Music: An Amazing Medicine
I am a media person. When I used to work with a news channel in India I never knew that there is something called music therapy that can curb mental stress, strain and fatigue. But, one year back I happened to read an article that mentioned the use of music as a healing system for neuro defects, anxiety and mental stress. The article sounded quite interesting because I had been traumatized and frustrated big-time by the work pressure. I decided to give it a try for music therapy was the last alternative left before me to get back to normalcy.
From the research I made I could learn that music therapy is a time-honored healing practice and a flourishing profession that uses music to deal with the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social requirements of a person. Music therapy is an allied health-care profession using music as the primary therapeutic tool that helps one make his life worth living. The experienced people say that music therapy is proven as an effective remedy for disabilities or neuro problems of adults and children. The music therapy models are also designed to enhance the memory power and develop the communication skills.
Music therapy, now a days is flourishing as a challenging career opportunity as well by offering unique rewards to those who are interested in working with all age groups. It’s a developing area of research as the researchers view it as a promising method of healing psychiatric disorders and mental retardation. To start practicing as a music therapist one needs to have personal qualifications rather than professional degrees. The patience, genuine desire to work with people belong to different age groups to help them improve their lives. Through care and warmth, a music therapist can support them empower themselves. Other attributes required for a music therapist to be successful are creativity, empathy and accepting others as what they are. The music therapy course in colleges and universities remains as the first of its kinds because it stresses much on the personality improvement of the learner along with the thorough lessons in music. The employment opportunities for a music therapist are in plenty today. A person who has a national certificate issued by medical council of the country, (such as AMTA in ) where he belongs to, is eligible to work as private practitioner. Apart from hospitals oncology centers, rehabilitation centers, counseling organizations and schools are hiring music therapists.
I underwent a small course prescribed a music therapist practicing in . After a two months session with the therapist, I started practicing music meditation myself. Once you get a hang of it, anyone can practice music meditation with out the help of a practitioner. The result, I must say, was amazing. In two months I could curb my anxiety and reduce my stress level. I could experience the mesmerizing effect of music on anybody’s life.