Music Therapy Articles

THE INDIAN RAGA INGREDIENTS THAT SATISFY AN EMOTIONALLY-DISTURBED LISTENER  The ancient raga system of India is well-known for centuries for its emotional content and impact. The ragas have been selectively used along with appropriate rhythms and beats to address the turbulent minds and to balance the emotional upheavals during unbearable losses, trauma and other such […]

Long before acoustics came to be understood in Europe as a subject of study, ancient Arab, Greek and Indian civilisations were already familiar with the therapeutic role of sounds and vibrations and the latter day concepts pertaining to them. While music as a whole is well recognised for its entertainment value, Indian civilisation went a

Raga is the sequence of selected notes (swaras) that lend appropriate ‘mood’ or emotion in a selective combination. Depending on its nature, a raga could induce or intensify joy or sorrow, violence or peace, and this is the quality which forms the basis for musical application. Thus, a whole range of emotions and their nuances

What one observes in Mozart is a feel of brilliance and gaiety on its surface; as you explore it deeply, you are certain to arrive at a tinge of melancholy. This ambivalence, continually fascinating and provocative, can especially be noticed in his Cosi fan tutte.  `Mozart is music’ is a common saying in the music

We all know that Music is a sound organized in an aesthetic sense.  Thanks to the involvement of the mind, we are able to distinguish music from noise, though both of them stem from sound waves. In other words, it is the mind that makes a sound, music. The human mind attributes a sense or

Ancient Indian rishis were aware of the energy transmission in the human body which enables one to remain healthy and efficient. Swara kriya vigyan was the science which dealt with energetics in the body, which is the contributory factor for enjoying good health. Indians were aware of the channels which carry the vital force (prana)

Long before acoustics came to be known in Europe, the ancient Arab, Greek and Indians were familiar with the therapeutic effects of music. They were already familiar with some of the latter day concepts pertaining to the phenomenon of sound:  While music as a whole is well recognized for its entertainment value throughout the globe,

‘Music has the power to mould human behaviour and character.’  – Aristotle  We all know that there is a tremendous nexus between a musical piece and our moods. Sometimes when we feel down and depressed, a musical piece which wafts through the air lends us a sudden energy that we overcome our depression, forgetting our

Imagination is a faculty through which people make sense of the world. The things that we touch, taste, smell, see and hear around us coalesce into an “image” via our imagination. Imagination is the ability to form mental images, sounds and feelings, which help in problem-solving and in seeing things from a different perspective that

Psychologists are aware of the growing tendency among the people who lose their control and opt for suicide. This unfortunate phenomenon is growing in developing India with the latest figures touching a 28% jump over the previous decade. Some 122,637 persons have taken their own lives, according to an NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) survey.

Thanks to the arrival of electronic gadgets in brain research, we are now able to appreciate how the brain operates when it encounters music. Such neurologic music studies have now endorsed the relevance and importance of music in day-to-day human living.  Recent research conducted by neuro-psychologists such as James Gaidiner and Javan Horwitz have endorsed

Music Therapy: An Introduction  Recent years have witnessed the flowering of music therapy all over the world. With the increased uncertainties, migration, globalization, divisive politics, environmental degradation, selfishness, competition and terrorism the world is becoming a more difficult place for healthy living. Thanks to its growing popularity – as more and more people are opting

Teirich (1959), a physician, inspired by one of his patients, who was a deaf-mute, undertook a study on music and vibration. He noticed that his 59-year old patient had discovered a certain ability to enjoy ‘his’ music as he could explain how with his back as the main “receiving station”, he had got into the

In the words of Igor Stravinsky, the great orchestral giant, music is a series of tensions which try to find their own way in reaching a certain state of resolution or relaxation. This statement is true in so far all forms of music. Any keen observer of music will vouch that there is an underlying

Though music, per se, doesn’t claim to cure any ailments, what music therapists believe that music promises is to develop enough immune mechanisms in the body and the potential to restore its healthy functioning. As a consequence, a better quality of life could be the reward for using music It is however important to note

Chanting is an ancient time-tested method of overcoming grief and trauma — known for centuries in all parts of the world, as a religious practice. Chanting involves repetition of either meaningless phrases (or those phrases for which no rational meaning is possible) or assertive and self-encouraging resolutions. Chanting is defined as the continuous recitation of

Vedas constitute a body of ancient wisdom of India, inherited for the welfare of all human beings. Since ancient times, Vedas have been chanted in various ways. According to some authors, there are eight major ways of chanting Vedas. Out of eight types of chanting, as reported in the literature, only five methods are currently

In modern therapeutic settings, music activities are usually confined to achieve several benefits. Composing songs to express emotion, playing the piano to improve fine motor skills, use of instruments to improvise unspoken emotions, improving movement activities in patients, building up communication with the mentally retarded etc. fall under this category.  In the American hospital setting,

Though the Indian music system is ancient and one of the highly- developed musical systems of the world, the study and application of the therapeutic aspects of this music has witnessed severe ups and downs. Once lauded in literature such as Raga Chikitsa and known to the ancient yogic systems of sound vibrations as nada

Music Elders feel youthful and rejuvenated when they hear the music of their youthful days. Though such music can seem to be outdated for the current youth, for elders it is this music, which is youthful as it reminds them of their younger days of dreams and aspirations, struggles and mischief.  Songs and music that