of Smarthas, the followers of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, Sri-Vaishnavas (Iyengars), who are the followers of Sri Ramanujacharya. In Karnataka, Brahmins belong to 3 major groups: Smarthas, the followers of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, Madhvas (or Vaishnavas) who are the followers of Sri Madhvacharya, and SriVaishnavas (Iyengars), who are the followers of Sri Ramanujacharya and Srimathe Vedanta Desika. In Maharashtra , Brahmins are classified into four groups: Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins, Deshastha Brahmin and Karhade Brahmin, Devrukhe. In Kerala Brahmins are classified into three groups:Namboothiris, Pottis and Pushpakas. (Pushpakas are commonly clubbed with Ampalavasi community). The major priestly activities are performed by Namboothiris while the other temple related activities known as Kazhakam are performed by Pushpaka Brahmins and other Ampalavasis. Sri Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, a village in Kerala, to a Namboothiri Brahmin couple, Shivaguru and Aryamba and lived for thirtytwo years. The Namboothiri Brahmins, Potti Brahmins and Pushpaka Brahmins in Kerala follow the Philosophies of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. There are Brahmins migrated to Kerala from Tamil Nadu

are known as Pattar in Kerala. They possess almost same status of Potti Brahmins in Kerala.Unlike in North India, the proportion of Brahmins(1.4%) in Kerala is not very significant . KERAL A IYERS Kerala Iyers, colloquially called Pattars, belong to the Hindu Brahmin caste of Iyer who are settled in the Indian state of Kerala. They are called as Palakkad Iyers and Travancore Iyers, based on the location of settlement. Many Iyers were original residents of Kerala. There has also been an inflow from Tanjore district, Tirunelveli and Ramnad districts of Tamil Nadu. History The waves of Tamil Brahmin migration into Kerala continued till the first half of 14th century, a few centuries after the decline of all the great Hindu empires of Tamil Nadu (such as Chola and Pandya dynasties). During the invasions of Malik Kafur and subsequent Muslim kingdoms, large numbers of Tamil Brahmins migrated and settled down on the western side of the Western Ghats which provided them security and safety from the invaders. Occasionally, Iyers also migrated from Tamil Nadu at the invitation from the Rajas of Kerala. The waves of Tamil Brahmin migration into Kerala continued till the first half of 20th century. Over the years these migrants built up their own individual culture and established an identity of their own. In Kerala, they are commonly referred to as Pattars. The word 'Pattar' is derived from the word 'Bhattar', a Sanskrit word indicating Brahmins. This was one of the earlier surnames used by the Tamil Brahmins. Socio-Economic Profile of Iyers The Iyers were one of the first to take to English education. A large number of them were employed in the government of the erstwhile states of Travancore and Cochin. A large number of government officials at the time of formation of Kerala were from the community. There were also a number of lawyers, doctors, engineers and traders. The Travancore Pattars have played a very important role in the history of Travancore. The community was close to the Royal family of Travancore. They occupied the post of Karyasthas to the royal family members. Travancore Pattars had a number of Dewans and administrators from the community.The Kerala Iyers have also played an important role as indigenous Bankers. Later on they have been instrumental in forming a number of Banking companies. They played a prominent role in the formation and running of the erstwhile Travancore Bank Ltd which is now State Bank of Travancore.Kerala Iyers played an important role in developing the culture of Kerala. They effectively imported the dance form of Bharathanatyam and Carnatic Music to Kerala Life Style, Culture And Traditional Ethics Of Iyers

Iyers generally lead orthodox lives and adhere steadfastly to their customs and traditions. Their society is patriarchal but not feudal. Iyers are generally vegetarian. Some abjure onion and garlic on the grounds that they activate certain base senses. Cow milk and milk products were approved. They were required to avoid alcohol and tobacco.Iyers follow elaborate purification rituals, both of self and the house. Men are forbidden from performing their "sixteen duties" while Women are forbidden from cooking food without having a purificatory bath in the morning.Food is to be consumed only after making an offering to the deities. The bathing was considered sufficiently purifying only if it confirmed to the rules of madi.The word 'madi'is used by Tamil Brahmins to indicate that a person is bodily pure. In order to practice madi, the brahmin had to wear only clothes which had been recently washed and dried, and the clothes should remain untouched by any person who was not madi. Only after taking bath in cold water, and after wearing such clothes, would the person be in a state of madi.This practice of madi is followed by Iyers even in modern times, before participating in any kind of religious ceremony.

Patronage of art Among Iyers

For centuries, Iyers have taken a keen interest in preserving the arts and sciences. They undertook the responsibility of preserving theBharata Natya Shastra, a monumental work on Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu. During the early 20th century, dance was usually regarded as a degenerate art associated with devadasis. Rukmini Devi Arundale, however, revived the dying art form thereby breaking social and caste taboos about Brahmins taking part in the study and practice of the dance. However, compared to dance, the contribution of Iyers in field of music has been considerably noteworthy, particularly in patronizing Carantic Music. The Trinity of Carnatic Music were responsible for making some excellent compositions towards the end of the 18th century. Today, there are Iyers who give traditional renderings as well as playback singers in Indian films like Nithyashree Mahadevan , Usha Uthup,Shankar Mahadevan, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Hamsika Iyer and Naresh Iyer.

Agrahram
In ancient times, Iyers, along with Iyengars and other Tamil Brahmins, lived in exclusive Brahmin quarters of their village known as an agrahram (in Sanskrit Agram means tip or end and Haram means Shiva). Shiva and Vishnu temples were usually situated at the ends of anagrahram. In most cases, there would also be a fast-flowing stream or river nearby.A typical agrahram consisted of a temple and a street adjacent to it. The houses on either side of the street were exclusively peopled

by Brahmins who followed a joint family system. All the houses were identical in design and architecture though not in size. The Agrahrams or brahmin villages are the physical manifestations of their collectivity.

MUSIC AS A TRAIT REPRESENTING THE IDENTITY OF A COMMUNITY Music is experienced by individuals in a range of social settings ranging from being alone to attending a large concert. Musical performances take different forms in different cultures and socioeconomic milieus. Music is used as a form of communication throughout the world, not just for entertainment purposes. For instance, in many cultures and communities music constitute a core feature of life, communicating practical information regarding history, legal matters, and even medical care .An example of this can be found in the early Native American culture where religious rituals, games, tribal ceremonies and relationships were often accompanied with songs and music. Therefore, music is able to convey various socio-cultural norms and beliefs and create shared understanding. Historically, music has been a vehicle for expressing group and cultural identities because it has the ability to transcend social boundaries and express cultural meanings. It has become an important way for many people to distinguish themselves from others, since the late 1950s and early 1960s by enabling them to form their own, separate identity or subcultures based on music . For instance Rockn-roll was simple and it allowed for the expression of deep emotions. Most of all, it gave voice to values and ideas, as well as longings and anxieties. This music was, for the baby boom generation, their means for articulating their identity, marking their place in society and communicating what they believed. An important quality of music, as stated by Frith (1987), is that: What music can do is put into play a sense of identity that may or may not fit the way we are placed by other social factors (p -147) . Music therefore not only liberates people from certain social restrictions but allows people the propensity to choose and construct their own sense of identity even if it does last only as long as a song. Music is something that every person can identify with. There is some type of music for every purpose and every cause. Songs are a fundamental building block in gathering people together and forming a group. They also play a part in developing a collective identity, which has common goals, ideas, emotions, or morals, within this group. For instance the Indian Independence

Movement involved music. There were many songs that made their way into the hearts of many of the natives and are still embedded in Indian culture today. The songs that were popular during the movement were written in an attempt to unite people and create solidarity. Songs such as Vande Mataram, written in 1876, spoke of nationalism and loyalty to the mother country of India. Music was a way to call for a necessary change in the way that Indians viewed their culture. A change that meant grouping together as Indians, and forgetting the individual subcultures that were spread across the country. Without music, many people in India would not have realized what was necessary for solidarity. This shows that although songs were not the main focus of the movement, they did play an important role in creating a collective identity. MUSIC OF INDIA The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B.India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and, developed over several eras, it remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression and pure entertainment. India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects, having very distinct cultural traditions and musical preferences. Some of the famous and distinct musical genres patronized in different areas by different communities in india are as follows Classical Music Genres of India The two main traditions of classical music are Carnatic music, found predominantly in the peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, found in the northern and central regions. Both traditions claim vedic origin, and history indicates that they diverged from a common musical root since about the 13th century. Hindustani Music Hindustani music is an Indian classical music tradition that goes back toVedic times around 1000 BC, and further developed circa the 13th and 14th centuries AD with Persian influences and from existing religious and folk music. The practice of singing based on notes was popular even from the Vedic times where the hymns in Sama Veda, a sacred text, was sung as Samagana and not chanted. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. In contrast to Carnatic music, the other main Indian classical music tradition originating from the South, Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic philosophy and native

Indian sounds but also enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughals . Besides pure classical, there are also several semi-classical forms such as thumri, dadra and tappa Carnatic Music The present form of Carnatic music is based on historical developments that can be traced to the 15th - 16th centuries AD and thereafter. From the ancient Sanskrit works available, and the epigraphical evidence, the history of classical musical traditions can be traced back about 2500 years. Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of : India, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is believed to have a divine origin. It originated from the Devas and (Hindu Gods and Goddesses),and is venerated as symbolic of ndabrhman (Sound of God). Ancient treatises describe the connection of the origin of the swaras, or notes, to the sounds of animals and birds and man's effort to simulate these sounds through a keen sense of observation and perception. The Sama Veda, which is believed to have laid the foundation for Indian classical music, consists of hymns from the Rigveda, set to musical tunes which would be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic yajnas. Other Musical Genres of India Bihu of Assam Bihu is the festival of New Year of Assam falling on mid April. This is a festival of nature and mother earth where the first day is for the cows and buffalos. Second day is for the man. Bihu dances and songs accompanied by traditional drums and wind instruments are essential part of this festival. Bauls The Bauls of Bengal are an order of musicians dating back to the 17th century, who play a form ofVaishnava music using a khamak, ektara and dotara. The word Baul comes from the Sanskrit batul meaning divinely inspired insanity. They are a group of mystic minstrels with a syncretic form of Vaishnavism influenced by Sufism and Buddhism. They are itinerant singer-poets whose music is earthy, and reflects on the infinite amid quotidian contexts of work and love. They have also been influenced by Hindu tantric sect of the Kartabhajas and also by Sufi sects. Bauls travel in search of the internal ideal, Maner Manush (Man of the Heart).

Kabir in Malwa
The Malwa belt of Madhya Pradesh lies in the western part of the state with Ujjain as the ancient centre and Indore, currently the largest city. The most interesting aspect of the folk music traditions of the area are the Bhajan mandalis that sing words of the mystic poets, especially Kabir, Meera, Surdas and others. There is a very strong branch of the Kabir panth (a sect that follows Kabirs philosophy) here, and almost every village has a team of musicians who sing through the nights on a regular basis. There is of course the music that accompanies rituals, ceremonies or is sung at festivals and is very beautiful and rich.

Bhangra Bhangra are a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region to celebrateVaisakhi, the festival of the Sikhs.Knowledge of Punjabi history offers important insights into the meaning of the music. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings and New Year celebrations. Moreover, during the last thirty years, Bhangra has enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae, and in such forms it has become a pop sensation in the United Kingdom and North America. Dandiya Dandiya is a form of dance-oriented folk music that has also been adapted for pop music. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance. It is practised in (mainly) the state of Gujarat. Actually Dandiya is a kind of dance rather than a music, the music is called a Garb in local language. Uttarakhandi Music Uttarakhandi folk music had its root in the lap of nature. The pure and blessed music have the feel and the touch of nature and subjects related to nature. The folk music primarily is related to the various festivals, religious traditions, folk stories and simple life of the people of Uttarakhand. Thus the songs of Uttarakhand are a true reflection of the Cultural Heritage and the way people lives their lives in the Himalayas. Musical instruments used in Uttarakhand music include the dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja. Tabla and harmonium are also used, but to a lesser extent. The main languages are Kumaoni and Garhwali.

Lavani Lavani comes from the word Lavanya which means beauty. This is one of the most popular forms of dance and music that is practiced all overMaharashtra. It has in fact become a necessary part of the Maharashtrian folk dance performances. Traditionally, the songs are sung by female artistes, but male artistes may occasionally sing Lavanis. The dance format associated with Lavani is known as Tamasha. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of 'Dholak', an drum like instrument. Dance performed by attractive women wearing nine-yard saris. They are sung in a quick tempo. The verve, the enthusiasm, the rhythm and above all the very beat of India finds an expressive declaration amidst the folk music of India, which has somewhat, redefined the term "bliss". Lavani originated in the arid region of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Music of the Monpa people in Arunachal Pradesh The Monpas are the largestBuddhist community in Arunachal Pradesh, living along the northwestern borderswith Tibet/China and Bhutan. Monpa language, religion and customs are closelyrelated to those of their neighbours.The Monpas follow either the Gelugpa yellow hat or Nyangmapa red hat orders of Tibetan Buddhism. Their religious centre is the gompa or monastery inTawang city, which is the most important in the state. Every village has a gompawith a lama (priest) who performs rituals and pujas (acts ofworship). Each house also has a little prayer room (chsam). Bonreligion, which is rooted in pre-Buddhist faiths, is followed in some villagesof the Tawang district.Song and music-making are essential to festivals, ritualperformances and rites of passage. MUSIC OF KERALA Music of Kerala has a long and rich history. Kerala is a state which lies in Southern India. The music of Kerala not necessarily directly imply to poetry in Malayalam language, the official and most widely used language in the state, despite the fact that most of the music in Kerala is poetry driven. Kerala has a rich tradition in Carnatic music as well, though that branch of music was formed in Tamilnadu and uses Kannada, the language of Karnataka, both Tamilnadu and Karnataka being neighboring states of Kerala. Songs formed a major part of early Malayalam literature, which is believed to have started developing by 9th century CE.With the development of music in the region, different branches were formed out of it. The most basic branches are classical music which is primarily Carnatic music oriented, and popular music which primarily includes film songs. Then there is music like chenda melam , which despite its religious nature, enjoys status of classical music as well as popularity. Some of the famous musical genres found in kerala among different

communities are as follows

Classical Music Genres of Kerala

Sopana Sangeetham

Kerala is musically known for Sopanam. Sopanam is classical and religious in nature, and developed through singing invocatory songs at the Kalam of Kali, and later inside temples. Sopanam came to prominence in the wake of the increasing popularity of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda or Ashtapadis. Sopana sangeetham (music), as the very name suggests, is sung by the side of the holy steps (sopanam) leading to the sanctum sanctorum of a shrine. It is sung, typically employing plain notes, to the accompaniment of the small, hourglass-shaped ethnic drum called idakka, besides the chengila or the handy metallic gong to sound the beats. Sopanam is traditionally sung by men of the Marar and Pothuval community, who are Ambalavasi (semi-Brahmin) castes engaged to do it as their hereditary profession.

