Indian Music Therapy
Drawn to music, from his childhood, Dr T V Sairam had an opportunity to learn the grammar-rich Carnatic Music from Thirukodikaval S. V. Ramani and Vidwan Sri B. Vaidyanathan of Hyderabad. He was also a student of Western Classical music, during his stay in Paris in the mid-seventies as a French Government Scholarship recipient(Etagiaire).
Fondly called “the Father of Music Therapy in India”, his pioneering research on the therapeutic aspects of the traditional Indian music system, Nada Yoga and Raga Chikitsa, for the in-depth emotional reach, have attracted the attention of the world community of music therapists in recent years.
Dr Sairam considers that his pioneering and path-breaking work related to two dictionaries, one on alternative medicine and the other on music therapy were the results of his conviction that the human health issues – both physical and mental – can be cured effectively in many cases by a tradition of love and concern rather than by the modernity of cruel gadgetry or robotics.
Dr. Sairam was awarded the Bharatiya Nada Chikitsa Seva Chetana (2019) – Conferred by Manollasini Trust, Bangalore on the occasion of the 2nd Annual Conference of Indian Music Therapy Association (IMTA), held at Pune.
Dr. Sairam’s 10-Point Music Therapy
- Listen with your heart and not just your mind.
- Enjoy music. Don’t analyze it.
- Listen to good music for about 15 minutes four times a day.
- Make driving, eating, bathing or cooking more enjoyable with music.
- Never listen to music on an empty stomach.
- Actual singing or playing a raga is preferable to passive listening.
- Learn to play a musical instrument.
- Get children into the habit of listening to music.
- Always have gentle, soothing music playing around a sick person.
- Have a good music library at home.
Pioneering Activities
Nada Centre For Music Therapy
2004: FOUNDED AND PROMOTED NADA CENTRE FOR MUSIC THERAPY (REGD.) CHENNAI. a Pioneering Institution in India (www.nada.in) aimed at promoting the innovative concepts and practices on healing with music.
Indian Music Therapy Association
2018: FOUNDED AND PROMOTED INDIAN MUSIC THERAPY ASSOCIATION (IMTA) (REGD.) BANGALORE, a Pioneering Institution India (www.theimta.in) to provide support to the growing number of music therapists and take care of their welfare.
Conferences On Music Therapy
THE FIRST EVER CONFERENCE ON MUSIC THERAPY IN INDIA was organized in Chennai (2004) to propagate the Indian heritage in the modern context for an international audience – followed by six more at Bangalore, New Delhi, Tiruvannamalai and Visakhapatnam.
Distance Learning Programme
THE FIRST EVER DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME IN MUSIC THERAPY WITH INDIAN FEATURES IN THE WORLD was designed (2006) with the Indian heritage contents of nada yoga and raga chikitsa for an international exposure.
Music Therapy Distance Learning Course
Two courses are being offered at present:
1. PG Diploma in Music Therapy – for graduates and degree-holders in any discipline, but with rich musical background and singing /playing experience
2. Certification for others ( under-graduates etc) and musicians with or without degrees but with good English comprehension.