Broken Strings

A musical instrument to a musician (instrumentalist) is what a cricket bat is to a batsman, what a painting brush is to a painter and many more.  But, musical instruments differ from other instruments of art in that they rarely have a shelf life.  A cricket bat may celebrate some centuries (runs) with a good batsman, but it usually survives for a couple of playing seasons.  Someday, it has to rest in his collection.  Similarly, a painting brush may be with an artist for a decade or two.  It may last for as long as the artist feels good working with it.  Where as a musical instrument can survive for hundreds of years and is passed on from teachers to students and from them to their students and so on.
If a student receives/inherits a musical instrument from his/her teacher, it is considered an ultimate, prized possession.  The student would do anything to keep it in good working condition.  For a student, the fact that his/her teacher had used that instrument to create music is a tremendous feeling.  If the teacher happens to be not alive, then the teacher’s instrument comes closest to doing what a teacher can do.  In some way (I don’t know how) such a musical instrument can remember the masters who were in touch with it  and hence can guide future users through their performances.  Perhaps, to put it more scientifically, a student believes that s/he can perform well when playing that instrument and hence does so.  I wouldn’t mind believing the former!
However, situations do arise where in an old instrument needs to be repaired and sometimes to such extents that apart from the main body of it everything else will be replaced with newer parts.  Musicians understand this as an inevitable exercise to continue the journey with their inherited legacy.  If they don’t undertake those measures, the instrument is certain to become a museum piece within no time.  Some time ago, I had to  give one of my uncle’s Mridanga for a major make-over.  He had inherited it from his teacher and its right-hand muchchige (skin cover) had become very old.  Both of them are not alive today and it was indeed a difficult decision to make.
Musical instruments come with varied thresholds of sensitivities.  Some are more abuse-hardy than others.   Some are very delicate (E.g., Ghata, VeeNaa) and even the best in the business find them hard to maintain.  Some teachers do not allow even their most promising students to handle the instruments they have inherited from their teachers.  A student has to earn a chance to assist his/her teacher in handling them (reminds me of a recent chocolate advertisement).
Occasionally, musicians do have to suffer shocks because of accidental breakdowns (Weather and other natural causes) in their instruments. It is undesirable and hurtful.  Musicians some how manage to cope with it.
Some times, even after ensuring special-extra care, they are damaged by other people who do not fully appreciate the value and significance of them.  So, when an instrument that is seemingly over-protected is damaged due to an unknown human negligence, what can be a reasonable response from the musician at loss?
Recently, an exquisite Sarod that belonged to the Indian Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, was damaged due to mishandling by an airliner’s baggage division.  A distraught Ustad Khan is reported to have felt as though his heart was bleeding when he saw his damaged instrument. However, he also said that he would continue to fly with the same airliner in the future and believes that there will be improvement.  Not many can appreciate the weight and intensity of those words.  The sight of any broken musical instrument is an anathema for a musician.   It has to be said that Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s measured response speaks highly of him.
You may have watched this music video. The artiste here represents what would be an expected response to a similar situation.
Watch it here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Courtesy: http://danappiah007.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/broken-strings/#comments

Music Therapy

Music Therapy is a newly developed branch of Para medicine in which music or sound pulses that generate different kinds of music are being employed in curing ailments like mesothelioma, asthma, depression, and even Asbestos Cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma etc.. Music Therapy is the use of a selected music to obtain the same expected changes and hormonal alterations in the body, played uninterrupted for a while, to obtain the desired positive effect. Even though the patient who participates in the treatment sessions has no knowledge of music, Music Therapy brings positive results. Recent researches has shown that music has a vital influence on the functioning of human brain and this theory can be utilized in curing various diseases like mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer. many mesothelioma symptoms seems to be reduced after successful music therapy.This branch of science is growing fast and many researchers in the field of music as well as medicine ate contributing to it.

Dr. Balamuali Krishna has established the 'MBK Trust' with the objective of developing art and culture and for carrying out research on Music Therapy.

It is also proven that Music Therapy is especially effective in three key medical areas.

1. Pain, anxiety and depression,

2. Mental, emotional and physical handicaps,

3. Neurological disorders & mesothelioma.

It has also been found that listening to various appropriate music lowers Blood Pressure, stabilizes irregular heart rate, reduces pre-treatment anxiety, relieves depression and related mental ailments, enhances concentration, reduces the need for sedatives and pain drugs (in an event of surgery), reduces vomiting tendency after chemotherapy and also improves stability of those with Parkinson's disease and mesothelioma. The Appolo hospital group, the largest of its kind in Asia is now having a Medical Music Therapy course and obviously, it is the first of its kind in asia.

Ancient Indian music has devised a special therapy based on the 72 ragas. It is appropriate to define Raga at this point. Raga is neither melody alone, not notes; neither scale nor mode. It's an ensemble of all these.According to an ancient Indian text, Swara Shastra, the seventy-two melakarta ragas (parent ragas) control seventy-two important nerves in the body. It is believed that a person who sings/performs a raga bound to the raga specifications (lakshanas) and with purity in pitch (swara shuddi) will have complete control on the corresponding nerve.

To quote a few, for those who suffer from hypertension, ragas such as Ahirbhairav and Todi are prescribed. To control anger and bring down violence within oneself, Carnatic ragas like Punnagavarali, Sahana and so on, come handy. Not only psychological, but the somatic or physiological impact of ragas have come to light in recent research. For instance, stomach-related disorders are said to be cured with some Hindustani ragas such as Deepak (acidity) and Jaunpuri (constipation) and Malkauns or Hindolam (intestinal gas and fever). Simple iterative musical rhythms with low pitched swaras, as in bhajans are capable of relaxation, as observed with the alpha-levels of the brain waves. They may also lead to favourable hormonal changes in the system.

On the therapeutic side, nothing new is to be invented.We just have to know how to knock the hidden goldmine.There is an urgent need for a detailed enquiry based on scientific parameters and the medicinal effects of Music. No doubt,its a long journey,but worth to start off. There is a growing awareness that ragas could complement or even be a safe alternative for many medical interventions. For this purpose, it is necessary that exponents in Indian ragas join experts in medicine to help evolve a scientific system of raga therapy for the various illnesses of modern times. 

Special thanks to ms. Revathy S. 

Nadhaswaram by Injukkudi Sri, E.M. Subramaniam in chennai Isaivizha

Nadhaswaram of Sengalpattu Sri. V. Muthukrishnan