Carnatic Music

Kerala, the land of kera (coconut palm) and Gods own land possesses a rich cultural background. Here each festival, both religious and social, calls for a peculiar type of music or dance. Being a state in the southern region of India, the style of music originated must have been akin to Karnatic music. Being a Dravida desa, and a portion of Tamil Nadu, the culture, language, dance, music and other art forms bore the influence of Tamil culture also. Previously a part of Tamizhagom, it was only with the birth and rise of Travancore kingdom that a separate culture and art forms developed here.Kerala is also home of Carnatic music.The rule of Swati Tirunal, the ruler of Travancore, is noted as "the Augustan Age of Kerala Music". He patronized art to a great instant and his court boosted of a galaxy of musicians. The South Indian Carnatic Music originated and flourished during his reign. Carnatic music is more prevalent among the Brahmin community. Some of the eminent and renowned Carnatic musicians of Kerala are Vina Kalyanakrishna Bhagavatar, Kathakalashepam Anantarama Bhagavatar, Palghat Mani and Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Palghat Mani Iyer and T.N Krishnan.

Other Musical Genres Of Kerala

Pulluvan Pattu

A Pulluvan is a male member of low caste group called Pulluvar of state of kerala. They belong to the Hindu religion. The term pullu means a bird of omen. There are many sub-divisions within the Pulluva community, the majority known as Nagampatikal (people who sing snake-songs). There are also pulluvars who are not Naagampatikal, known as Pretampatikal (people who sing ghost songs).The pulluvar of Kerala are closely connected to the serpent worship. One group among these people consider the snake gods as their presiding deity and perform certain sacrifices and sing songs. This is called Pulluvan Pattu. This is performed in the houses of the lower castes as well as those of the higher castes, in addition to serpent temples

Villu Pattu

Villu Pattu (or 'Bow Song' as translated in English, Villu means Bow) also known asVilladichampattu is an ancient form of musical story-telling art of South Kerala and Kanyakumaridistrict . This art form is popular among Nadar andEzhava caste of erstwhile Travancore Kingdom. Pana Pattu Pana pattu (pattu being a musical piece orsong) is usually a subsection of the elaborated pana ritual organised in an extended family household and is performed only once in a lifetime. The aim of the ritual is to make the fierce goddess Bhadrakali benevolent. The songs are sung by members of the Nayar communities, who accompany themselves on chenda. Mappila Pattu
TheMalabar

region of the state, with a large Muslim population had developed a signature music

stream based on the Hindustani style. The stream consists of a variety of forms like gazals and mappila pattu, and also music for authentic Muslim dance forms such as oppana andkol kali. The poetry forms a main part of this stream of music, which is primarily in Malayalam with the use of Arabic words in between which is known as arabimalayalam. Mappila songs have a charm of their own as their tunes sound a mix of the ethos and culture of Kerala as well as West Asia. They deal with diverse themes such as religion, love, satire and heroism. Mappila Songs are popular among the Muslim communities of Malabar.

BRAHMINS AND CARNATIC MUSIC Carnatic Music was an extension of Bakthi movement in South India. Though Carnatic Music didnt enjoy the Court Music status in every kingdom unlike Hindustani Music, it still managed to find Kings who patronized, but nevertheless remained a part of the Brahminical household. At the
start of the 19thcentury, the Kings were dethroned and Kingdoms were disbanded. As a result, art, music, and dance lost patronage and took a back seat. Carnatic music saw a major setback ever since

responsibility fell in the hands of a few individuals to protect and nurture on their own and with their little savings. Some of those individuals lived in the brink of poverty, but still had the courage and commitment to protect and propagate music. Music was taken back to the treasure chest in brahminical households and almost guarded like treasure. But with the arrival on the Trinities music once again was brought out of the treasure chest and started to root firmly in the banks of Cauvery. Carnatic Music is Indeed a part of every Brahmin gene. Post Independence many Brahmin families were behind Government jobs and were moving from villages to cities. Along with them Carnatic music moved from villages to cities. But the music that moved along with them continued to stay among the Brahmin community. There was a Brahmin stamp attached to Carnatic music at that time since they were treasurers at that time. When one take the history of exponents in carantic music, we could see that mot of them are Brahmins . Some of the famous Carantic musicians, who are brahmins are M. Balamurali Krishna , D.K Pattamal, Madurai Mani Iyer, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer , M.S Subbalakshmi , Muthuswami Dikshitar, V.Dakshina moorthy, and Thyagaraja Swamikal. Thus the history of Carnatic music and Brahmins shows an indispensible connection between these two. Brahmin community or caste is always accompanied with this genre of music. As mentioned earlier there are many traits that a community holds , which makes them different and special from others.Knowingly or unknowingly the kind of art forms or music they patronize also constitues one among those traits, which defines and delineates the identity of a community.

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

CHAPTER - 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURES

Review of literature in any study acts as a secondary source of data. A review of the existing literatures in the field of the research helps to identify the specific areas that needs special attention and it helps to enrich the present study with sufficient information from the past ones and also helps to analyse the and to compare it with the present, so that further studies could be conducted in the field of research. This chapter deals with the presentation of the available literatures on the area of study. Cosgel (1994) In his article Audience effects in consumption Consider how consumption would change if you were stranded on a deserted island. Isolation would eliminate all social influences on your consumption decisions, even for the same choice set. You might decide not to consume cosmetics, curtains, or neckties, and pay less attention to the style or color of your clothes,

car, or furniture. These choices might not matter as much to you anymore, for you would not have to consider the reactions of other individuals to your consumption. Similarly, isolation would also eliminate social influences on your speech. Absent an audience, your choice of words would not be subject to the judgments of others. In what people consume, they express who they are or want to be; consumption (partly) creates identity, consumption is a way of communicating messages to the relevant 'audience' .

Storey john (1994) In his book entitled Cultural Theory and Popular Music depicts Adornos view on Popular Music i.e The musical material - The two spheres of music , which says that Popular music , is usually characterized by its difference from serious music. The present study is concerned with the actual function of popular music in its present status. The chapter explains, what does music means to the listeners of popular music? The answer is that the language that music is transformed by objective processes into a language which they think is their own-into a language which serves their receptacle for their institutionalized wants. The less music is a language Sui generis to them, the more it becomes established as such a receptacle. The autonomy of music is replaced by a mere socio-psychological function. Music today is largely social cement. And the meaning listeners attribute to a material, the inherent logic of which is inaccessible to them, is

above all a means by which they achieve some psychical adjustment to the mechanisms of the present day life.Popular music of the time takes a different turn , as the adaptation to machine music necessarily implies a renunciation of ones own human feelings and at the same time a fetishism of the machine, such that its instrumental character becomes obscured there by.

Roe (1996) conducted a detailed overview of some of the research that has underpinned our growing knowledge and understanding of the role of music in the lives of young people in Europe today. In the essay Music and identity among European youth says that the amount of music in our "soundscape" has increased vastly in recent decades. Furthermore, music has intruded more and more into public space. Moreover, since at least the 1950's it has been evident that music plays a central role in the process of identity construction of young people.This process includes not only elements of personal identity but also important aspects

of national, regional, cultural, ethnic, and gender identity. In that process, the author has brought to notice an analysis provided by Paul Willis (1978) who showed that musical styles were woven into the very social fabric of youth subcultures and that the meanings sub cultural members had for music brought about very clear homologies between the social group and its preferred music. Societies in Western Europe became increasingly multi-ethnic; researchers began to perceive the importance of music for the ethnic identity of European youth. Certain researchers emphasized on the concept of sub-culture, became the unifying element in a new theory that sought to explain the complex ways in which certain youth groups were using music for the purpose of constructing a group identity. The author further analyses the influence of parent and peers on musical preferences. More parent oriented adolescents are less interested in music and listen less frequently to it, while more peer oriented adolescents show greater interest in music and listen to it to a greater extent. Further the author asserts that different types of social mobility, upward and downward, occupational and educational, have been found to be related to preferences for music types differing in cultural legitimacy.The author also brings to notice the research studies on music from gender perspective. In one Swedish study (von Feilitzen and Roe, 1992), the peak level of music listening was found to be 19 for males and 18 for females.As society changes, it creates the conditions for the generation of new social formations whose members will choose

cultural elements as part of their self-definitions. Undoubtedly, some of them will continue to choose musical forms.

Dolfsma (1999) In his study The Consumption of Music and the Expression of Values: A Social Economic Explanation for the Advent of Pop Music applies and develops ideas taken from institutional and social economics, to understand the consumption of a symbolic good such as pop music.The author says that by consuming pop music, people want to express who they are, to which group they belong, what their identity is. People's identity, however and contrary to what many believe, is not strictly individual. Instead, people's identity is highly social and draws on the socio-cultural values in society values that become 'objectified' or institutionalized and may thus be communicated to others. If such institutionalized socio-cultural values are not conceptualized, and if one is not able to understand how institutions work in signaling people's identity, one is not able to explain a phenomenon such as the advent of pop music. People consume certain kinds of

music because the music expresses certain kinds of basic socio-cultural values they are attracted to and want to express. For music this seems true in the extreme, and especially for adolescents one would think so. However, one's liking for particular kinds of music is a very powerful way of communicating one's basic, socio-cultural values for almost all people. Seul (1999) Ours is the Way of God: Religion, Identity, and Intergroup Conflict states, according to social identity theory, identity competition plays a central role in the inception and escalation of inter group conflict, even when economic and political factors also are at play. Individual and group identity competition is considered a byproduct of individuals' efforts to satisfy basic human needs, including various psychological needs. Religions often serve these psychological needs more comprehensively and potently than other repositories of cultural meaning that contribute to the construction and maintenance of individual and group identities. Religions frequently supply cosmologies, moral frameworks, institutions, rituals, traditions, and other identity-supporting content that answers to individuals' needs for psychological stability in the form of a predictable world, a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and even self-actualization to establish and maintain a secure identity. De Nora Tia (2000) In her book Music in everday life "uses a series of ethnographic studies anaerobics class, karaoke evenings, music therapy sessions and the use ofbackground music in the retail sector as well as in-depth interviews toshow how music is a constitutive feature of human agency. Drawing together concepts from psychology, sociology and socio-linguistics, it develops a theory of musics active role in the construction of personal and social life and highlights the aesthetic dimension of social order andorganization in late modern societies. Kate and Mucci (2000) in their book The Healing sound of Music, says that from birth to death our lives are accompanied by a sound track of music, in different ways at various stages of our lives. There is a big difference between a person who listens to gangster rap and person who listens to new age or classical music. And they were of the opinion that the relentless stream of tones and sounds can affect our moods , thoughts and emotional feelings influences us continuously , but we are probably not aware of it . And hence Music is the soundtrack of our lives. Laine (2001) Music and Identity The author poses some relevant questions to explain the relation of identity with music like, what is it about some music that makes it "mine" and other music that makes it "not mine?" what are the genres I am likely to hear in my particular cultural

niche? What music do I share with my friends and family? It follows then that culture is a major determiner of the music we choose. Class and education do influence our choices whether we are aware of that influence or not. Moreover, some of our musical predilections are invariably informed by our year of birth. This is the power of music. It has an intimacy to it that could foster authentic human connection between and among strangers and friends. One would listen to others music because, one wants to know the other , like what moves them , what sounds evoke the melody of their living. Bohlman (2002) in his book World Music says that one of the first things we learn upon encountering world music is that music has different meanings elsewhere in the world. He asserts that as we encounter world music, it is important to recognize the need to reckon with different epistemologies and ontologies to understand what music can mean in its virtually infinite varieties. By the epistemology of music he means its ability to be a part of culture as a whole & thus to acquire meaning in relation to other activities. Thus music may serve as a vehicle for shaping the voice of a deity; music may provide one of many ornaments that make religious practices more attractive; it may demarcate time so that it is more meaningful for the performance of ritual. The ethnomusicologists adopt approaches from social sciences to understand the epistemological questions in world music.The ontologies of world music is mainly revealed in the properties of music being a part of a lived in world i.e in the texts of musical practice. An Ontology derived from understanding music as an object is foreign to many music cultures in the world. Sangita is one of the many terms that is used to ascribe ontological meaning to world music. Sangita is the Sanskrit word roughly translatable as music, but in early theoretical treatises meant to embrace a range of practices that included brahmanic ceremony, song, instrumental music, dance , and certain types of theater. The diversity of music in the world has endangered its fair share of the epistemological & ontological meanings, ranging from notions that music is fundamentally religious to the common pronouncement that music is a universal language.

