Ramabantu

I “unfollowed” everyone but a few. I “followed” the official tweets of only a few sites (Lifehacker, Zen Habits, etc.). I go through them on my ipod touch via the Twitter app, sending interesting links to Instapaper along the way.

+ I can only star as favorite, but it simplifies the method without complex tags.

+ Only article titles are generally shown, making skimming easier.

+ Some sites, like @Lifehacker, only publish top or feature articles in twitter. Less posts to read. Do I miss anything interesting or important to me? Probably not.

+ If the intended website does not have its own Twitter, I follow the blog creator’s/writer’s Twitter. They generally tweet links to new posts.

+ If I miss out checking twitter and miss a string of tweets in the middle, then oh well. No worries. I let go.

+ Simple = win.

Hope this helps. Jaya Sri Rama!

Rama, the Ideal Man.

One of the avatars of the Hindu God Vishnu, Lord Sri Rama is God himself, since He has been born as a human, and yet showed how righteous and brave a person can be, if only they practice.

Sita, the Ideal Woman.

Sita is the avatar of Goddess Mother Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. When Her husband chose exile to keep His promise, she considered His presence as the ultimate protection and left for the forest. She was later abducted by the disgusting, king of all demons and cowards alike, Ravana.

Hanuman, the Ideal and Ultimate Devotee.

Bantu means servant. Duta means messenger. The messenger and loyal servant of Rama was the brave Hanuman (aka. Maruti, Anjaneya, Ramabantu, Ramaduta, etc.). He is an incarnation of Lord Siva. Lord Hanuman, in the name of righteousness, searched for Mother Sita in extreme enemy territory, found her, persuaded and motivated her, returned victorious. It is said that the first words Hanuman told Rama were “Saw Her,” or those very close in effect. Lord Rama wasn’t in a state to pay attention to more than one word, and was replenished on “saw.” So, Lord Hanuman, master of language, grammer, and expression, is considered the foremost scholar in these areas, as well as music (Yay!), strength, and courage.

It was because of His selfless acts of kindness that Lord Rama and Mother Sita were reunited. When asked by Rama what he wants as a reward, they say Hanuman only asked for a more selfless, kind, and passionate heart and life devoted to Sri Rama.

So why did I rename this blog to “Ramabantu”? I would like to do these selfless acts, random ones or not, in whatever way I can, for whomever, whenever. It makes me feel good inside. I think it’s a safe bet to say it works the same for everyone. Try it. Let me know how it goes. And remember, if any of you ever need any help, let me know, and we’ll see what we can do.

Share the love, spread the cheer.

Jai Sri Rama!

This is aresearch paper I wrote for my music therapy course. I have learned a lot when researching and even want to help. If anyone you know needs any help, please let me know. We’ll work something out. (Also, sorry for the technical error. This article used to be http://snehith.com/?p=285 but is now http://snehith.com/?p=215. As far as I know, at least one site, linked to this article. Apologies.) All rights reserved. Snehith Chittavajhula.

Vision Loss and Blindness

In America alone, more than 3 million (2.7 percent) people aged 40 or older are reported as either blind or visually impaired (U.S. Department of, 2008). How these people go about their daily lives should be of high interest to the rest of us, because it allows us to know more about ourselves, too.  Definitions for terms, different types and degrees of vision loss, possible deficit areas, possible etiologies, common prognosis methods, and common settings where the population live or are served have all been covered.  An idea for a music therapy activity for use with the blind has also been described.

Definitions of Terms

To better understand what constitutes vision loss or blindness, it is important to know the definitions of some of the words commonly used when referring to this population.  The term ‘blind’ is used to indicate that a person has no functional vision; 20/200 or lower is considered legally blind.  20/200 vision means that this person can only see at 20 feet, what those with normal vision can see at 200 feet.  Low vision is when a person has partial sight.  Residual vision indicates any remaining vision considered “useful.”  Functional vision, on the other hand, is any residual vision sufficient for carrying out essential daily tasks (e.g. eating, hygiene, etc.).  Visual efficiency is how well a person uses their residual vision.  Visual acuity refers to the clarity in one’s vision, and the ability to distinguish details.  The term “visual impairment,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S. Department of, 2004), when referring to a state of vision loss, is used when an individual’s eyesight cannot be corrected to “normal,” through any treatments or interventions.  A person’s visual field is the range of visual perception possible without moving the eyes.  Total blindness implies that a person is incapable of seeing anything through either eye (“Key definition of,” 2008).

