Understanding Music Therapy and How Melodies Benefit Mental Health?

Music is just not about having some entertainment, or plugging in earphones travelling to places. Music is so engaging that can be as good as a full body workout!

Running Up That Hill, was the saviour song for Max from Stranger Things. She was mostly saved from vecna by music. Even in several movies often the lone teen is portrayed to be listening to songs most of the time. Songs have always been a saviour.

A beat, a rhythm, a melody is one universal language that connects people from across the globe. People outside India love some really iconic bollywood songs. While many of us, especially the young generation, have some really great K-pop songs on their playlist.  Even if the language is different and maybe we might as well not comprehend the depth of these songs, however, we all are connected by the beats, rhythms and the tunes. Its music that binds us all. Music not only caters to our boredom or a dance party, it is also proven to be a great healer for mental health.

Music is one language that requires no translation. Music is for every mood, every occasion, every day for everyone. And every year on June 21, the globe celebrates World Music Day or as it is also known as Fete La de Musique. This day celebrates the power of music worldwide. It is said to have originated from France in around 1982 and since then, every year on this day, musicians, artists come to the streets and celebrate the joy of music.

Music is not just for celebrations, itis also good for the mental health. Clinically proven, music therapy is extremely beneficial for a healthy mental well being.

What is Music Therapy?

Did you know that music can be a great tool for therapy? Yes, it is. Music therapy is a [art of creative arts therapy that helps people to deal with several challenges in life. In an exclusive conversation with music therapist Purva Sampath, india.com tried to understand the benefits and working of music therapy and why it is important.

“ In music therapy we use music as a modality to address cognitive, physical, communicative, and emotional goals. I follow neuroscience approach to therapy and have neurodivergent and neurotypical children and adults , mostly, as clients,” said Purva Sampath.

How Music Therapy Helps?

Sampath added that music is a potent tool to address challenges like speech, language, motor challenges, emotions, socialisation etc. When asked about the connection between music and the brain, the music therapist said,” Different elements of music like rhythm, pitch, tamber and harmony  are all processed at multiple levels in the brain. Right from the brain stem to prefrontal cortex, music affects all parts of the brain. There are complex levels of processing music in brain. Hence, music is very effective.”

Music therapy can benefit anybody. It depends on what the challenge. This therapy is beneficial for  dementia, parkinson, Alzheimer, depression, anxiety and the entire gambit of mental health. However, it is not necessarily prescriptive in the sense, that there is no one genre designated to help one challenge. It is all client preferred.

Further divulging about the essence of music therapy, Sampath said, “For example, the part of brain that works with numerical operation also works with rhythm. Hence anyone who has challenge with number, rhythm is used as primary intervention. It strengthens  the same area that also works with numerics. This overlap of processing in the brain makes music therapy so effective.”

Music is so much more than a skill or for entertainment. Engaging your brain with music gives a full body workout. If you are good at or not, is not the basis of music therapy. How open to it you are that’s the basis of it. It is about how it makes you feel

So tune into your favourite playlist and havea mellifluous music day!