Mathur (2002) In her book Cultural Rhythms in Emotions, Narratives and Dance considers Art is a vital component of culture in a generic sense and of being cultured in a specific sense. This book identifies the interplay between dance and lifestyle in the specific context of Tamil Brahmin culture. The exploration is routed through an elaborate in-depth study of the emotions,habits, customs, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, rituals and other practices that characterise the lifestyle of

the Tamil Brahmin community. It sets out an agenda which raises fundamental issues concerning cultural construction of identity in the matrix of symbolic configurations, experience and expression of emotions, rituals, dance and life philosophy. The rhythms of Tamil Brahmin culture integrate creativity, self-expression and collective identity in various processes of life at one level and merge with the universal rhythm of cosmic order at the other. The concern is with appreciating cultural rhythms that run as an undercurrent throughout the book. The major contribution of this work is in evolving multidisciplinary research methodologies and models for the study of art in living and art of living in a culture.

Tekman and Hortacsu (2002) Music and social identity: Stylistic identification as a response to musical style. says that Tekman and Hortacsu (2002) Music and social identity: Stylistic identification as a response to musical style. says that , One function of music is considered to be defining social identity for oneself and for others. This aspect of musical styles was investigated in the light of Social Identity Theory by examining how a college student population described fans of different musical styles. Respondents were questioned about their perception of listeners of six musical styles, two of which were indigenous to Turkey. Three basic dimensions that described the listeners of these styles emerged as the result of factor and scale reliability analyses. These dimensions were labelled the sophisticated, the sprightly, and the loser. Respondents associated these features with fans of different styles to different extents. The sprightly dimension characterized listeners of pop, rock, and rap best. The sophisticated dimension was most closely associated with listeners of classical and Turkish folk music. Listening to Arabesk, which is a style that is specific to Turkey, was most closely associated with the loser dimension. Consistent with the predictions of Social Identity Theory, evaluations by a person were affected by the attitude of that person towards a style in the cases of rock and Turkish folk music. Especially on the sophisticated dimension, respondents who liked rock or Turkish folk music rated the listeners of these styles closer to the ideal than respondents who disliked them. However, the self-evaluations of these groups were similar. Furthermore, respondents typically described themselves as being closer to the ideal value on the three dimensions than the listeners of musical styles they liked. These results provide considerable support for the idea that liking a musical style shows characteristics of group membership according to Social Identity Theory.

Thelen (2002) In his study Music Television And Social Identity: A Study Of First Year College Students And Sophomores: asserts that music television has been identified as a socializing agent for the first year college students and sophomores. The researcher conducted the study among the first year students & sophomores living in the dormitory at a sub-urban regional state university. The major concern of the study was the relationship between students social identity & the use of music television. The survey measured the influence of music television & the aspects on social identity which includes clothing , hairstyle & attitudes. Musicians have the tendency to be trendsetters and rule breakers. Music television allows for musicians to express their personal appearance, beliefs, and behaviors to a large audience. This acceptance makes it easier for his fans to act, dress, and behave like to him. Tension between conformity and independence is probably felt to some extent in all cultures, but it is particularly strong in American culture. The researchers major concerns of inquiry were- Is one genre of music more influential over first year college students than sophomores? Is one genders social identity more influenced by music television? etc.The researcher employed quantitative method to conduct the study.One of significant findings of the study is that Female participants are more influenced by music television than male participants due to the amount and type of pressure females receive from society.In the concluding part of the study the researcher says that Music television is a prominent feature in todays popular culture. And that society enjoys blaming music television for the behaviors and the problems of todays youth.

Hennion (2003) In his essay Music and Mediation says that scholars have produced a practical theory of mediation, conceived as the reciprocal, local, heterogeneous relations between art and public through precise devices, places, institutions, objects, and human abilities, constructing identities, bodies, and subjectivities.Any report on artistic experience in terms of beauty, sensation, emotion, or aesthetic feeling is thus automatically regarded as a manifestation of actors' illusions about their own beliefs, or the conventional products of a collective activity.One must recognize the moment of the work in its specific and irreversible dimension; this means seeing it as a transformation, a productive work, and allowing oneself to take into account the (highly diversified) ways in which actors describe and experience aesthetic pleasure.Music has always puzzled the critical discourse of the social sciences: here there is an art obviously collective but technical and difficult to grasp, and with no visible object to contest. As music had a priori no explicit "content," the opposition between internal and external approaches was difficult to mobilize.Recent trends have fore grounded the specificity of music's construction that we find in music a very particular

way of putting a social reality into a form and a practice, and need to cope with the enigma of this art, which is both very immediate, subjective, and emotive, and also highly symbolic, so powerfully able to mobilize groups and carry social identities. Often implicitly, socialanalysis refers to the power of music to establish and actualize the identity of a group, an ethnicity, and a generation. Cosgel and Minkler (2004) In their article Religious Identity and Consumption depicts that Consumption choices assist in solving the problem of how to convey and recognize religious identities. In the communication of an identity, individuals use the knowledge embedded in consumption norms, which restrict the range of choices to a smaller set and abbreviate the required knowledge for encoding and decoding messages. Using this knowledge as a shared framework for understanding, individuals with religious beliefs can choose consumption to express the intensity of their commitment to these beliefs. There are well-known consumption prescriptions in dietary, clothing, grooming, art, music, charity, chastity, thriftiness, and so on, that believers are asked to observe. Because individuals and societies have different beliefs, norms, commitments, and expressive needs, consumption choice can help to express these differences.A religious commitment is often at the core of an individuals sense of identity. SocialScientific studies of religion have shown the variety of ways in which religions powerfully serve the identity impulse.Consumption norms include both formal and informal rules that constrain the range of choices available for expression. What matters for them is not so much that everyone agrees with or always follows them, but that they simply exist to define meaning. Their existence provides a shared frame of reference and a common ground for communication. By constraining both ends of the communication channel in the same way, they allow individuals to use goods to stand for the same meaning as understood by the audience.

Killius (2006) has done an indepth study on the musical genres and rituals in his book entitled Ritual Music and Hindu Rituals of Kerala. The study explores the relationship of the Hindu religious rituals to the percussion dominated music genres in the south Indian state Kerala. It is both, an introduction to the ritual performances and to the musical styles. It takes up the quest to investigate how ritual meaning is expressed through music, it illuminates aesthetic beauty and the relative independent importance of the musical styles within the ritual context. The study investigates how and why the temple music ensembles are dominated by the ubiquitous drums and bronze cymbals and based on a sophisticated rhythm structure rather than on melody.

Laughey (2006) In his book Music and youth culture offers a groundbreaking account of how music interacts with young people's everyday lives. Drawing on interviews with and observations of youth groups together with archival research, it explores young people's enactment of music tastes and performances, and how these are articulated through narratives and literacies. An extensive review of the field reveals an unhealthy emphasis on committed, fanatical, spectacular youth music cultures such as rock or punk. On the contrary, this book argues that ideas about youth subcultures and club cultures no longer apply to today's young generation. Rather, archival findings show that the music and dance cultures of youth in 1930s and 1940s Britain share more in common with youth today than the countercultures and subcultures of the 1960s and 1970s. By focusing on the relationship between music and social interactions, the book addresses questions that are scarcely considered by studies stuck in the youth cultural worlds of subcultures, club cultures and postsubcultures: What are the main influences on young people's music tastes? How do young people use music to express identities and emotions? To what extent can today's youth and their music seem radical and progressive? And how is the 'special relationship' between music and youth culture played out in everyday leisure, education and work places?

Lynne (2006) in his study titled Worship styles, Music And Social Identity: A Communication Study, explored worship style, music and social identity from a communication perspective. Specifically, this study was interested in understanding the variables that influence worship music preference. Results indicated that Missouri Synod Lutherans who prefer traditional worship components identify more strongly with the larger organization, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). Moreover, music preference strongly predicts worship style preference. The study also deals with music preference, worship preferences, lifestyle values and religiosity. The study analyses the relationship between lifestyle values and worship styles, and the researcher found significant positive correlations with the contemporary worship factor and excitement, warm relationships and fun and enjoyment in life. There were also significant positive correlations with the traditional worship factor and self fulfillment, being well respected, and self- respect. Besides this the study also analyses the relationship between lifestyle values and Music genre preference. And the findings suggest that there is some relationship between certain music preferences and lifestyle values.

Levitin (2007) Life Soundtracks: The Uses Of Music In Everyday Life says that whenever

humans come together for any reason, music is there: at weddings, funerals, prayers, mothers rocking their infants to sleep, stadium sporting events etc). Music is often employed, as a way to motivate ourselves to accomplish certain tasks, and as a means of mood induction. Music becomes a way of organizing ones internal and social world helps to continually reconstruct the aims of various activities. Just as film soundtracks enhance and have life soundtracks- music we listen to that inspires, motivates, calm, excites, and generally moves along the action in our daily lives. This article explains the ways in which people use music and why, the mechanisms by which music induces physical and psychological changes and the types of music that can enhance peoples normal, everyday lives. The article focuses next on how & what can music be used for.Mood enhancement is one of the chief functions of music in contemporary society. Selection of music always aims to moderate the arousal level of moods or emotions, whether its high or low. Adolescents report that they use music for distraction form troubles and as means of mood management. They tend to listen music, which that their friends listen, which in turn defines their social identity. It is said that music can also affect retail sales at a subconscious level. The pressing question here is: how do you select what you want to play given a virtually infinite number of alternatives? Musical preferences are the product of a complex interaction between nature and nurture. And at the same time many people enjoy listening to music that was recommended by friends, and this accounts for the rise in peer to peer and social networks for musical recommendation systems. Individual derive self esteem from being members of a cohesive social group and such social groups can be formed through common musical tastes. People tend to like music that strikes the balance between familiarity and novelty, simplicity and complexity etc. It is important for people to have the ability to choose their own music, rather than having imposed on them. The article also provides an explanation of selecting music for appropriate activities. Lostuvali (2007) In his article "Music and Modernity in Uzbekistan tries to portray how the onset of modernity has remade musical practices and experiences in Uzbekistan by examining the impact of the traditional-modern binary in the discourse on music and musicians. Drawing on primary and secondary historical sources, he traces how a particular image of Western classical music as a symbol of modernity shaped musical policies in Soviet Uzbekistan, and how a new notion of musical composition was introduced in the process. The author seek to show how the sociology of music and comparative historical sociology could benefit from the careful study of the making of musical experience outside of the West.

Mavra and Mcneil (2007) conducted a study on the unimaginable capacities of music that helps in the identity formation. In their article titled Identity Formation and Music : A Case Study of Croatian Experience they study about the Croatian national identity. Croatian national identity has undergone countless transformations, struggles and wars in an attempt to preserve its sense of self. The Balkan Peninsula has endured the brutish oppression of several empires, countless conquerors, two world wars and devastating civil wars. The result of this turmoil has produced cultural, political and economic changes that have all contributed to the erosion of each nations sense of individual, regional and national identities. As the primary focus of this research, they use Croatia as a case study to supplement the understanding of identity generally and nationalism specifically. Grounding their work in both a historical analysis and theoretical framework of identity and nationalism, they conclude that music was used as a primary tool in a conscious effort to achieve the political and nationalistic goals separating Croatia from the larger Yugoslav Federation. They support their arguments by examining identity development as an ethnic and nationalistic influence on ones sense of self and also by locating and considering those forces used to establish and develop the identity of a nation in crisis.Through the closer examination of music within a social and political fabric, possibilities of understanding the national, as well as regional, identities present in the nation became more comprehensive due to the cultural and traditional ties inherent in artistic expressions of thought and emotion. Fuller (2011) In his latest work "Science, Culture and Caste Identity among the Brahmans of Tamilnadu" depicts the transformation of Tamil Brahmins identifications with traditional spiritual categories to their views of themselves as an urbanized and migratory group of individuals. Fuller went on to outline the crucial role of Tamil Brahmins in the development of classical South Indian music, and their pinning of the more austere musical style to their notions of identity. Carnatic music had to be classical and fundamentally Indian; it was modeled on Western classical music, and privileged Brahmin vocal tradition over the non-Brahmin instrumental one. The Tamil isai movement of the early 20thcentury, which looked to Tamilize Carnatic music, did not undermine Brahmin music, however; instead, it led to a separation between classical and devotional music. The consumption of classical music became an integral cementing agent of collective identity for the Tamil Brahmins, Fuller emphasized, and especially when their political power declined. The interesting part about modern Tamil Brahmin affiliation with Carnatic music is that this is less contingent, apparently, on actual preference: Fuller referred to field studies and anecdotal evidence to posit that devotional and film music may be more popular among modern Tamil Brahmins than classical music. The plain fact that Brahmins have historically dominated classical dance and vocal music allows them to identify with these artistic traditions even in the modern day. Fuller traced the

role of TamilBrahmins, as he dubbed them, from their importance in classical Indian music and performance, to their roles in the progression of science and medicine in India.

