Harness the power of music therapy to heal, feel and connect

When her daughter was born sixteen years ago, Anushka Govias-Smith, 46, sang “heart songs” to her, and continued through her childhood. “I would make up my own lyrics to the tunes of popular nursery rhymes,” she says. Her daughter, Eliana Talise, would respond with her own invented songs. “The songs were spontaneous, from the heart, meant to be enjoyed in the moment,” says Govias-Smith, who shifted from Bengaluru to Linlithgow, Scotland some years ago, and works as a sustainability manager with a healthcare provider.

The impact of these heart songs, however, was lasting. Now a high school student, Talise credits these early musical exchanges—along with time spent in the studio with her musician father—as foundational to her interest in music and composition. She sings, plays the classical guitar, tenor saxophone, bassoon and piano, and composes music. “These heart songs gave me an early idea of how music is formed,” she says. Beyond that, they shaped her instinct to turn to music for expression, comfort and release.

A few years ago, Talise was diagnosed with multiple health conditions including scoliosis and Reynaud’s Syndrome. Managing pain, nausea and numbness or burning sensations in her hands meant taking months off from school. During a visit to India on her 14th birthday, she had a panic attack and lost vision for 20 minutes. “I didn’t know what to do, so I sang her a heart song, one of her favourites that is her personal lullaby,” says Govias-Smith. Talise recalls the song calming her. She finds release and comfort in music, often composing music to process her physical discomfort and emotional state. ‘Creating original music became a way to express her symptoms through sound. For instance, using sustained pedal notes – sustained or repeated notes – to represent a pounding headache, or violin glissandos – a rapid succession of notes – to mimic nausea spikes. Yet, her pieces also feature light and airy harmonies to express hope and healing. “You can hear the pain in Eliana’s compositions, but also a lightness,” says Govias-Smith. At times, nausea or the air conditioning at a venue aggravates her Reynaud’s Syndrome, her fingers painful from the cold, making performances challenging. But focusing on the music helps her to push through.

Most of us have experienced music’s impact on our mood and emotions. A beloved song or album can evoke joy, grief, comfort or anger. A live performance can create a sense of shared euphoria. Singing, regardless of skill, can provide release from stress and routine. During difficult times, around the world, peace anthems and songs of comfort express protest and solace. We gravitate towards music because it helps us feel better—physically, emotionally or mentally—and it is this capacity for healing, inspiration and expression that makes music a powerful therapeutic tool.

There is abundant research supporting music’s therapeutic value. Clinical music therapy in India has grown in the last 10-15 years. “Music therapy in India has deep cultural and spiritual roots, reflected in Vedic chants and classical ragas,” says Dr. Dinesh C. Sharma, Chairman, Indian Association of Music Therapy, a body working to establish music as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). “However, its scientific validation and clinical integration are relatively recent, and the field is rapidly evolving with growing recognition through research, institutional support and interdisciplinary collaboration.”

HEALING EMOTIONS

Richard Paiva sees music as his constant companion. “It doesn’t fix anything or offer solutions. It just embraces my innermost emotions and lets me be in the mood I am–melancholic, happy, sad, or angry,” says Delhi-based Paiva, 46, founder of The Art of Sport, a sports and confidence building programme for girls. Listening helps him to express himself in writing. “When I look back at my notes and journals, I can see the starting point at many times has been when I am listening to a particular song.”

Music can help process emotions in different ways—by leaning into a feeling, dispelling pent-up emotions, or shifting mood. “Some people find it difficult to cry, and music can help you push out the emotion,” says Arunima Dasgupta, 47, a musician, artist, and writer in Kolkata. “If you’re having a bad day, an inspirational song makes you feel stronger.” Last year, she produced a musical based on her life, tracing her first love, the heartbreak and struggle of a difficult marriage, and rebuilding and finding love again for herself. “It was performed at an intimate venue in Kolkata…. Having people witness this personal journey was cathartic. It healed so much pain,” she says.

What gives music its emotional power? “When to music, the brain first processes sound in the auditory cortex. Almost immediately, it connects to the amygdala (which handles emotions) and the hippocampus (which stores memories),” says Hyderabad-based clinical music therapist Aastha Luthra. “This is why a song can suddenly make you feel happy, sad, or remind you of a specific moment.” Music is one of the few stimuli that activates multiple regions of the brain simultaneously, she adds. It engages the auditory cortex; rhythm activates motor areas such as the cerebellum; emotional responses involve the limbic system, particularly the amygdala; and reward pathways release dopamine, contributing to feelings of pleasure and motivation.

Active participation—playing an instrument or singing—further stimulates executive functioning, coordination, and sensory integration. Group music-making can enhance social bonding through synchronised activity, while individual engagement may deepen introspection and emotional processing. “Music connects the brain’ssound, emotion, movement, memory, and social systems—all at once. That’s what makes it so deeply impactful,” says Luthra.

Bengaluru-based Ishaan Ghosh, 24, who works at a climate think tank, started learning to play the piano over a decade ago. “Whenever I have a rough day, I sit at the piano, tinkle around and immediately feel better.” ‘Merry Days’ is a favourite to cheer him, a song he wrote for his mother’s birthday. Others reflect personal experiences like “The Wind Beside Me,” which he wrote after trees were felled in his residential complex. “I went to my piano and composed this piece in dedication to these trees.”

