What is Music Therapy

Contemporary research has conclusive evidence that musical notes do have specific effects on the bodies of most living beings and human bodies are a veritable storehouse producing and resonating various rasas. It is imperative that any primary, supplementary or alternative discipline of therapeutic intervention must provide for calibrated delivery. South Indian Classical Music, referred to as Carnatic Music with its extremely precise and arithmetical structure of Ragas (Scales), Swaras (Notes) and Beats largely facilitates this.
In treating stress related disorders in individual young persons, older women in the menopause stage and challenged children, Swaras (Notes) and Ragas (Scales) have been selected, calibrated and the musical dosage delivered to evoke a perceivable response. The changes observed over a twenty month period are very encouraging, and the behavioral and response characteristics in the recipient adults and children noticeably positive. Active participation and association with and being monitored by both medical and voluntary parent groups characterize their work.
Music Therapy – a brief introduction into its employment and methods….
Music notes are substantially therapeutic. An individual or group can consciously exercise a choice of playing or listening to a selected Swara, Raga or composition and interpret their own physical and emotional response to the same. This generalization does not hold true when musical notes are employed as a therapeutic intervention.
Music Therapy is client specific. Music therapy is prescribed by members of the client's treatment team. Members can include doctors, psychologists, teachers, case workers, or parents. Musical interventions are developed and used by the therapist based on his / her knowledge of the music's affect on behavior, the client's strengths and weaknesses, and the therapeutic goals.
A detailed preliminary evaluation of each client is imperative. Based on the analysis of the data provided , interaction with individual client and the degree and capabilities of the support system(s) available, music therapy sessions are carefully structured. It must be emphasized that no time frame can be prescribed to perceive positive results. Regular, systematic and dedicated sessions will establish noticeable changes in approximately a ten to twelve week period
Sessions are carefully planned, executed and evaluated based on the specific needs of each client. Evaluation of progress in the designated goal areas is completed on a regular basis.

Music Therapy - its significance and applications

Music is basically sound, which is harmonious, melodious and soothing in nature and which is abundantly evident in myriad forms around us . Music also has the potential to create euphoria, a state of ecstasy, extreme distress and outright pain. As such music, depending on the nature of its delivery and the environment in which it is delivered, connects and communicates with us in different individual ways.
It is already recognized and has been inducted into the public and private domain where people are singing, playing or listening to derive personal pleasure and entertainment.
Its general utility is indisputable but its scientific utility and persuasion for employment needs to be rigorously pursued keeping the overall general nature of human beings.
Music Therapy has been gradually emerging as a potential means of addressing various health related problems in the wellness area and more specific medical therapeutic goals. There can be broadly two approaches to these goals.
Music Therapy a Non-Invasive independent means of Wellness and Healing
There are any number of people who with very limited or no knowledge of the subject have assimilated music as a means of mental solace, support to meditation, release of mental stress and means of recreation.
In all of the above, individuals are exercising a personal choice of selecting, approving and employing the music which is available to them. They also consciously reject what is not appealing to them. These are choices exercised by people reasonably in command of their faculties.
Thus individuals who are reasonably in control of their faculties can be evaluated, guided, educated and trained by a Music Therapist to exercise these choices of selecting music which best helps them achieve their wellness goals.
Creating convergence……………. music with medicine!!

The term Music Therapy as Alternative-Medicine is misleading. In the current environment of its emergence as a treatment tool, it is desirable to recognize Music Therapy in the context of hospital, nursing, rehabilitation and rejuvenation setups as Supplementary Therapy rather than alternative therapy.
It is imperative that any primary or supplementary discipline of therapy in medical nursing or rehabilitation intervention must provide for calibrated delivery
Carnatic Music as a viable medium for Music Therapy

The concept of “Music Therapy” traces its origins in Indian history into the Vedic period. The history of Indian Music chronicles various events and occurrences which enlightens our knowledge of the scope of employing this alternative and supplementary intervention concurrent with other methods of therapy and treatment. The effect of various Raagas (Scales) and Swaras (Notes) on any living body is evidenced in several references in Ancient and Medieval Indian Texts through the centuries. Today, modern science is increasingly accepting this fact and acknowledges the therapeutic value of Indian Classical Music.
The single most striking development in Carnatic Music was after the bifurcation and the development of the Raaga – the Musical scale. The birth of the raaga is traditionally said to be from the Sama Veda itself which is the most ancient of musical scales. The raaga was called by various names in the Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods of History of Music. The present form of the raaga came into vogue around the 17th century.
The other monumental development in Carnatic Music is the 72 Melakarta Scheme This is a scheme of 72 mother ragas – primary or janaka ragas which all have all the seven notes, but with a combination of flat and sharp notes. From these main ragas many more ragas - pentatonic and hexatonic are born. Different Ragas give rise to different Raga Rasa - or moods / emotions – very much akin to evolution of a molecule and the generic in pharmacopeia.
72 Melakarta or Mother Ragas employed to reach out and communicate with 7 Chakras or Primary Energy Centres and their associated 72 Thousand Naadis or Nerve Endings was the base for initiating and progressing the employment of Carnatic Music in Music Therapy
Contemporary research has conclusive evidence that musical notes do have specific effects on the bodies of most living beings and human bodies are a veritable storehouse producing and resonating various ragas. Carnatic Music with its extremely precise and arithmetical structure of ragas, swaras and taalas largely facilitates the requirement of specific designed and calibrated delivery.