CHAPTER -3 RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER - 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1. TITLE OF THE PROBLEM Questions Of Identity and Preferences of Music A Study Based on Brahmin Community in Thrissur And Palakkad Districts Of Kerala 2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Each community has got its own identity in a society. And there are many elements and components through which we identify a particular community or the member of a community . Among these components or elements arts or art forms has its own relevance in defining the identity of the community. Similarly Music which is an art, has a role in defining the identity of the community. The musical preference of a community is not generated out of blue . There are various factors that

have contributed towards its growth and development . Music is an integral and inevitable part of any community and society. Music has long been an expression of people from different cultures around the world. No matter how much music may have differed in different parts of the world, it seems that music served a general common purpose, to bring people together. Music is created by cultures and music creates cultures itself. There are different genres of music in the world. And different communities patronize different genres of music. The kind of music a community patronizes in turn becomes a part of their identity . In this context the study is focused on the Brahmin Community of kerala. The Brahmin community has a given set of traditions, customs, practices, religious beliefs, festivals, dogmas and social rules which has lead to their way of life or rather which forms a part of their identity . Like wise the Brahmin Community of Kerala has their own musical preference, which has a major role in defining their identity . The musical preferences of Brahmins are predominantly classical carnatic music, which are often passed on form one generation to the next through teachings and practice. And there are many factors that influences or rather determines their musical preferences like social , cultural , religious and economic factors. All these constitutes to form the identity of the community in a larger society. Thus the study focus on the Questions of identity and the preferences of music among Brahmin community. And it aims in examining the preferences of Brahmins towards the genre of Classical carnatic music as well as the various socio-cultural & economic factors that plays a major role in influencing their musical preferences. 3. OBJECTIVES To analyze the socio economic profile of the respondents. To analyze the preferences of Brahmins towards carnatic music. To analyze the factors that determines or influences their musical preferences. 4. PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE STUDY Musical performances take different forms in different cultures and socioeconomic milieus. Music is an indipensible element in any culture and society . And hence the purpose of this study is to reconsider sociology's

interest in the works of art and aesthetic experiences. Music as an art aims at bringing people together irrespective of ones age or gender. Music genres provide a common ground to share culture.By consuming different genres of music which people prefer they want to express who they are, to which group they belong to and what their identity is . People's identity is highly social and draws on the socio-cultural values in their society . Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate music preference, and identity of a particular community, i.e Brahmin community and their preference towards carantic music. The study helps to understand why a particular community have a preference towards a particular genre of music and the intensity of their musical preference. The study is based on the rationality that people consume certain kinds of music because the music expresses certain kinds of basic socio-cultural values they are attracted to and want to express. 5. CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION A) Identity : The concept of identity has been defined as A sense of self that develops in the family and takes a place in the society. Important sources of identity are likely to include nationality , ethinicity , sexuality, gender, caste and class. Although it is individuals who have identities , identity is related to the social groups to which the individual belongs and with which they identify. B) Community : A community is a self-conscious social unit and a focus of group identification. Community also implies a certain identification of the inhabitants with the geographic area, and with each other , a feeling of sharing common interests , traditions and goals, and a certain amount of mutual co-operation. C) Preference : Preference refers to the set of assumptions relating to a real or imagined "choice" between alternatives and the possibility of rank ordering of these alternatives, of happiness, satisfaction, gratification, enjoyment, or utility. D) Music : According to Jean Molino"Music, often an art/entertainment is a total social fact whose definitions vary according to era and culture" E) Socio - economic Status : The position of an individual on a socio-economic scale that based on the degree

measures such factors as education, income, type of occupation, place of residence, and in some populations, ethnicity and religion. F) Carnatic Music: Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style. G) Brahmin : A Hindu priestly caste; one of the four varnas or social groups based on occupation in ancient Hindu society; one who has realized or attempts to realize Brahman, i.e. God or supreme knowledge; scholar, teacher, priest, intellectual, researcher, scientist, knowledge-seeker, or knowledge worker. 6. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS A) Identity : In this study, by identity, the researcher means, the collective identity of a social group . That is the plurality of persons who have a common identity, and shares many traits in common. B) Community : By community, the researcher denotes , the community of Brahmins , who share common beliefs , traditions, customs and practices. c) Preference : In this study , preference denotes to, favour towards a particular genre of music. D) Music : In this study, by music the researcher means, an artistic form and a trait of identity, which falls under a genre of music named Carnatic Music , which is commonly found in south India. E) Socio economic status : In this study , socio-economic status consists of age , sex, education, marital status , type of family, occupation, income and place of residence of the respondents. F) Carnatic music: In this study , by carnatic music , the research means not only the vocal classical carnatic music , but also other forms of carnatic music like bhajans and instrumentals. G) Brahmin : In this study the Brahmins are the Kerala iyers or Tamil Brahmins who are settled

in kerala. 7. RESEARCH DESIGN The present study is descriptive in nature . The study highlights the musical preferences among brahmins and their identity dimensions. 8. UNIVERSE OF THE STUDY Universe of the study is the Brahmin population of Kerala . The sample is a mere representation of the universe. Samples for the study were selected from the local Brahmin pockets of Thrissur and Palakkad districts of kerala . Purposive sampling was used to select the sample area. 90 sample respondents were selected through simple random sampling.

9. TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION Questionnaire was used to collect the data form the members of the Brahmin community. The questionnaire was modeled in such a way to derive information regarding the objectives of the study. 10. PILOT STUDY Inorder to understand the feasibility of the study, and clarifying the doubts regarding the study , the researcher conducted a pilot study among 10 members of the Brahmin community in Thrissur corporation. Through the pilot study the tool for data collection was fixed. 11. PRE-TEST The prepared tool was pre-tested among 10 respondents of Thrissur corporation. Some modifications were made in the questionnaire based on this pre-test. It also helped to incorporate some new questions into the research tool. 12. DATA COLLECTION

The data was collected with the help of questionnaire from 90 respondents who belong to the Brahmin community of Thrissur and Palakkad districts of kerala. The data collection got over by the 1st week of march 2011. 13. DATA ANALYSIS Simple statistical techniques have been used to analyse the collected data. 14. ORGANISATION OF THE PROJECT REPORT The whole study is organized into seven chapters. The first three chapters deals with introduction, review of literature and research methodology. The following three chapters deals with the objectives of the study. And the last chapter deals with the findings, summary and conclusion of the study. The last chapter is followed by appendices and bibliography . 15. LIMITATIONS The dearth of literature , i.e the lack of previous studies in this area is a major limitation of this study. And there was also a dilemma in constructing a theoretical framework for this study. Due to paucity of time the researcher could not cover a large size of sample. Despite the limitations the researcher has made a sincere attempt to make the study meaningful.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS

CHAPTER 4 SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS

CHAPTER - 4 SOCIO- ECONOMIC PROFILE

Socio-economic conditions of the respondents play a major role in all research. Details of the socioeconomic statuses are essential to understand the background of the sample. This chapter deals with the Socio-economic profile of the Brahmins, who are the respondents of the study. This involves information regarding important variables like age, sex, marital status, type of family, educational status, occupation, income, place of residence and their other interests. Analyses of these variables are important to understand the identity dimensions and their preferences towards music and there by to understand the factors that determines their musical preferences.

AGE According to Websters dictionary Age is the time of life when one is legally, socially, physically or mentally qualified for a particular purpose. It is the duration of time that a person has lived and it also indicates one of the stages of life. Age is one of the most influencing factors that determine preference towards something. Preferences of individual changes with variations in age. Table 4.1 Age wise Distribution of Respondents

Sl . No 1 2 3 4 25-35 35-45 45-55 55-65 Total

Age group

Frequency 43 24 8 15 90

Percentage 47.70% 26.70% 8.90% 16.70% 100%

Source: Computed from Primary data

Table 4.1 Shows that majority of the respondents (47.70%) belong to the age group of 25-35 years, followed by 26.70% in the age group of 35-45 years, and 16.70% between the age group of 55-65, and 8.90% belong to the age group of 45-55 years. Form the above age structure it can be concluded that majority of the respondents are Brahmin youths.

SEX According to the American Heritage Dictionary sex is The condition or character of being female or male; the physiological, functional, and psychological differences that distinguish the female and the male. Sex is also an important factor in determining the preferences of an individual. Male and female preferences vary accordingly. Table 4.2 Sex wise Distribution of Respondents

Sl.No 1 Male

Sex

Frequency 42

Percentage 47%

Female Total Source: Computed from Primary data

48 90

53% 100%

The above table clearly shows, more than half of the respondents are females which come to 53%, and the rest are males (47%). MARITAL STATUS According to Websters dictionary marital status is the condition of being married or unmarried. It is one of the variables through which the socio-economic and demographic conditions of the respondents could be analyzed. Table 4.3 Distribution of Respondents based on their Marital Status

Sl.No 1 2 Single Married Total

Marital status

Frequency 25 65 90

Percentage 27.80% 72.20% 100%

Source: Computed from Primary data

Table no. 4.3 clearly indicates that major portion of the respondents (72.20%) are married and the rest (27.80%) remain single. TYPE OF FAMILY The Family is one of society's main and arguably most important, social institutions as it serves to socialize individuals to be productive members of society. From a sociological perspective, the Family is not only viewed as an institution, but also as a social system and a social group. Family plays a pivotal role in shaping the identity of an individual. According to Rice A family is any group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, or any sexually expressive relationship in which (1) the people are committed to one another in an intimate, interpersonal relationship, (2) the members see their identity as importantly attached to the group, and (3) the group has an identity of its own." Table 4.4

Family Structure of the Respondents

Sl.No 1 2 Nuclear Joint Total Source: Computed from Primary data Family type Frequency 56 34 90 Percentage 62.20% 37.80% 100%

The data of the table no. 4.4 shows that majority of the respondents (62.20%) belong to nuclear families, which in turn reveals a fact that nuclear family is the trend setter of the day. Where as the rest of the respondents (37.80%) belong to Joint families. AREA The analyses of the area, where the respondents reside help to understand their social and geographical background. The area in this study is mainly categorized into 3, rural, urban and semiurban. The geographical and the social settings in which they live have a profound and profuse influence on their attitudes choices, preference and tastes.

Figure 4.1Area Wise Distributions of the Respondents

Source: Computed from Primary data

Figure 4.1 clearly depicts that, nearly half of the respondents (49%) reside in semi-urban areas, around 41% of the respondents live in the urban areas, and 10% of the respondents belong to rural areas. Form this it could be inferred that most of the Brahmin pockets are seen in the semi-urban and urban areas, than in the rural areas.

EDUCATIONAL STATUS

Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one

Semi-urban 49%

character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by generation to another. The purpose of education is to develop every individual to their full potential and there by aiming towards social progress. Table 4.5 Distribution of the Respondents based on Education

Sl no 1 2 3 4 5

Education High school Diploma Graduate Post graduate Professional Total

Frequency 13 15 38 20 4 90

Percentage 14.40% 16.80% 42.20% 22.20% 4.40% 100%

Source: Computed from Primary data

From table no. 4.5, it is evident that, out of the total respondents, 42.20% are graduates, who constitutes a major portion of the sample population, followed by post graduates, who constitutes 22.20%, and the diploma holders who constitutes 16.80%, followed by 14.40% of respondents who have attained education till high school level, and the respondents who have attained professional education constitutes only 4.40% of the sample population. OCCUPATIONAL STATUS According to Websters dictionary Occupation is the principal activity one does in his/ her life, to earn money. Any activity or work cannot be called as occupation, as it has got an economic connotation. Occupation is work, which people engage into, basically to earn a livelihood or living. And hence it is more specialized in nature. Occupation is an important factor that determines the economic standards of the respondents.

Figure 4.2 Distribution of Respondents based on Occupation

35%

30%

Computed from Primary data

25%

Source:

Form the above figure, it is clear that, majority of the respondents (33.30%) works in private sector, and 28% of the respondents belong to unpaid sector who are housewives, 23.30% of the respondent fall under the category of professionals, which includes doctors, teachers, musicians, dancers, nurses and engineers. 13.30% of the respondents are engaged in business and 2.20% of the respondents are unemployed. The above data also bring to notice that there are no respondents who are engaged in agriculture.

Percentage

20%

13.30%

15%

10%
INCOME Income, one of the most important economic factors plays an indispensable role idetermining the status, position and standard of living of the individuals. Hence income has a crucial role in determining the socio-economic status of a person. Income directly related to 2 important variables, i.e education and Occupation. Income is an important factor that determines the preferences of an individual. Individuals preferences are bound to change based on their earnings.

5%

0%

0%

Table 4.6 Monthly income of the Respondents

Sl no 1 2 3 4 5

Monthly Income Less than 5000 5000-10000 10000-15000 15000-20000 More than 20000 Total

Frequency 3 14 14 12 20 63

Percentage 3.30% 15.60% 15.60% 13.30% 22.20% 70%

Source: Computed from Primary data

Table no. 4.6 shows that, around 22.20% of the respondents earn an income of more than Rs.20, 000, where as 15.60% of the respondents earn monthly income between Rs.5, 000-10,000 as well as Rs.10,000-15,000, 13.30% of the respondents fall under the income category of Rs.15,000-20,000. And 3.30% of the respondents earn less than Rs.5000. Around 27 respondents (30%) of the sample population, fall under no income group, which includes both housewives and unemployed. OTHER INTERESTS / HOBBIES A hobby is an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time. Hobbies are practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward. What are hobbies for some people are professions for others. As far as this study is concerned hobbies of the respondents are also important as engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skill, knowledge and experience in a particular field they like and there by making it an inevitable part of their identity and life. For analysis purpose here hobbies are categorized into two, 1.respondents who are interested in music and related activities, 2. all other hobbies are included in the others category. Table 4.7 Other Interests of the Respondents
No: of respondents

Sl no

Hobbies

Percentage

1 2

Music Others Total

53 37 90

59% 41% 100%

Source: Computed from Primary data

Form the above table, it is clear that more than half of half of the respondents (59%) is interested in music and related activities along with other hobbies too. where as the rest 41% of the respondents are exclusively interested in other hobbies, apart form music.

Conclusion From the above depicted socio-economic profile of the respondents, it is evident that majority of the respondents comes under the age group of 25-35, who are youngsters. Female respondents are more than the male respondents. Most of the respondents are married and majority of them belong to nuclear families. Large numbers of the respondents have done their graduation. Most of them are working in private sectors. Majority of them earns monthly income of more than Rs. 20,000. Most of the respondents reside in semi-urban areas. Most of them are interested in music and related activities.