Types and Degrees of Vision Loss

The type and degree of vision loss will influence a person’s educational and environmental choices, as some may require more assistance for everyday tasks, while some may just need to make some minor adjustments.  Levels of vision loss include low vision (or partial vision), functionally blind, and blind.  People with low vision may use optical devices to enlarge print.  If a person is functionally blind, this person can generally use functional vision for daily tasks, such as cooking, mobility, and dressing, while using Braille for reading and writing.  Someone who is blind receives nothing useful through their vision, and relies solely upon their tactile and auditory senses for most things.  Another type of vision loss is a restricted field of vision.  For some, a form of this may be tunnel vision, or the lack of focus for objects not near the center of vision. For others, it might be somewhat of an opposite, with poor central vision.  This is lack of clarity towards the center of the visual field. The person’s whole lifestyle– including their career, plans, and even social life– has to fit around what they are or aren’t capable of (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008, 391).

The age of onset¹ of vision loss can prove to be a very key aspect in how the person lives through, or adjusts to, a certain way of life.  Whether the condition is congenital (present at birth) or acquired, there are a few advantages and disadvantages to both.  If the vision loss is congenital, the person has grown so used to it that they don’t know what they are missing. This can be viewed as a good thing, since they might not feel like they are missing out on anything special.  Another advantage to them is that they learn, from very early on, to use their other senses (such as hearing, and touch) relatively extensively, thereby developing those skills even more, and possibly more than a person with normal vision can.  One downside to a congenital vision loss, though, is that they have nothing visual that is reliable enough to relate with any of the words or concepts they come across.  They may have a very difficult, not to mention straining, time trying to understand more abstract ideas that depend upon vision to share.  An example of this might be a child trying to understand what a “blue sky” might look like, or why an “ocean sunset” is considered beautiful.  There are many things a “normal” person comes across like this, yet has never broken it down and thought about it, taking colors and light for granted.  This is one of the biggest drawbacks for those with congenital vision loss.

This is one area where if the vision loss is adventitious, or acquired, there is a major advantage of having experienced vision before.  This person now has a memory bank, a storage space, full of images to associate with words and concepts.  This same point can also be viewed as a huge disadvantage.  These people are accustomed to having proper vision, or any vision, for that matter.  They must now learn to adapt to their new condition.  This includes any necessary changes to their lifestyle, their environment, their way of communicating, and even their career and work.  An example of this might be a middle-aged man living alone, and now has acquired vision loss due to an accident.  He had been working as a bank teller and cashier for quite some time now, and with this unexpected turn of events, it is no longer in his capacity to do the job.  He now, most probably, has to live with some degree of assistance.  He can no longer check the caller ID as easily when the phone rings, or just play a video game for fun.  He has to adapt to his new environment. Another important drawback for this part of the population is that once they have experienced vision before, any intervention or treatment (that does not exactly correct the problem to “normal”) does not meet their expectations. They know what it should be like. This can get really frustrating for the person. This can also lead to a feeling of losing control, a drop in self-esteem, isolation, and maybe even depression.

These conditions can also be acute or chronic.  Acute can be understood as rapid, sudden, onset. An example of an acute vision loss might be an accident resulting in damage to the eye, such as caused by accidents. Chronic, in this context, works as the opposite of acute, with the regression being a long-term effect.  An example of this may be increased vision loss accompanying the aging process.

The Different Affected Areas

Key areas of development to consider are cognition, behavioral/emotional response, communication, physical aspects, social interactions, and also academics and education.  Each of these has it’s own advantages and disadvantages.  For cognition, a disadvantage for people with vision loss is the lack of visual observations and illustrations that help with easier understanding of the topic.  Since, they have little to no reliable sources, they may score lower in tests that measure intellect.  Although there is an ever-present difficulty in understanding, on a more positive note, visual disability does not impair intellectual capacity, and many people with visual impairments have scored similar to (or, sometimes even higher than) people with normal vision, provided the tests do not involve and depend so much on vision.

When it comes to emotional and behavioral responses, the attitudes of other people toward the person with blindness is a very important factor, possibly having an affect on self-esteem and confidence.  Socially, since the person cannot see their peers or the other person, there may be much fewer opportunities available to socialize.  People with normal vision “automatically” look for social cues of interaction, such as gestures (body language) and facial expressions.  Persons with visual loss, cannot fully observe these forms of nonverbal communication, and cannot make eye contact, which is generally perceived to be an integral part of socialization.  They must learn to listen for these social opportunities, such as pauses in speech or tone of the other person (“Did they finish?”), and present their own speech appropriately.  Fortunately, it is possible to teach a person with visual difficulties the use of nonverbal communication themselves, usually through other senses (generally tactual).  This can improve social skills as well as develop ways of communication.  Yet another disadvantage is the presence of (common or uncommon) stereotypical behaviors, which can also prove to be a physical aspect.

