A Dictionary of Music Therapy

Author: T. V. Sairam

Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan, New Delhi, India.

A Dictionary of Music Therapy is the long-felt need of the music therapists all over the world.

Music Therapy is a multi-disciplinary discipline, being a meeting-point of arts and sciences. Like music, music therapy also derives its existence from analytical knowledge and creative wisdom. Like music, it is also a meeting point for expressing ones thoughts and feelings a la fois.

An average music therapist is expected to know not only the anatomy and morphology of his or her music, but also its physiology, genetics, pathology, embryology and above all, its pharmacology. Music, which continues even now as a mystery – very much like the human brain itself- has been employed in neurological studies, which in recent years, has carved out a new science ‘neuro-musicology’!

Thus, a music therapist is more challenged now! He or she should have in his or her armoury – not only the knowledge relating to music as such (leave alone its regional or chronological variations), but also the possible ways it can be applied in real-life situations, which is sadly non-musical!

For this he needs inputs relating to body (biology), mind (psychology) and soul (metaphysics and yogic sciences), besides a demanding familiarity with musical schools and genres, personalities and their opus, scientific research and belief system, which should all go hand in hand – very much like rhythms and resonance!

This humble work is the fruition of research conducted before and after the birth of Nada Centre for Music Therapy by the author. This is dedicated to those researchers and practitioners who see this silver lining through their music!  - (Reviewer: Jayashree) 

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