CHAPTER 5 PREFERENCE OF BRAHMINS TOWARDS CARNATIC MUSIC

CHAPTER - 5

PREFERENCE OF BRAHMINS TOWARDS CARNATIC MUSIC

Each community prefers certain particular genre of music. It could be community based on age, sex, caste, religion, class and so on. They are attracted towards a particular genre of music, which has a close connection with either their lifestyles or their traditions. Sometimes this particular genre of music to which they are attracted becomes their identity or a trait with which they are known to the outside world. For example the Identity of the Goths and their music are interrelated This chapter deals the analysis with regard to Brahmins preference towards Carnatic music. The focus of investigation of this particular objective is to understand, whether Brahmins are more attracted towards or rather prefer carnatic music to other genres of music. It also tries to measure the intensity of their affinity towards carnatic music. Table 5.1 Frequency of Listening to Music
Frequency of listening to Music Regularly Occasionally Rarely Never Total No: of respondents 61 28 1 0 90

Sl.No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 67.80% 31.10% 1.10% 0% 100%

Table 5.1 shows that about 67.80% of the respondents listen to music regularly and 31.10% of the respondents listen to music occasionally and there are only 1.10% of people who listen to music rarely and there is no one who is not interested in listening to music at all. This clearly shows that music definitely has got some role to play in their lives.

Table 5.2 Kind of music Preference

Sl . No 1 2 3 4

Preference towards particular kind of music Traditional Carnatic Cinematic Fusion others Total

No: of respondents 53 26 6 5 90

Percentage 58.80% 28.90% 6.70% 5.60% 100.00%

The above table shows that around 58.80% of the Brahmins prefer traditional carnatic music, and 28.90% of them prefer listening to cinematic songs, where as 6.70% prefer listening to fusion and 5.60% of the respondents prefer other genres of music apart from the above mentioned types. This table clearly shows that more than half of the Brahmins prefer carnatic to other kinds of music. Table 5.3 Frequency of listening to carnatic music
Frequency of listening to carnatic music Daily Occasionally Rarely Never Total No: of respondents 29 47 14 0 90

Sl . No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 32.20% 52.20% 15.60% 0% 100%

Table 5.3 shows that, out of 90 respondents around 32.20% listen to carnatic music daily, followed by 52.20% who listen to carnatic music occasionally and 15.60% of the respondents listen to carnatic music rarely. This shows that, even though there are variations in their frequency of listening to carnatic music which falls between daily, occasionally and rarely it is note worthy that, there is not even a single respondent who falls under the category of never listening.

Table 5.4 Frequency of Listening to Carnatic Music and occupation

Frequency of listening to Carnatic music Sl. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 Occupation Agriculture Business Private Professional Unpaid Unemployed Total Daily 0 5 (17.24%) 11 (37.93%) 6 (20.70%) 6 (20.70%) 1 (3.43%) 29 Occasionally 0 5 (10.64%) 15 (31.91%) 14 (29.79%) 13 (27.66%) 0 47 Rarely 0 2 (14.29%) 4 (28.57%) 1 (7.14%) 6 (42.86%) 1 (7.14%) 14 Never 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total

0 12 30 21 25 2 90

Data from the above table shows that, among the daily listeners of carnatic music, 37.93% of the respondents are private employees, and 20.70% of the respondents are professionals and house wives, followed by 17.24% of the respondents who are into business and 3.43% of the respondents who are unemployed. Among the occasional listeners, 31.91% of the respondents are private employees, 29.79% of the respondents are professionals in different fields, and 27.66% of them are housewives and lastly 10.64% of them are engaged in business. Among the rare listeners 42.86% of the respondents are housewives, followed by 28.57% of the respondents, who are private employees, 14.29% of them are business and 7.14% of the respondents are professionals and unemployed ones. The table makes it clear that, among the daily listeners private employees are more, than respondents in any other occupational category. This shows that, despite having busy schedule, they find time to listen carnatic music daily, which in turn shows their deep dedication and fondness towards carnatic music. Among the rare listeners, house wives outnumbers, the other respondents and this shows that they are less interested in listening carnatic music, which could be because of the influence of television at home, that provides them with multiple choices of programs, and their involvement in other household activities.

Table 5.5 Frequency of listening to carnatic music and Sex

Frequency of listening to Carnatic music Daily Sex Male 17 (58.62%) Female 12 (41.38%) 29 Total

Sl . No 1

2 3

Occasionally Rarely Total

20 (42.55%) 5 (35.72%) 42

27 (57.45%) 9 (64.28%) 48

47 14 90

Table 5.5 depicts that, among the daily listeners, around 58.62% of the respondents are males and 41.38% of them are females. Among the occasional listeners, 57.45% are females, where males constitute only to 42.55%. Among the rare listeners, while 64.28% of the respondents are females, only 35.72% of them are males. The above table makes it clear that daily listeners, who are highly attracted to carnatic music, are males than females. Females outnumber males in the in the case of occasional and rare listening. Table 5.6 Intensity of attraction towards carnatic music
Attraction towards Carnatic Music Highly Fairly Moderately Total No: of respondents 47 32 11 90

Sl . No 1 2 3

Percentage 52.20% 35.60% 12.20% 100%

Out of 90 respondents, 52.20% have agreed that they are highly attracted to carnatic music, followed by 35.60% having a fair attraction towards carnatic music and 12.20% of them have agreed that they are only moderately attracted to carnatic music. And the table clearly shows that none of the respondents have a poor attraction towards carnatic music. And it also shows that, all Brahmins are attracted to carnatic music, despite having certain variations in the intensity of attraction.

Table 5.7 Attraction towards carnatic music and Sex

Attraction towards carnatic music Highly Sex Male 25 (59.52%) Female 22 (45.83%) 47 Total

Sl. No 1

2 3

Fairly Moderately Total

13 (30.96%) 4 (9.52%) 42

19 (39.58%) 7 (14.59%) 48

32 11 90

The data on the above table shows that, around more than half (59.52%) of the male respondents are highly attracted to carnatic music, and 45.83% of the females are also highly attracted to carnatic music. And around 39.58% of the female respondents are fairly attracted; where as only 30.96% of the males are fairly attracted to carnatic music. Coming to the moderate attraction level, around 14.59% of the females are moderately attracted, where as only 9.52% of the males stick on to this attraction level. The above table reveals a fact that compared to females; males have high attraction towards carnatic music. And females show fair and moderate attraction towards carnatic music than males. Table 5.8 Age and attraction towards carnatic music
Attraction towards carnatic music Highly Fairly Moderately Total Age Group 25-35 19 (44.18%) 16 (37.22%) 8 (18.6%) 43 35-45 14 (58.34%) 8 (33.33%) 2 (8.3%) 24 45-55 5 (62.5%) 2 (25%) 1 (12.5%) 8 55-65 9 (60%) 6 (40%) 0 15 47 32 11 90 Total

Sl . No 1 2 3

Table 5.6 shows that, among the youth who belong to the age group 25-35, around 44.18% of the respondents are highly attracted to carnatic music, followed by 37.22% having a fair attraction and 18.60% of the youth having a moderate attraction towards carnatic music. Among the respondents who belong to the lower middle age category, i.e. 35-45, around 58.34% are highly attracted to carnatic music and 33.33% and 8.3% of the respondents who belong to the same age category have only a fair and moderate level of attraction respectively. Among the respondents who belong to the upper middle age category, i.e. 45-55, around 62.5% are highly attracted to carnatic music, followed by 25% of them having a fair attraction and only 12.5% of them having a moderate attraction. Among the respondents who belong to the age category of 55-65, around 60% of the respondents are highly attracted to carnatic music, followed by only 40% of them having a fair level of attraction and it is note worthy that the elderly respondents dont fall under the category of moderate and poor attraction level.

The above table depicts that, large number of respondents, from all the age categories have a high level of attraction towards carnatic music, compared to fair and moderate level of attraction. This shows that large number of Brahmins form all the said age categories are highly attracted to carnatic music. It is noteworthy that Brahmins who belong to the age group of 55-65 falls only under the attraction level of either high or fair. None of them have opted for a moderate or poor level of attraction. This shows that they have great affinity or attraction towards carnatic music, than respondents who belong to other age groups. And it also shows that their preference towards carnatic music is more static and specific than those of others.

Table 5.9 Music preference and type of family

Sl. No 1 2 3 4 Kind of music preference Traditional carnatic Cinematic Fusion Others Total Type of family Nuclear Joint 32 (57.14%) 18 (32.14%) 4 (7.14%) 2 (3.58%) 56 21 (61.76%) 8 (23.52%) 2 (5.88%) 3 (8.82%) 34 Total 53 26 6 5 90

The above table shows that, around more than half (61.76%) of the respondents from joint families prefer traditional carnatic music and 57.14% of the respondents from nuclear families prefer carnatic music. While 32.14% of the respondents, who belong to nuclear families, prefer cinematic songs, and only 23.52% of the respondents from joint families prefer cinematic songs. Around 7.14% of the respondents form nuclear families are interested in listening fusion songs, which is followed by 5.88% of the respondents from joint families who prefer fusion. While 8.82% of the respondents from joint families are interested in other genres of music, only 3.58% from nuclear families are interested in other genres of music.

Form the above table it is evident that the respondents of the study, who are Brahmins, prefer more traditional carnatic music to other genres of music. It is also clear that the respondents from joint families prefer carnatic music than the respondents form nuclear families. The nuclear families oust the joint families in their preference toward cinematic songs.

Table 5.10 Preferred mode of listening carnatic music

Listening to friends' or realtives' performances 15.25% 38.99% 23.73% 22.03% 100%

Sl no 1 2 3 4

Preferences 1st preference 2nd Preference 3rd preference 4th preference Total

Listening to Katcheris 60.87% 15.95% 13.04% 10.14% 100.00%

Listening to audio records 23.29% 27.40% 20.54% 28.77% 100.00%

Watching TV performances 22.50% 28.75% 30% 18.75% 100%

From the above figure it is clear that around more than half 60.87% of the Brahmins prefer listening to live katcheris , followed by 23% of them prefer listening to carnatic music by watching TV performances and listening to audio records, only 15.25% prefer listening to friends or relatives performances. From this it could be inferred that, majority of the respondents are ready to take the pain of going to live performances (katcheris) to enjoy carnatic music. More over they prefer quality performances to titular or run of the mill performances. Since live katcheris and watching TV performances are the leading preferences of Brahmins, it is also note worthy that, the respondents prefer a kind of visual contact with the performer than bare listening to music. Table 5.11 Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community
Popularity of Carnatic Music in Brahmin community Extremely Moderately Decreasing Not popular Total No: of respondents 61 23 6 0 90

Sl . No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 67.80% 25.50% 6.70% 0% 100%

Table 5.11 says that, out of the 90 respondents, more than 2/3rd of the respondents (67.80%) have

agreed that carnatic music is extremely popular in Brahmin community, and around 25.50% of them say that carnatic music is moderately popular and the rest 6.70% have agreed that popularity of carnatic music is less in their community. From the above table it could be inferred that carnatic music is extremely popular among Brahmins and their community, the amount of respondents who have agreed that, its popularity is moderate and decreasing are very less. More over, none among the respondents have said that carnatic is not popular in their community. All these show the preferences of Brahmins towards carnatic music, and how much do they consider it as important. Table 5.12 Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community and sex
Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community Extremely Moderately Decreasing Total Sex Males 25 (40.98%) 12 (52.17 %) 5 (83.33 %) 42 Females 36 (59.02%) 11 (47.83%) 1 (16.67%) 48 61 23 6 90 Total

Sl . No 1 2 3

Table 5.12 delineates that, among the respondents who have said carnatic music is extremely popular in Brahmin community, 59.02% are females and 40.98% are males. Among respondents who have agreed that carnatic music is only moderately popular, 52.17% are males and 47.83% are females. Among respondent who have claimed that carnatic music is decreasing its popularity in Brahmin community, around 83.33% are males and 16.67% are females. It is evident from the above table that female respondents agree extreme popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community than males, where as males stick on to moderate popularity and decreasing popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community than females. Table 5.13 Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin Community and Age
Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community Extremely Moderately Decreasing Age group 25-35 24 (55.81%) 13 (30.23%) 6 (13.96%) 35-45 19 (79.17%) 5 (20.83%) 0 45-55 7 (87.5%) 1 (12.5%) 0 55-65 11 (73.33%) 4 (26.67%) 0 Total 61 23 6

Sl . No 1 2 3

Total

43

24

15

90

Data from the above table says that, among the youth, i.e.25-35, 55.81% of the respondents agrees that carnatic music is extremely popular in their community, where as 30.23% of them are of the opinion that it is only moderately popular and the rest 13.96% agrees that it decreasing its popularity. Among the respondents of age group 35-45, around 79.17% says that carnatic music is extremely popular, where as 20.83% of them agrees only a moderate popularity. Among the upper middle age category i.e.45-55, 87.5% of the respondents claim that carnatic music is extremely popular in their community, where as the rest 12.5% claim only moderate popularity. Among the elderly Brahmins who belong to the age group of 55-65, 73.33% agrees to extreme popularity and 26.67% agrees to moderate popularity. An analysis of the above table makes it clear that, majority of the Brahmins from all the given age categories agree that carnatic music is extremely popular in their community. It should also be noted that among the respondents from different age groups, only youth have asserted that the popularity of carnatic music is decreasing. This could be interpreted as, either the emerging trend of acceptance of other genres of music among Brahmins or the changing trend of attraction towards carnatic music among youth.

