Music as a health therapy

Songs and music have a universal appeal. Their different genres at different times of human history flourished in some select locations. If Vienna saw the rise of Western classical music at its pinnacle between 1780 -1827, courtesy of Hayden, Mozart and Beethoven, Maihar and Agra also rose to prominence in Indian classical music, courtesy of Ustad Alauddin Khan and Faiz Khan respectively. Language does not stand in the way of enjoying songs and music, no matter where they may have originated. To appreciate Beethoven's ninth symphony, one does not require exceptional musical erudition; only simple love for tune and rhythm is enough for the purpose. In the same way, westerners are now increasingly discovering the depth and beauty in the ragas of Indian classical song and music.
Thus far is known to most people. But what is less known is the therapeutic quality of music. Has anyone ever heard of the magical healing touch of music enough to revive the health of a singer who was left bed-ridden for about 15 long years with a disease unresponsive to treatment at the best health facilities in India? Yes, a singer at the "Aaz Sakaler Amantrane" shared his most amazing experience of gradual recovery. He made it quite clear that the music therapy was behind his restoration to health. Love for music was synonymous with lust for life to him and this gradually started healing his damaged health. What a heavenly experience he has come through!
Any music lover experiences the magical feeling, albeit on a limited scale, when a song takes over the heart with an unprecedented illumination, an elevation of mental journey experienced right at that moment. Even if it is a sad song, the words and tune happily combine to lift the mind to have a look at the many sparkling gems in the chamber called sadness. There is no doubt, the more intense the passion and feeling are the greater the impact on mind and body. At some higher stage, music can indeed make a difference between life and death. The aesthetic and the spiritual combine happily to take hold of the soul.            
For sceptics of the magical healing quality of music, here is not so widely circulated a story. It has its protagonists none other than two of the finest exponents of their respective arts -one conquering kingdoms by both military might and shrewd diplomacy and the other nothing but human heart. They are Mughal Emperor Akbar and Tansen, one of the nine jewels of his court. Story has it that Tansen could bring down rains with raga Megh Mallar and invoke fire with raga Deepak.
Now Akbar once asked if he could listen to rendition by Tansen's ustad. When Tansen could do so much, what his ustad might have in his repertoire! Tansen dismissed the possibility by stating that he sang to please the emperor but his 'ustad' did so to please no mortal but the Almighty Himself. The world of music is fascinating indeed! Musical geniuses like Tansen are hard to come by. But what height did his 'ustad' achieve then? The power of music is far too great -greater than the ordinary mortals can fathom.