Music Therapy for the Uninitiated

Abstract

1. Background of the Study

Throughout the ages, forms of arts have been a platform for humans to express themselves across India and the rest of the world. The visual arts such as paintings, scripts, and even poetry have been preserved on paper leaves or stone. However, one of the most expressive forms of art, music, due to its auditory form, could not be preserved, despite that, the mellifluousness of Indian music has been retained. The Indian classical music tradition consisted of Hindustani classical music which originated around the 13th and 14th centuries in northern India, diverging from another significant Indian classical music tradition of South India, Carnatic music. The basis of both the styles is spiritual in nature, both emphasize the musical structure and possibility to improvise each raga. Natya Shastra by Bharata and Datillam presented the development of the principles of Indian classical music. The extensive range and intricate content of the Indian music were not limited merely to India, countries like Persia and Afghanistan also contributed to the Hindustani music, which, apart from elements from the Vedic philosophy, was also influenced by Persian elements. During the medieval period, Hindustani music was influenced by ‘Sufi’, fused with elements from Persian music, by Sufi composers like Amir Khusru and Tansen, in particular.