Table 5.14 Audience from Brahmin community for carnatic musical performances
Audience form your community for carnatic music performances Many Some Few Total No: of respondent s 43 33 14 90

Sl . No 1 2 3

Percentage 47.80% 36.60% 15.60% 100%

Table 5.14 shows that around, 47.80% of the total respondents say that they find many audiences from Brahmin community for carnatic musical performances, followed by 36.60% of the respondents who agrees that they find some audiences from Brahmin community for carnatic musical performances. And lastly 15.60% of them agree that they find only few audiences from Brahmin community for carnatic music performances. This shows that majority of the Brahmin respondents have agreed that, they find many audiences

from their community for carnatic music concerts or performances. And around 1/3rd of the Brahmins claim that they find some audiences, which is also fairly good a count that shows their preferences towards carnatic music. Brahmins who say, they find only few respondents are very less in count. Table 5.15 Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community and Audiences from Brahmin community
Popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community Extremely Moderately Decreasing Total Audiences from Brahmin community for carnatic concerts Many 33 (54.10%) 10 (43.50%) 0 43 Some 23 (37.70%) 8 (34.80%) 2 (33.33%) 33 Few 5 (8.20%) 5 (21.70%) 4 (66.67%) 14 Total 61 23 6 90

Sl . No 1 2 3

The above table delineates that, among the Brahmins who felt that carnatic music is extremely popular in their community, 54.10% agrees they find many audiences form their community, followed by 37.70% of them having an opinion that they find some audiences and rest 8.20% say they have found only few audiences for carnatic concerts form their community. Among Brahmins who have agreed that carnatic music is only moderately popular among them, 43.50% find many audiences form their community for carnatic concerts, followed by 34.80% having an opinion of seen some audiences and 21.70% of them have found only few audiences for carnatic musical performances. Among the respondents who felt that popularity of carnatic music is decreasing, none have found many audiences for concerts, and 66.67% of them have found few audiences where as 33.33% of the respondents claim that they have found some audiences from their community for carnatic concerts. From the above table it could be inferred that the analysis of the variable popularity of carnatic music in Brahmin community goes hand in hand with the analysis of the variable Audiences from Brahmin community for carnatic performances. It is clear from the table that majority of the Brahmins agrees that carnatic music is extremely popular in their community and that they find many Brahmin audiences for carnatic music performances or concerts.

Table 5.16 Do the respondents sing or practice carnatic music

Sl no 1 2

Sing / Practice Carnatic music Yes No Total

No: of respondents 48 42 90

Percentage 53.30% 46.70% 100%

Table 5.16 shows that, around 53.60% of the respondents sing or practice carnatic music and the rest 46.70% of the respondents do not sing or practice carnatic music. Majority of the Brahmins sing or they are much familiar with carnatic music.

Table 5.17 Familiarity with popular carnatic songs

Popular carnatic songs you are familiar with Pancharatna kritis Tillanas Mangalam songs Others specify Total No: of respondents 59 9 10 12 90

Sl no 1 2 3 4

Percentage 65.56% 10% 11.11% 13.33% 100.00%

The table clearly depicts that, out of 90 respondents, around 65.56% of the respondents are familiar with pancharatna kritis, followed by 13.33% of the Brahmins who are familiar with others, which includes bhajans and keerthanams, and around 11.11% of the respondents are familiar with manglam songs and the rest 10% are familiar with tillanas. From the above table it could be interpreted that, majority of the respondents are familiar with pancharatna kritis, which is pure carnatic and classical based and the most popular songs of carnatic music. Next highest rating goes to sampradaya bhajans, and keerthanams , the former being another form of music , an informal one, that belongs to the carnatic family and the latter being a major part in carnatic music. Respondents give 3rd position to mangalam songs, which is sung generally during their festivals and traditional and household functions, which is quite informal in nature. At the end is their familiarity towards tillanas. Table 5.18

Respondents sing or practice and their familiarity with popular carnatic songs
Pancharatana kritis 36 (75%) 23 (54.77%) 59 Familarity With popular carnatic songs Mangalam Others Tillanas Songs Specify 3 (6.25%) 6 (14.29%) 9 2 (4.16%) 8 (19.04%) 10 7 (14.59%) 5 (11.90%) 12

Sl .No 1 2

Sing Yes No Total

Total 48 42 90

Table no 5.18 shows that out of the respondents who sing or learn carnatic music, around 75% are familiar with pancharatna kritis, followed by 14.59% of familiarity with sampradaya bhajans and keerthanams, 6.25% are familiar with tillanas and the rest 4.16% are familiar with mangalam songs . Among the respondents who do not sing or learn carnatic music, around 54.77% are familiar with pancharatna kritis, followed by a familiarity towards mangalam song , which constitutes 19.04%. And 14.29% have familiarity towards tillanas and the rest 11.90% are familiar with sampradaya bhajans. From the above table it could be inferred that, among the respondents who sing or learn carnatic music and who do not sing, pancharatna kritis are very much popular. It should be noted that while respondents who sing carnatic music are much familiar with purely classical carnatic songs, respondents who do not sing are much familiar with the kind of informal categories of songs within carnatic family. This clearly shows that even though they do not sing carnatic music, they have a liking for the carnatic genre, which is irrespective of knowing or not knowing the nuances of carnatic music. Table 5.19 Numbers of Family members learn carnatic music
Number of family members learn carnatic music Whole family Most of them some of them None Total No: of respondents 12 24 45 9 90

Sl No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 13.30% 26.70% 50% 10% 100%

Out of 90 respondents, more than half of the respondents (50%) have said that some of their family members learn carnatic music; followed by 26.70% of the respondents i.e a little more than 1/4th have responded that most of their family members learn carnatic music and 13.30% of them claim

that their whole family learns carnatic music. The rest 10% say that none in their family learn carnatic music. This makes it clear that, great majority of the Brahmins have responded that their family members learn carnatic music with a variation in number of learners within each family.

Table 5.20 Number of family members with concerts experience

Number of family members with concert experience Whole family Most of them some of them None Total No: of respondents 5 17 47 21 90

Sl No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 5.60% 18.90% 52.20% 23.30% 100%

Only some members of family constitute majority of the respondents (52.20%.) in table 5.19, where as only in 5.6% of respondents family all the members have given carnatic music performances. Somewhere in between that, i.e. 18.90% of people who responded said, that most of their family members have performed. Almost a quarter of the respondents (23.30%) said that none in their family have given concerts. Thus it could be concluded that 3/4th of the respondents family members have given concerts with a variation in the number of people who have given performances in each family.

Table 5.21 Frequency of listening to other genres of music

Frequency of listening to other genres of music Always Often Rare Never Total No: of respondents 20 33 35 2 90

Sl No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 22.22% 36.67% 38.89% 2.22% 100.00%

Table 5.21 shows that , 38.89% of the respondents have agreed that they rarely listen to film songs , pop songs and such other genres of music, followed by 36.67% of them aid that they often listen to other genres of music, and 22.22% have agreed that they always listen to other genres of music . And only 2.22% of them have said that they never listen to other genres of music. Thus it could be inferred that, majority of the respondents are interested in listening other genres of music too, along with carnatic, having little variations in their frequency of listening. It should be noted that rare listeners exceed in number compared to frequent and all time listeners. Table 5.22 Carnatic music played for occasions
Carnatic music is played or performed at your functions involves Largely Brahmins Both Brahmins and nonBrahmins Total No: of respondents 48 42 90

Sl.No 1 2

Percentage 53.30% 46.70% 100.00%

The above table shows that, out of 90 respondents, 53.30% have agreed that carnatic music is played or performed for the functions or gatherings that involves largely Brahmins and around 46.70% have responded that it is played or performed in functions that involves both Brahmins and non- Brahmins . Thus it makes clearer the link between Brahmins and carnatic music and the importance that they give to carnatic music in their life. Majority of the respondents have agreed that carnatic music is played for the functions or gatherings that involve Brahmins. Table 5.23 Family members well versed in other genres of music
Number of family members / friends well versed in any other genres of music Many Some Few None No: of respondents 13 19 26 32

Sl .No 1 2 3 4

Percentage 14.44% 21.11% 28.89% 35.56%

Total

90

100.00%

Table 5.23 shows that around 35.56% of the respondents have agreed that none of their family members or friends is well versed in any other genres of music and 28.89% have said that few of their family members of friends are well versed in other genres of music. Around 21.11% responded that some of their family members lead in other genres of music and lastly 14.44% have claimed that many of their family members and friends versa tiles in other genres of music. From the above table it clear that majority of the respondents have agreed that none of their family members are into practicing or singing any other genres of music. Table 5.24 Carnatic music as a topic of discussion among Family members
Carnatic music as a topic of discussion among family members Always Very often Rare Never Total No: of respondents Percentage 23 33 33 1 90 25.50% 36.70% 36.70% 1.10% 100.00%

Sl no 1 2 3 4

Table 5.24 shows that, around 36.70% of the respondents have said that carnatic music is very often a topic of discusion among their family members , followed by 25.50% of them responded that carnatic music is always a topic of dicussion in their family. While 36.70% of them have said that it is a rare topic of discussion their families only 1.10% have said that it is never a topic a discussion in their family. From the above table it is clear that majority of the brahmins agree that carnatic music is either 'very often' or 'always' a topic of discussion among their family members. This shows the importance and support their family members give to carnatic music.

Figure 5.1 Carnatic music as a topic of discussion among friends

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

Percentage

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00% Always Very often Rare Never

Carnatic music as a topic of discussion

Friends of other communities

Friends of own community

Figure 5.1 clearly portrays the differences in considering carnatic music as a topic of discussion among friends of other communities and friends of brahmin community. While 16.70% have said that carnatic music is always a topic of discussion among the friends of brahmin community, only 13.33% have said that it is always a topic of discussion among their friends who belong to other communitiies. Similarly while 50% of the respondents have said that carnatic music is very often a topic of discussion among their friends of brahmin community, only 33.33% of them have responded that it is very often a topic of discussion among their friend of other communities. While around 43.34% have said that, among their friends of other communities, carnatic music as a topic of discussion is rare, where as only 32.20% have said that, it is rare, among their friends who belong to their own community . Finally while 10% of the respondents have said that carantic music is never a topic of discussion among their friends of other communities, only 1.10% have said that it is never a topic of discussion among friends of their own community.

The above analysis and figure clearly shows that majority of the brahmins have said that carnatic music is a topic of dicussion much among their friends who belong to brahmin community than among their friends who belong to other communities, having subtle variations in their frequency of discussion. Conclusion Chapter 5 deals with the Preferences of Brahmins towards carnatic music, the aim of the objective is to understand or analyze their attraction and preferences towards carnatic music. Investigation and analyses have shown that Brahmins have a preference towards carnatic music. The objective also tries to measure the intensity of their preference towards carnatic music. Majority of the respondents prefer carnatic to other genres of music. More than half of the respondents are highly attracted to carnatic music. Joint families prefer carnatic music more than nuclear families. Majority of the respondents have agreed that they find carnatic music as extremely popular in their community and that they also find many audiences from their community for carnatic music concerts or performances. They also agree that carnatic music is played or its performances are conducted for functions that largely involve Brahmins. Majority of the respondents family members learn as well as have given carnatic music concerts. Majority of the brahmins have agreed that carnatic music is a topic of discussion among their faimly members and also among their friends who belong to their own community. All the above statements show Brahmins preference towards carnatic music and the intensity of their preference.

CHAPTER 6 FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR MUSICAL PREFERENCES

CHAPTER - 6 FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR MUSICAL PREFERENCES

Preference towards a particular genre of music doesn't come out of blue, irrespective of whether it is for an individual, group or a community. There are many factors that are responsible for a particular musical preference. It could be personal interests and related factors a far as an individual's musical preference is concerned. But in the case of communities , it could be factors like various other traits with which the community is identified, that influences their musical preferences, like their values, and their traditional life styles. More over there could be other socio cultural factors . This chapter deals the analysis with regard to the factors that influences the musical preferences of Brahmins. The main aim of this objective is to understand what are the important or crucial factors that determines the preference of brahmins towards carnatic music. This inturn tries to understand the importance of carnatic music in their life, and among their comunity. Table 6.1 Relationship between Brahmin Lifestyle and Carnatic music
Relation between disciplined lifestyle of brahmins and carnatic music Inter linked Remotely linked Not related Not sure Total No: of respondents Percentage 68 15 4 3 90 75.56% 16.67% 4.44% 3.33% 100%

Sl no 1 2 3 4

Table 6.1 clearly shows that out of the 90 respondents around, 75.56% have said that the life style of the brahmins and carantic music are interlinked, followed by 16.67% of the respondents responded that there is only a remote link between brahmins' lifestyle and carnatic music. Around 4.44% have opined that brahmins' lifestyle and carnatic music are not related. And the rest 3.33% have said that they are not sure about the said relationship. From this it could be inferred that majority of the repondents have agreed that there is close

association between the lifestyle of brahmins and the style of carantic music. Hence brahmin lifestyle could be considered as one among the many factors that influence their preference towards caranatic music. Table 6.2 Rating based on following the brahmin tradition
Sl no 1 2 3 4 Rating based on following brahmin tradition Rigid Follower Follow during festivals & religious occasions In the presence of elders Hold reservation Total No: of respondents Percentage 56 30 2 2 90 62.22% 33.34% 2.22% 2.22% 100%

Around 62.22% of the respondents are rigid followers of brahmin tradition, 33.34% of them follows their tradition only during festivals and religious occasions, 2.22% of the respondents follow their tradition only in the presence of elders and the rest 2.22% hold reservation in following their tradition. Table 6.2 makes it clear that more than half of the brahmins are rigid followers of their tradition than following tradition only during particular occasions.

