Healing Music - Document Published

Experimenting with music for treatment

Hindustan Times, Indore, India Saturday February 3, 2001

Interviewed by Mamata Mishra

Experimenting with Music Therapay ,2001

Music may be a source of entertainment, but for sitar maestro Dr. Chandrakant Sardeshmukh, it's a therapy that cures patients and medicine. He says that most of the ailments are mainly physical or psychological which are caused mainly by stress and strain. These ailments can be cured properly through music therapy.

Based on his substantial years of experiences, Dr. Sardeshmukh said that many a mentally challenged patient showed positive results to his treatment when they were subjected to this therapy.

Music is actually a way of expression of feelings. Therefore it is the appealing force to the suppressed desires and abstracted emotions, which are deep seated within. They can be healed internally and expressed by the body in various ways while listening to the music, making the mind free from it and losing the tension therein. This ultimately leads to a good flow of blood circulation and creativity of mind giving energy to the listener, says Dr. Sardeshmukh, who has experimented this therapy with a number of patients in coordination with the doctors from Down Under.

Dr. Sardeshmukh said, The importance of music therapy has been mentioned even in the Vedas and it has a long history. There is an age-old belief that Marga-Sangeet (Gandharva Gana), which has the power of curing ailments (as also endorsed by Ayurveda) is originated from Samaveda. The five elements of the nature i.e. water, fire wind earth and sky constitute the human body. If the basic proportion of these five elements in the body is disturbed, it causes imbalance in the body and mind, which is referred as disease, he said.

The Indian traditional music aligns the body elements in such a way so as to bring the body closer to natural balance of these elements. The music therapy is nothing but a science of music combined with physiology. This is different from entertainment music, which is purely the expression of artistry and mastery of the performing artist he adds. Dr. Sardeshmukh says that the results of music therapy are though amazing, but it needs promotion. Foremost step for the promotion of this therapy is that the doctors should have belief in the therapy and background knowledge of music.

The musician should have some knowledge of physiology and both, the doctor and the musician should work in collaboration. After learning music from sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi, for fourteen long years, he embarked upon his eastward journey to spread the light of Indian notes, as his master carried the melody to the West.

Known as the Sitaricha Jadugar, he unraveled the mysteries of the Sitar to Japanese cities like Hiroshima, Kobe, Shizouka, Chiryu and Tokyo, and also in Australia. He is ready to take the far eastern countries like Malaysia and Thailand in the near future.

Dr. Sardeshmukh recently staged a sitar recital, jointly organized by SPIC-MACAY and Choithram School at the school today. He was accompanied on the Tabla by Ulhaas Rajhans and other A grade artist of All India Radio also participated in the rendition.