Positioned comfortably in an armchair and a powerfully serene lounge as her stage, Rajam Shanker closes her eyes to recite a melodious composition. Taking only momentary pauses to switch between the swaras (notes), she illustrates with her hand as she sings, how each tone is associated with a specific chakra in the human body. The seven chakras, also knows as the energy centres of the body, deliver a therapeutic feeling as they come into contact with certain ‘calibrated’ music. This method is what she calls the Nada Anusandana method.
When she finishes, she assumes a tranquil gaze, knowing she has her audience mesmerised. “Everybody agrees with music having a calming effect on them. But what they need to know is that active participation is the catalyst to the end result,” she says, referring to people who wish to overcome their disabilities or distresses as the end result.
Healing sound
Having started out as a music instructor with the idea of laying a strong foundation in Carnatic music among her students, Shanker commands a decade’s worth of experience in music therapy. Working mostly with autistic children referred to her by doctors in the city, she calls for music to “bridge the harmony that has been upset in children.” Conducted hourly sessions, her therapy seem no different than music classes.
Shanker explains the reason for this, saying, “Musical notes itself are therapeutic, which is why this becomes a non-invasive therapy. Knowing music is not a requirement; the sound waves do the work.”
However, this does not make her job easy. “The challenge with autistic children is that they lack eye contact. They are generally hyper active. In the first sitting, they scream, pinch and run about causing chaos. I lock myself with them in a room and sing to them. This slowly calms them down and they finally make eye contact. I sing until they volunteer to learn music. This implies I have established communication with them, sometimes even without their knowledge.” But every child is not the same and Shanker does not generalise by advocating music therapy to everyone. “I work closely with doctors,” she says of her approach. “I study the doctor’s diagnosis and then come up with my own evaluation which helps me modify my therapy.”
Not a solution
Interestingly, she bears no illusions of curing patients just with her music. “Music therapy is always, always supplementary,” she states, clearing the confusion associated with this kind of therapy and pointing out that just oen or the other form of therapy doesn’t always work. “It is like putting all your eggs in one basket (banking on therapy alone). One child’s parents did that. They refused to expose the child to any natural elements. The only time he ever got out of the house was for his music class. There, of course, was no change in the child.” Having noticed children with lower medicine dosage are the quickest ones to reap the therapy’s benefits, she adds, “Sometimes when the medicine dosage is very strong, even music doesn’t help.”
Social anxieties
Over the years, Shanker has treated several autistic children, but one challenge she constantly faces is the societal norms of acceptance. “One trip to a counsellor and society labels you for life,” she says, shaking her head in disapproval, “For whatever reasons, people are still backward in seeking therapy, putting the weak in pure medical intervention.” Notwithstanding these parents woes of dealing with society, a large number of patients actually constitute doctors’ children.
Beyond Autism
While her specialty lies in working with autistic children, Shanker has catered to a dynamic clientele. Currently working with a young boy who has been bed-ridden since sustaining a severe physical injury, Shanker’s determination offers him a ray of hope. “Along with physiotherapy, the boy was given music therapy. I would make him sing from his stomach which was an exercise to his internal organs. This eventually made him sit up straight,” says Shanker. Miraculously, the boy is soon expected to walk. Giving him the credit, Shanker explains this as the secret to her healthy lifestyle.
Body is the instrument
“We normally sing from our throat. But if we learn to sing from our heart and stomach and evoke sounds from various energy centres, this gives internal organs their much needed exercise,” says Shanker who has used this technique with senior citizens who found a remedy for constipation and insomnia in this.
Going by the motto -- music is what it does to one, Shanker sings off with a hope that people will pick up the craft as an exercise more than anything else and glean its healing power through constant practice.