Table 6.3 Frequency in following brahmin tradition and the kind of music preferred

S l . No 1 2 3 4

K in d o f m u sic p re fe re n ce Trad itio nal c a rna tic C ine m at ic F us ion O t hers Tota l

R ig id 36 (64 .29% ) 16 (28 .57% ) 2 (3.5 7% ) 2 ( 3.5 7% ) 56

R a ti n g b a se d o n fo ll o w in g b ra h m in tra d i ti o n I n th e F e sti va ls a n d p re se n ce o f re li g i o u s o c ca sio n s e ld e rs H o ld R e se rv a tio n T o ta l 1 6 (53. 33% ) 8 (26 .66 % ) 3 (1 0% ) 3 (1 0% ) 30 1 (50 % ) 1 (50 % ) 0 0 2 0 1 (50% ) 1 (50% ) 0 2 53 26 6 5 90

Table 6.3 clearly depicts the relationship between brahmin tradition and their preference towards carantic music. Among the rigid followers of brahmin tradition 64.29% of the repondents prefer caranatic music to other genres of music , where as only 35.71% of them prefer other genres of music than carnatic music. Among the occasional followers of brahmin tradition, 53.33% prefer carantic and the rest 46.66% prefer other kinds of music. Among the brahmins who follow their tradition only in the presence of elders 50% of the respondents prefer carnatic and the rest 50% prefer cinematic. Among those who hold reservation in following the brahmin tradition 50% of the repondents prefer cinematic and the rest 50% of them prefer fusion. From the above analysis it could be clearly inferred that majority of the brahmins who follow their tradition rigidly prefer carnatic music and majority of them who follow brahmin tradition occasionally and in the presence of elders also prefer carantic to other genres of music. This shows that there is a close connection between brahmin tradition and carnatic music. Respondents who don't follow brahmin tradition or who rather hold reservation in following the brahmin tradition don't prefer carantic music at all. Hence brahmin tradition is one of the influencing factors that induces them to prefer carantic music. Table 6.4 Reason for the appeal towards carnatic music
Sl no 1 2 3 4 Reason for appeal towards carantic Complex and unique style Community prefers more Family's musical Background Compositions on God Total No: of respondents Percentage 22 12 23 33 90 24.40% 13.30% 25.60% 36.70% 100.00%

Table 6.4 says all about the diiferent reasons for an attraction towards carnatic music. Out of the 90 respondents, 36.70% of the repondents say that carantic music is appealing for them because it is related to the compositions on God , followed by 25.60% having an opinion that they have an appeal for carnatic music beacause of their family's musical background. Around 24.40% of them like carnatic music because of it's complex and unique style. The rest 13.30% of the respondents say it' because their community prefers it more. From the above table it could be inferred that only few brahmins, i.e less than 1/4th have said that they feel carnatic music as appealing because their community prefers it. Similarly it should be noted that the second majority rating given by the repondents is for the option family's musical background, which shows that majority of the brahmins' family have good carnatic musical background. These two statements makes it clear that brahmins feel carantic music as appealing, not just because that their community prefers it more, but because of various other reasons, out of which the highest majority say that they feel carantic as appealing, mainly because it's based on the compositions of God, followed by their family's inclination towards carnatic music and finally because of it's complex and unique style. Table 6.5 Role of carnatic music in a brahmin's life
Sl no 1 2 3 4 5 Role of carnatic music in life Means of praising god Means of bringing people together Helps to become a better person Means of enjoyment Others Total No: of respondents Percentage 47 13 12 16 2 90 52.22% 14.44% 13.33% 17.79% 2.22% 100.00%

Around 52.22% of the respondents from table no 6.5 state that in their life carnatic music acts as a means of praising God. 17.79% of the respondents defined the role of carnatic music as a means of enjoyment. While for 14.44% of the respondents it acts as a means of bringing people together, 13.33% of them say that it helps one to become a better person. And the rest 2.22% of the respondents have opined that it provides peace of mind for them. For majority of the brahmins, carnatic music acts as a means of praising God, which shows their inclination towards religion and it's association with carantic music. Thus it can be concluded that

their religious nature or rather their spiritual nature brings them close to carantic music which is divine . Table 6.6 Nature of carnatic music
Sl no 1 2 3 4 5 6 Opinion about the nature of carnatic music Rigid Repetitive Close to tradition Flexible Divine Very vast Total No: of respondents Percentage 6 6 18 4 44 12 90 6.70% 6.70% 20% 4.40% 48.90% 13.30% 100%

This table could futher substantiate the analysis and interpretation of table 6.5, table 6.6 shows that around 48.90% of the respondents are of the opinion that the nature of carnatic music is divine, followed by 20% of them having an opinion of it is close to tradition. While 13.30% of the respondents say that it is very vast, 13.40% of them opined that it is rigid and repetitive and the rest 4.40% say that it is flexible. Thus this analysis reinforces the interpretation of table no: 6.5 that for majority of the brahmins the nature of carnatic music is divine. And it is also note worthy that it is close to the brahmin tradition. Table 6.7 Relation between carnatic music and vedas
Sl no 1 2 Relationship between vedas and music Yes No Total No: of respondents Percentage 84 6 90 93.30% 6.70% 100.00%

The table clearly shows that 93.30%, more than 3/4th of the respondents have agreed that vedas and carnatic music are closely related. And the rest, i.e only 6.70% of the respondents have said that vedas are not related to carantic music. From the above table it could be inferred that, large majority of brahmins say that vedas and

carnatic music are interlinked . And hence brahmins' close connection or link with vedas could be one of the influencing or motivating factor for their preference towards carnatic music. Table 6.8 Frequency of carnatic music used in their religious occasions
Frequency of different forms of carnatic music used in religious No: of occasions respondents Percentage Extensively Moderately Rarely Total 56 26 8 90 62.22% 28.89% 8.89% 100.00%

Sl no 1 2 3

Out of 90 respondents, 62.22% have responded that carnatic music is extensively used in their religious occasions, while 28.89% of them say that it is only moderately used , 8.89% have said that it is rarely used in these occasions.

Thus it is clear that, majority of the brahmins say that carnatic music is extensively used in their religious occasions , which could be one of the important factor for their preference towards carnatic music. And majority of the brahmins also agree that bhajans which is an informal form of music that fall in the carnatic family are widely used for their religious occasions. Table 6.9 Frequency of carnatic music used in festivals
Sl no 1 2 3 Frequency of carnatic music used in festivals To a great extent To some extent To less extent Total No: of respondents Percentage 59 27 4 90 65.60% 30% 4.40% 100.00%

Table 6.9 shows that around 65.60% of the respondents say that carnatic music is used in a great extent in their festivals, followed by 30% of them, who have said that it is used only to some extent in their festivals. And the rest 4.40% have responded that it is used only to a less extent in their

festivals. Thus it is clear that majority of the brahmins have responded that carnatic music is widely used and has got a major role in their festivals. Hence this could be one of the factors that influences their preference towards carnatic music. Table 6.10 Role of carnatic music in socializing
Sl no 1 2 3 Carnatic music helps to come together and socialize Strongly agree Agree Disagree Total No: of respondents Percentage 54 35 1 90 60% 38.90% 1.10% 100%

The above table depicts the role of carnatic music in bringing people together as a community, where around 60% of the respondents strongly agree that carnatic music has a major role in bringing people together as a community and there by helping them to socialize. 38.90% of the respondents have just agreed that it has a role in bringing people together. And the rest 1.10% diagree that it brings people together as a community. From the above table it could be inferred that majority of the brahmins, i.e more than half have strongly agreed that carnatic music plays a major role in bringing people together and there by bind them together as a community. It has a role in creating a we feeling among the brahmins. More over they stronlgy agree that it helps in socializing and makes interaction possible . 'We feeling' is important for the sustanance of any community and from the above analysis it is quite evident that music also plays an important role in maintaining a community consciousness among them. Table 6.11 Difference in individual and collective listening
Sl no 1 2 Difference between individual and collective listening Yes No Total No: of respondents Percentage 80 10 90 88.89% 11.11% 100.00%

Table 6.11 shows that, around 88.89% have agreed that there are differences in listening to music individually and collectively. The rest 11.11% have agreed that they don't find any differences in listening to music individually and collectively. Table 6.12 Preffered music to listen collectively or along with your community
Sl no 1 2 3 4 Music you prefer to listen collectively Traditional Carnatic Western Cinematic Others Total No: of respondents Percentage 63 3 9 5 80 70% 3.33% 10% 5.56% 89%

The above table tries to analyse the question that table 6.11 deals with. It shows that around 70% of the respondents have said that they prefer to listen carnatic music along with their community, followed by 10% of the respondents having a preference of cinematic songs, and 5.56% of them prefer other genres of music and the rest 3.33% prefer western music. It is evident from the above table that large majority of the brahmins prefer carnatic music for collective listening or to listen along with their community. According to them the advantages of collective listening are as follows , it makes discussion on music legends and epics, sharing of thoughts about artist and songs possible. The respondents say that a kind of give and take mechanism works through the collective listening. It helps to widen one's interaction circle and also plays a major role in building strong relationships. It provides a good platform for healthy criticisms and also helps to express one's feelings more effectively. Many are of the opinion that carnatic music which is quite rigid and traditional in nature could be better enjoyed and understood with the help of collective listening. The above said advantages are some of the important factors that makes it a music and identity of a community, which is preffered to listen collectively rather than individually.

Figure 6.1 Relation between living within the brahmin community and musical preference

90.00% 80.00% 70.00%

Percentage

60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes No

Effect of living in Agraharas in relation to musical preference

Figure 6.1 analyses the relationship between living within the brahmin community and it's effect on their musical preferences. Around 88.89% say that living within the community has a say on their musical preferences or rather it also determines their musical preferences. And ther rest 11.11% are of the opinion that musical preference has got nothing to do with the community within which they reside.

From the above table it's clear that large majority of the brahmins believes that community within which they reside has a major say on their musical preferences.

Table 6.13 Place of residence and the kind of music prefered

Pla ce Of Re side nce Sl . No 1 2 3 4 Kind of m usic pre fe re nce Traditional carnatic Cinematic Fusion Others Total Rura l 8 (88.89% ) 1 (11.11% ) 0 0 9 Urba n 21 (56.76% ) 10 (27.03% ) 4 (10.81% ) 2 (5.40% ) 37 Se m i Urba n 24 (54.55% ) 15 (34.10% ) 2 (4.54% ) 3 (6.81% ) 44 Tota l 53 26 6 5 90

Table 6.13 shows that, among the respondents who reside in the rural areas, 88.89% prefer carnatic music and the rest 11.11% prefer cinematic. Among the urban residents, 56.76% of the respondents prefer carnatic music, followed by 43.24% of them having other musical preferences. Among the respondents from the semi-urban areas, around 54.55% prefer carantic music and the rest 45.45% prefer other kind of music like cinematic, fusion etc. From the above table it is clear that place of residence is one of the crucial factors that determines the musical preference. Large majority of the brahmins, more than 3/4th, who lives in rural areas prefer carnatic music to other genres of music. And only very few, less than even 1/4th,, prefer other genres of music, in these areas . But whereas in urban and semi urban areas although majority of the brahmins prefer carnatic music, almost a few less than or equal count prefer other genres of music too along with carnatic music. And hence it is noteworthy that place of residence also determines one's musical preferences.

Table 6.14 Musical preference of relatives stay in metros or outside india

Sl no 1 2 3 4 5 6

Musical Preferences of your relatives who stay in metros / outside india Carnatic Music Cinematic Pop Western Rock Others Total

No: of respondents Percentage 10 32 12 23 5 8 90 11.10% 35.56% 13.33% 25.56% 5.56% 8.89% 100.00%

The table depicts that out of 90 respondents, only 11.10% have said that their realtives in metros prefer carnatic music. The rest 88.90% of them have said their relatives in metros prefer other genres of music to carnatic music like cinematic, pop, western, rock etc. Out of these the highest rating falls to the cinematic songs (35.56%), followed by western (25.56%) and pop (13.33%). This further supports the interpretations of Figure 6.1 and table 6.13. It is quite evident that majority of the relatives of the brahmin respondents, who are away form their community or rather who stay in metros prefer other genres of music to carnatic music. Table 6.15 Effect of reality shows on the popularity of carnatic music
Sl no 1 2 3 4 Effect of reality shows on the popularity of carnatic music Positive Negative Neutral No effect Total No: of respondents Percentage 66 7 15 2 90 73.30% 7.80% 16.70% 2.20% 100.00%

Table 6.15 tries to analyse the modern trend of musical programs called reality shows in connection with the popularity of carnatic music among brahmins. Around 73.30% of the respondents are of the opinion that reality shows create a positive impact on the popularity of carnatic music among brahmins. 16.70% have a nuteral opinion . While 7.80% say that it has got a negative effect on the popularity of carnatic music among brahmins , only 2.20% say that it doesn't make any effect on the popularity of carnatic music among brahmins.

From the above table it is clear that the emerging trend of musical shows in television like reality shows create a positive effect on the popularity of traditional music like carnatic music, among brahmins. This shows that there are wide variety of factors that could influence the preference of brahmins towards carnatic music.

Conclusion This chapter deals with the factors influencing musical preferences of brahmins. The aim of this objective is to understand various social and cultural factors that influence the preferences of brahmins towards carnatic music. Investigation and analysis have shown that there are certain social , religious and cultural factors that influence their preferences. It is found that the brahmin lifestyle and carnatic music are linked. Similarly brahminical traditional ethics and carnatic music are closely interconnected, it is found that the rigid followers of brahmin traditional ethics can digest and understand carnatic music easily than others do. And the data reveals that among those brahmins who follow their tradition rigidly, carantic music is preffered more than other genres of music. This inturn shows that for practicing and inculcating carnatic music, one is expected to follow the same kind of sadhana or tapas that a brahmin follows. Majority of the brahmins feel caranatic music as appealing, as it is related to compositions on God. They find carantic music as another way of expressing their devotion and love for God. It is said that brahmins are exponents on vedas and hymns, which again is closely associated with carnatic music, as music is said to have been originated form samaveda , one of the four vedic categories. As brahmins deal with vedas, it acts as one of the factors that induces their preferene towards carnatic music. Majority of the brahmins have also agreed that carnatic music is extensively used in their religious occasions and festivals, which again draws them close to carantic music. Majority of the brahmins have stongly agreed that carnatic music has a major role in bringing their people together as a community and thereby helping them to interact with each other and socialize. Most of the brahmins prefer listening to carnatic music collectively, as it gives them a common platform for enjoyment and dicussions on legends, artists, songs and epics. Carnatic music here also acts as a means of transferring our great traditions from one generation to other in terms of discussion among each other.. Majority of the brahmins believe that place of residence influences their musical preferences too. They opine that the kind of atmosphere and conditions for getting in touch with carnatic music would not be available outside the brahmin pockets or 'Agraharas' or rather for brahmins who live

in metro cities or outside the country. Finally an analysis of the effect of an emerging trend of reality shows in the modern musical world on the popularity of tradtional carnatic genre revealed that, it creates a positive effect on the popularity of carnatic among the brahmins. This actually reaveals the dynamic adaptability of carnatic music among brahmins. All the above statements tries to bring out the factors that influences the preferences of brahmins towards carnatic music.

CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The study mainly focuses on the Identity and preferences of music, among brahmin community . It also analyses the socio-economic profile of the brahmins, their preferences towards the genre of carantic music and the factors influencing their musical preferences. The Socio- economic profile of the respondents makes it clear that majority of the brahmin repondents are females and belong to the age group of 25-35. An analysis into the socio-economic profile also shows that majority of the repondents are married and they belong to nuclear families. Majority of the respondents reside in semi-urban areas. Large majority of the respondents have done their graduation and most of them are working in private sectors. Large majority of the respondents are interested in music. The next focus of the study is to understand the preferences of brahmins towards carnatic music. It also tries to measure the intensity of their preferences. It is found that majority of the brahmins prefer carnatic music to other genres of music . More than half of the brahmin respondents are occassional listeners of carantic music. Among the respondents who are engaged in various occupations,most of the brahmins who work in the private sector are daily listeners of carnatic music , which relects their fondness towards the particular genre of music . It also shows that occupation is not a hinderence for patronizing music which they prefer. Similarly among the daily listeners of carnatic music males out number females. Coming to the attraction level towards carnatic music or the intensity of attraction towards carnatic music, more than half of the brahmins are highly attracted and out of which males outnumber females. Majority of the respondents form all the age groups are highly attracted towards caranatic music, out of which brahmins who belong to the age group of 55-65 shows a steady, specific and static level of attraction compared to repondents of other age groups. While analysing the type of family and their preference toward different genres of music, it is revealed that respondents from joint families prefer carnatic music rather than respondents from nuclear families. To the most preferred mode of listening carnatic music, majority of the respondents have given first rating to live katcheris, which shows their keen interests in taking the pain of going for and listening to quality performances, than just sitting back at home and enjoying music in audio records.

A little more than 2/3rd of the brahmins have the opinion that carnatic music is extremely popular in

their community, among whom females outnumber males and majority of brahmins, who belong to different age groups have accepted extreme popularity of carnatic music in their community, except respondents who belong to age group of 25-35. Majority of the brahmins have opined that they find many brahmin audiences when they attend carnatic musical performances. Among brahmins who sing carnatic music, they are much familiar with purely calssical carnatic songs like pancharatna krithis keerthanams etc and among those who don't sing, they are familiar with informal categories of songs or genres that falls within carnatic family like ashtapadi, sampradaya bhajans, mangalam songs etc. This reveals the fact that irrespective of knowing or not knowing the details of carnatic music, the kind of importance or preference brahmins assign or assert to carnatic music. Majority of them have agreed that their family members learn carnatic music. It should be noted that more than half of , out of the total respondents have opined that carnatic music are performed or played for functions or gatherings that largely involve brahmins. Finally the study alsoa shows that carnatic music is a topic of discussion among their family members and friends of their community rather than friends who belong to other communities. The summary of the above objective reveals the fact that carnatic music is a part and parcel of brahmins' life and identity .It also shows their preference, intensity of attraction, likeness and affinity towards this particular genre of music. The study finally focuses on the factors that influences the musical preferences of brahmins. Majority of the brahmins have said that there is a close relationship between the disciplined lifestyle of brahmins and carnatic music, which brings them very close to such kind of a particular traditional genre of music. While analysing the relationship between the frequency in following brahmin tradition and the kind of music they prefer, it is found that more than half of the brahmin respondents who follow their tradition rigidly prefer carnatic music than any other genres of music. This shows that the brahmin traditional ethics and carnatic music are closely interrelated, as one requires the same kind of sadhana, penance or devotion that a true brahmin follows, for inculcating or practising carantic music. Majority of the brahmins have said that they find carnatic music as appealing, because it is very much related to compositions on God, and that carantic music act as a means of praising God, this clearly depicts the spiritual nature of brahmins. Since ages brahmins were considered as preists of temples, until recently. Spirituality and devotion to God are something that stays quite close to carnatic music also, as for majority of the brahmins carnatic music is divine in nature. The devotional nature of brahmins draws them close to carnatic music, which also constitute infinite number of songs that praises the glory of Gods and Godesses. Large majority of the brahmins have agreed that Vedas and carnatic music are closely associated. Brahmins who are

considered as the exponents of Vedas, find it easy to deal with carnatic music. Majority of the brahmins agree that carnatic music in it's pure form and it's different forms like bhajans, ashtapadis etc are extensively used during their festivals and religious occasions, which helps them to develop an intimate relationship with carnatic music, as festivals and religious occasions are always the core and the most looked forward factor in any community oriented life. OR are always needed for the existence and maintanence of the members of any traditionally oriented community. All the above depicted factors show that brahmin culture and tradition are the imporatant factors that influences their preference towards carnatic music. Coming to the analysis of the role of carnatic music in socializing and it's advantages in collective listening. Nearly 2/3rd of the respondents have strongly agreed that carnatic music have a major role in bringing their people and community together, they also opined that, almost all the members in their community irrespective of age or sex comes together to enjoy and be a part in occasions where carnatic music is performed or played. Many brahmins are of the opinion that carantic music indeed helps to create a 'we feeling' among them. Regarding listening, When compared to other genres of music, majority of the brahmins have said that they would like to listen carantic music collectively. As collective listening gives them a common platform for enjoyment and discussions on the legends, songs and epics. More over it makes interaction possible and to express one's feelings about the particular music effectively. Many were of the opinion that carnatic music which is quite rigid and traditional could be better enjoyed and understood through collective listening. It is also noteworthy that, the study have found that, among the social factors that influences the musical preference of a community, the place in which one resides is a determining factor. Most of the brahmins have opined that their relatives who stay in metro cities have lesser inclination towards carnatic music compared to brhamins who live in 'Agraharas' or who live within the brahmin community premises, as the environment and opportunity to get in touch with carnatic music is less in metros. And large majority of the brhamins have agreed that living within their community premises, i.e agraharas and living outside their community premises have different effects on the musical preference of the people. An analysis of the effect of the modern reality shows, on the popularity of traditional genre of carantic music among brahmins , reveals the fact that, majority of the brahmins find a positive effect on the popularity of carnatic music with the upcoming of reality shows. This shows that brahmins stick on to their traditonal music irrespective of any changes in the musical world. This also shows thw dynamic adaptability of carnatic music among brahmins.

The findings of this study are similar to the study conducted by Mathur (2002) on Cultural Rhythms in Emotions, Narratives and Dance The study explains the cultural construction of the identity in the matrix of symbolic configurations like dance and expressions. Similar to the study Worship styles, Music And Social Identity: A Communication Study by Lynne (2006) which says that there is some relationship between certain music preferences and lifestyle values, worship preferences and religiosity. The study by Fuller (2011), "Science, Culture and Caste Identity among the Brahmans of Tamilnadu" proves to be dissimilar . The findings of his study shows that the modern Tamil Brahmin affiliation with Carnatic music is that this is less contingent, apparently, on actual preference and he dubbed the brahmins from their importance in classical Indian music and performance, to their roles in the progression of science and medicine in India, which is a dissimilar fact with the study . The study which focuses on the questions of identity and preference of music among brahmins, brings out the fact that large majority of the brahmins prefer carnatic music and that there are various socio- cultural factors that influences their musical preferences. The cultural factors being their religiosity, their traditions, customs and practices that make them to cling on to the musical genre like Carnatic music . And thus carnatic music becomes a part and parcel of their lives and culture, and there by becomes a part of their identity, or rather a trait representing their identity. i.e the identity of brahmins.

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to musical style. International Journal of Psychology, 37 (2002):277-285. 33. Von Feilitzen, C ; K. Roe, Eavesdropping on adolescence. An exploratory study of music listening among children , In: Communications. The European Journal of Communication, 17,2 ; 1992: 225-244. 34. Sweet, Derek R, More Than Goth: The RhetoricalReclamation of the Subcultural Self , Popular Communication ; the international journal of media and culture, 3 (2005):239264. WEB REFERENCES http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/jur/2002/thelen.pdf http://levitin.mcgill.ca/pdf/LifeSoundtracks.pdf http://www.google.co.in/search?hl http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_music http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/socioeconomic+status http://ryoung001.homestead.com/FamDef.html http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/ http://www.uucpa.org/sermons_00-01/sermon010422.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_identity http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/india.htm http://www.tcnj.edu/~barry8/Collective%20ID.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_India#Folk_music http://sounds.bl.uk/TextPage.aspx?page=backgroundMusic-from-India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Iyers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyer#Population_and_distribution http://cujsas.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/040411-science-culture-and-caste-identity-amongthe-brahmans-of-tamilnadu/

APPENDIX

APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE
QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND PREFERENCES OF MUSIC : A STUDY BASED ON BRAHMIN COMMUNITY IN THRISUR AND PALAKKAD DICTRICTS OF KERALA
SECTION A : PERSONAL PROFILE 1 Name 2 Age 3 Sex 4 Marital Status 5 Type of family
Male Single Nuclear Urban Diploma Graduate PostGraduate High School Female Nuclear Joint Semi-urban Professional

6 Place of residence Rural

Educational 7 Qualification

8 Occupation 9 Income (Pm)

Agriculture Business
Less than 5000

Private

Professional Unpaid work Unemployed

5000-10000

10000-15000

15000-20000 More than 20000

10 Other Interests SECTION B : PREFERENCE TOWARDS CARNATIC MUSIC

11)Do you listen to music? a. Regularly b.Occasionally c.Rarely d. Never

12)What kind of music do you prefer to listen to?

a. Traditional Carnatic b. Cinematic

c. Fusion d. Others

13) Are you attracted towards Carnatic music? a. Highly b. Fairly c. Moderately d. Poorly

14) How often do you listen to Carantic music? a. Daily b.Occasionally c. Rarely d. Never

15) How do you listen to Carnatic music, rate your preferences in the given box below? a. By listening to live katcheris b. By listening to audio records c. By listening to friends' or relatives' performances d. Watching television performances 16) Have you ever patronized Carnatic music? a. As a sponsor b. As part of event committee c.As a listener or audience d. Never 17)Do you sing or practice Carnatic music? a. Yes b. No 18) Which among the popular Carnatic songs are you familiar with? a. Pancharatnakritis b. Tillanas c. Mangalam songs d. Others specify

19) Does anyone in your family learn Carnatic music? a. Whole family c. Some of them

b. Most of them

d. None

20) How many in your family have given Carnatic music concerts? a. Whole family b. Most of them c. Some of them d. None

21) How often would you listen to other genre of music like folk songs, film songs, pop music etc? a. Always b. Often c. Rare d. Never

22) Does anyone in your family or friends of community are wellversed in any other genres of music other than Carnatic music? a. Many b. Some c. Few d. None

23) According to you, how popular is Carnatic music in your community? a. Extremely b. Moderately c. Decreasing d. Not popular

24) Do you find enough audiences form your community for Carnatic music performances? a. Many b. Some c. Few d. None

25) Carnatis music is played or its performance conducted at your functions or gatherings that involves ....... a. Largely brahmins b. Largely Non-brahmins c. Both brahmins and non-brahmins d. Carnatic music is never played

26) Does Carnatic music become a topic for discussion among your family members? a. Always b. Often c. Rare d. Never

27) Does Carnatic music become a topic for discussion among your friends of other communities? a. Always c. Rare

b. Often

d. Never

28) Does Carnatic music become a topic for discussion among friends of your community? a. Always b. Often c. Rare d. Never

SECTION C : FACTORS INFLUENCING THE MUSICAL PREFERENCE

29) Do you think there is a close relationship between Carnatic music and disciplined brahmin lifetyle? a. Inter-linked b. Remotely interlinked c. Not related d. Not sure

30) Rate yourself interms of following brahmin tradition a. Rigid follower b. Follow only during festivals and religious occasions c. Follow tradition only in the presence of elders. d. Hold reservation in following tradition. 31) What is your opinion about Carnatic music ? a. Rigid b. Repetitive c. Close to tradition d. Flexible e. Divine f. Very vast

32) Are any forms of Carnatic music used in religious occasions ? a. Extensively b. Moderately c. Rarely d. Never

33) What are the different forms of Carnatic music that is used in these occasions? a. Bhajans b. Geetam c. Keerthanams d. Nadaswaram

34) Do you think Vedas are related to Carnatic music? a. Yes

b. No 35) What role does Carnatic music play in your life? a. Acts as a means of praising God b. Acts as a means of bringing people together c. Helps you to become a better person d. Acts as a means of enjoyment e. Others Specify : 36) Why is Carnatic music appealing for you? a. Its complex and unique style b. Your community prefer it more c. Family's musical background d. Music is related to compositions on God 37) Does Carnatic music have major role during your festivals? a. To great extent b. To some extent c. To less extent d. Never

38) Do you believe that Carnatic music help you to come together as a community and socialize? a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly disagree

39) Do you think there is a difference between individual and collective listening to music ? a. Yes b. No 40) If yes, what kind of music do you prefer to listen along with your community? a. Traditional Carnatic b. Western c. Cinematic d. Others

41) What according to you, makes such differences in choosing a particular music for individual and collective listening?

42) Do you think that living within your community and living ouytside your community have different effects on your musical preferences? a. Yes b. No 43) What musical preferences do your relatives have who stay in metro cities or outside India? a. Carnatic music b. Cinematic c. Pop d. Western e. Rock f. Others

44) What effect does reality shows have on the popularity of Carnatic music ? a. Positive b. Negative c. Neutral d. Noeffect