Music Therapy to supplement medical intervention is client specific
Music Therapy prescription must desirably emanate from the clients’ treatment team which can include doctors, psychologists, teachers, caseworkers and in the case of children with disabilities, their parents. A detailed preliminary evaluation of each client is imperative. Based on the analysis of the inputs and data provided , interaction with individual client and the degree and capabilities of the support system(s) available, Music Therapy sessions are carefully structured. It must be emphasized that no time frame can be prescribed to perceive positive results. Regular, systematic and dedicated sessions will establish noticeable changes in approximately a ten to twelve week period
Sessions are carefully planned, executed and evaluated based on the specific needs of each client. Evaluation of progress in the designated goal areas is completed on a regular basis.

Process of Music Therapy

There are three stages involved in the treatment process: Detoxification, Awakening of the cells,
Strengthening of the cells
Detoxification:
We should understand the various causes of Autism. It could be a result of medication / injections given for treatment of a problem. For instance, vaccination could have led to a reaction which could have caused Autism. Air pollution, water pollution, presence of strong pesticide residues in food, preservatives, food colours may have also contributed to this disorder.

We all know that dusting and cleaning is essential before any kind of work is undertaken, be it small or big. With the treatment of this disorder, detoxification is essential. Detoxification process through music therapy takes 10-12 weeks, provided it is practiced everyday, both morning and evening for about 5-6 minutes. The benefits of this detoxification process can be understood better with this example-

A person with a severe cold and chest congestion tries streaming, inhalation and medication to get relief. Soon he shows less irritation and is back to normal.
Similarly with music therapy some percentage of the toxins will be forced out of the body by about 8-9 weeks and the child will calm down, be less hyperactive, less irritable and will accept the therapy willingly. The initial rejection (of music therapy) shown by the child will slowly disappear and in its place will come acceptance. By about 12 weeks, the child will be relaxed and will begin to participate in the therapy.
Awakening of cells:
After 12 weeks, when the child’s acceptance is evident, the 2nd stage of the treatment begins. The dormant cells get activated and this continues the process of detoxification. The progress in the treatment also depends on the age of the child. The younger the child, the faster the progress. The cells of a younger child are new, more tender, thus allowing quicker regeneration of healthy cells. This whole process should take 7 months with daily practice for 12 minutes, which includes 6 minutes of detoxification. If not practiced sincerely, it takes much longer, as long as 12 months. This period of awakening can be noticed when the child starts trying out his vocal chords. The child may show some perceptible signs of positive response by smiling, listening and following given instructions or directions. His appetite may improve, he may feel better and on the whole grow into a happy child.
Strengthening of cells:
The 3rd stage in the treatment brings about noticeable changes in the child. He starts humming by himself, tries using his vocal cords more often, tries to form complete sentences and makes more eye contact. There will be an acceptance of the environment and also an acceptance of other children of the same age group. This stage, which prescribes 30-40 minutes of music therapy practiced everyday takes 16 to 20 weeks. After this the child begins to help himself by producing vibrations and by practicing on his own without the ”sympathetic vibrations” given so far by the therapist. This slowly but steadily leads to self healing. While the process of self healing is underway, the body rhythm gets corrected, a sense of balance develops and automatically the speech develops. As the thought process improves there is an improvement in the speech pattern. Disconnected thought and speech becomes more connected, positive and clear.
So far we have discussed the normal range of problem and the methods applicable and the time taken for treatment. However it must be kept in mind there are various levels of problem- age of the child, his acceptance level of the vibration and the percentage of Autism present. Thus no two children can be viewed in the same manner. The treatment for each child varies and will have to be planned accordingly. Borderline cases for instance, would undergo a shorter period of treatment, while those with more acute problem would need to undergo a longer process.

Treatment of children with autism

Music therapy is based on vibrations produced by selected musical notes. The capacity of each individual child to receive, react and respond to these resonating vibrations is different. Children with different levels of disability cannot communicate their preferences clearly. It is for these reasons that before planning therapy sessions for the individual child a number of inputs are gathered from the parents and support team, taken into consideration and evaluated.

Evaluation inputs include the following:

Clinical inputs:
· Gender, Age and Time of Birth
· Age at which first symptoms of any disability or disturbing factors was noticed.
· Time of day ( morning / noon / evening ) the child is more active and attention span

Musical inputs:
· Noticeable preference to specific sounds or musical notes
· Nature of preference - vocal or instrumental, soft / loud, fast / slow tempo

Preferences demonstrated by the child:
· Choice of colours while selecting clothes, toys, fruits
· Facets or features attracted to in paintings, pictures, photographs or colouring
· Attraction to pictures – Natural Landscapes, Animals, Bright, Muted
· Shapes – soft and rounded or sharp and geometric
· Lighting – Bright / Dull
· Season or time of the year the child is most comfortable in

Food preferences:
· Hot or Cold, Solids or Liquid
· Spicy / Sour / Sweet / Salty - Soft or Crispy

Activity Profile:
· What the child does when left alone / unguided
· Age group the child is comfortable with – same age, younger / older / adults
· What triggers hyper activity or expressions of extreme emotions
· Who the child is most comfortable with - parent(s), support personnelSleep assistance – storytelling / book reading / rocking / lullaby
Om Ganeshaya Namaha. This is my first post.