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"This is not for money. Nor is it for an audience. Nor is
it for publicity. It’s not even an event. Well, not a formal one
anyway. Yet, terrace jamming is becoming increasingly popular in the
city, creating a friendly and approachable platform for artistes and
performers from all over Chennai." according to Priyanka Rajagopalan.
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| Scenes from terrace jams across the city. Photo: The Hindu |
Initially, terrace
jamming referred to an exclusive hangout for a group of friends or
musicians who just wanted a quiet and spacious place to practise music
uninterrupted. Later, students who were interested in music started
meeting up in terraces to jam together. The idea was not to create a
performance space, but instead find a venue where they could hone their
skills and play for the pure love of music. It also offers scope for
learning, creativity and the showcasing of talent. Nevertheless, as a
result, an undeniably convenient and unconventional venue was born
across the city.
Some of these are open to the
public, many aren’t. Gayathri Pradeep, a student of journalism from MOP
Vaishnav, who is also an aspiring singer, says, “The terrace jams I go
to aren’t open to the public. For me, terrace jamming is more like a
group of friends meeting and making music for the joy of it. I enjoy
this more, as it is personal, which makes it easier for artistes to
bond.”
However, over the past few months, the
concept of terrace jams has expanded into performing for an audience,
encouraging interactivity and sharing of ideas. Adarsh Mammen, an
engineer, and a solo guitarist who hosted a musical night at his terrace
recently, says, “Well, the idea came about when I was playing the
guitar with a couple of friends. It struck me that we could have an
informal event, performing for a small audience of about 30 people,
mostly friends and family. Luckily, the musicians were also spontaneous
entertainers, so the programme was half musical performance and half
stand-up comedy. We even encouraged amateur musicians to play along.
Overall, it was a really fun, relaxed evening.”
Source: The Hindu