Some may find music distracting, but others rely on it for focus. “I had learning difficulties when I was in school, struggling with maths, physics, accounting, anything related to numbers,” says Rajesh Sen, 63, founder-curator of The Z’s Precinct, an art gallery and museum, in Kolkata. “Music in the background cut out external noise and helped me concentrate.” Even now, he listens to music while reading or working.

Music can increase motivation and focus by activating the brain’s reward centre, and research at Stanford’s School of Medicine demonstrates a direct link between listening to music, particularly classical, and the ability to absorb and interpret new information correctly. Sen endorses this: When his mother, a former music teacher, suffered multiple strokes, he noticed her responding when music played. “The doctors had given up. I played western classical music in the background and we would see the first signs of cognizance—her reacting with finger tapping.” She lived to 92, watching concerts on YouTube every night.

Music can also deepen emotional connection. Debbie Paul, 52, a Delhi-based social development professional is a chorister with Delhi choir, The Capital City Minstrels, crediting music with helping her deal with grief and loss. “Choral singing has shaped my resilience and coping mechanisms,” says Paul. Continuing to sing after her father’s death helped her stay connected to the memory of his love for music. The choir also provides community and emotional support. “Some of my dearest friends are here. We are bonded in this shared emotional landscape of sound.”

“Collective singing heals a part of us that we don't realise is broken in this age of technology and dopamine hits,” says Medha Sahi, 34, Goa-based music educator, and founder of The Strangers’ Choir. “It creates connection as fast as playing group sports.” Sahi started the Strangers’ Choir in March 2025, organizing workshops bringing strangers together to sing. The joy and connection are palpable in the videos from these sessions, the music uniting the participants regardless of their musical knowledge or skill.

Possible to include this part which was originally in the draft, since it articulates how the sessions are healing. ‘And the feedback she receives is testament to the therapeutic quality of these sessions. “A recent message from a participant described how she was an introvert and had never sung openly before, never forgotten her shyness, or allowed herself to give in to the music. But she was able to do all this in the session.”’

“Music impacts us differentlyalone vs in a group. Listening alone helps withreflection and emotional release,” says Luthra. “In groups, music can actuallysynchronise people—their breathing, rhythm, and even brain activity—leading to a stronger sense ofconnection and bonding.”

Specific types of music are beneficial for physical, emotional or mental conditions. Gaurav Agarwala, 40, a Delhi-based advertising professional, was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) a few years ago. Many activities he once enjoyed—reading, cycling, listening, being with large groups of friends—now feel overwhelming. Individual vocal lessons provide some relief and make him feel a trace of his former self. “My vocal coach has encouraged me to sing with an octet, which she recently started.” This gradual reintroduction to group settings and more varied musical activities suggests progress.

THERAPY AND HARMONY

Clinical music therapy differs significantly from casual listening and is used to treat anxiety, and a variety of other physical, emotional and mental conditions. Therapists tailor interventions towards specific goals. For instance, using rhythm to improve motor skills, melody for speech or structured activities for attention and social interaction. Approaches range from receptive listening practices (raga therapy, gong/bowl healing, sound baths), focused on listening and emotional processes; to active participation (drum circles or singing), and improvisation (song writing).

“For individuals living with dementia, including conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, memories may slowly fade—but music often remains,” says Luthra. She begins with familiar tunes from a patient’s early years, which can gradually trigger a response – a hum or word, sometimes an entire verse. “Families are often surprised to see their loved ones respond. Patients who struggled to speak begin to sing. Eyes that once wandered begin to focus. Music opens doors for those who seemed permanently closed.”

Therapy for those with neurodegenerative conditions, may involve active engagement such as singing, clapping, or tapping rhythms. “Music calms agitation and anxiety. A gentle melody can slow breathing and bring comfort,” says Luthra.

Shivraj Talwar, 22, has learned music from a young age, taking guitar, piano and vocal lessons. Talwar, a person with autism, studied music after graduating from school and is interning with Shaurya Foundation, a non-profit focused on empowering neurodiverse individuals. “Listening to or playing music makes me feel like I am in a spa getting a massage,” says Talwar, who often turns to the piano to calm himself when feeling stressed or low.

Recently, he has become sensitive to certain sounds, but is rebuilding tolerance through Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a specialised listening therapy. “The music over five hours spans all three frequencies, helping to retrain our nervous system to feel safe and not react to these frequencies,” says Noida-based Jaspreet Chopra, a Safe and Sound Protocol Provider, parent coach, and founder of the Mindful Family. SSP is a niche form of therapy in India, but its application spans neurodivergence, autism, depression, chronic pain, anxiety, risky adolescent behaviour and more.

Through the initial few sessions, Talwar is gradually returning to playing the piano and guitar.

THE OTHER SIDE

There are, however, limitations to music’s healing abilities. “Music therapy is not universally suitable in all forms. Certain conditions—such as acute sensory sensitivities seen in autism, trauma triggers associated with specific sounds observed inPTSD, or severe psychiatric instability—require careful assessment,” says Luthra. In such cases, misuse can overstimulate or distress the individual, making trained guidance essential.

Modern listening habits may also limit music’s impact. The ability to listen to complete songs or savour an album has been eroded by a preference for short-form content. “Music is increasingly consumed in fragments, reducing our ability to fully absorb and experience its emotional depth,” says Luthra. Listening to a full composition allows the brain to process its structure, which is essential for emotional engagement and cognitive satisfaction. “Allowing a song to unfold completely is not just about music appreciation, but about relearning how to connect more deeply in a fast-moving world,” says Luthra.

Reem Khokhar is an independent journalist based in Delhi.