Vision loss or blindness does not have an intrinsic affect on physical development, per se, yet having no vision can still have an impact on many different areas.  Physically, normal young children (with vision) look around at the world they are in, and are motivated to explore their environment.  Young children with no vision, however, generally do not have this motivation, resulting in the high possibility of delayed locomotion and motor skills.  There is no “typical” childhood experience, and they may have developmental delays in other areas as well.  More often than not, this includes skipping over basic steps in the developmental process.  Also, mobility and orientation are highly important.  Mobility is the ability to move safely and efficiently from one point to another, whereas orientation is a sense of one’s own present location and position relative to the surrounding environment (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008, 395). Stereotypical behaviors should also be considered. These are more often caused by the lack of observation of what is “normal” and appropriate behavior from childhood.  Behaviors such as body rocking or repetitive movements may also prove to be a detriment socially.  For example, other “normal” peers might find a blind child’s continuous rocking to be strange or even repulsive, and therefore avoid the child altogether.  One advantage is the possibility to train the person, therapeutically or otherwise, to replace these stereotypic behaviors with more appropriate ones.

The children affected by vision loss are greatly impacted when it comes to language development and communication.  Although words relying on vision (such as adjectives like colors, etc.) are hard to understand, it is possible to develop normal vocabulary and skills if the child is in an environment rich in language.  Alternative forms of communication can prove useful, and are encouraged.  One common form of alternative communication for the blind is Braille, developed in 1821 by a blind Frenchman named Louis Braille (“Braille,” 2010). Braille is a system of raised “dots” as a tactile method used for reading and writing by many people with vision loss.  Academically, Braille can be used as an educative tool by providing a medium of information, provided the material is in Braille format.  Other mediums such as recorded audio can be used, although the lack of graphs and illustrations can make learning relatively more difficult.  One interesting, yet shocking, fact is that, according to the National Foundation for the Blind (NFB) (“Nfb – braille.org,” 2010), ninety percent of children who are blind are not taught to read, although Braille can be accessible enough to teach it, and practical for the student to learn it.  This is attributed to three primary reasons: (1) not having enough Braille teachers, (2) some teachers not having enough training in Braille for dealing with these children, and unfortunately (3) many educators and instructors believing that Braille and Braille instruction is not necessary.  Before the Braille system was invented, there existed another form of reading for the blind, essentially raised letters (Kimbrough).  Along with having limited access to reading material and activities, these student face testing procedures that are different from those administered to students with normal vision.  Different testing conditions and changes in the evaluation and processing of scores are necessary and should be implemented.

Etiology of Vision Problems

As noted earlier, vision loss or blindness can be congenital or adventitious (acquired), acute or chronic, and can be influenced by the age of onset.  Common etiologies (causes) of visual disabilities are infections, diseases, accidents, injuries, and prenatal/postnatal influences.  Some of the common infections and diseases that bring about vision loss are glaucoma (internal pressure on the eye), diabetic retinopathy (damage to, and leaking of, the retina-supporting blood vessels; caused by long-term diabetes), macular degeneration (blurred vision due to damage to the retina), and even cataracts (clouding of the lens, blocking passage of light), retinitis pigmentosa (night blindness) and traumatic brain injuries, where there is a high possibility of damage to optic nerves or other vital connections (“What Causes low,” 2010).  Accidents that may lead to vision problems include vehicular accidents, chemical accidents, and even an unsafe overexposure of light to the eyes for a longer period.  Injuries include those that occurred while operating machinery, as well as any damage that may have occurred by not wearing adequate protective gear appropriate for the job.  An example of this can be construction workers, who work extensively with wood and metal shavings and debris, requiring goggles most of the time as a safety measure. The most common prenatal incident influencing vision loss is hereditary; where the genes will predetermine that the child will be blind.  One postnatal possibility is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition occurring in premature infants due to being exposed to very high oxygen levels in the neonatal incubators (“What Causes low,” 2010).

Yet another set of factors to classify a condition are stable versus progressive.  Stable, as the name implies, is when a condition or disease does not increase, decrease, or fluctuate in the level of severity and symptoms.  A progressive condition indicates that the problems are increasingly regressive, often at a steady pace.

Prognosis

Prognosis includes any treatment, interventions, aids, training, and assistance necessary to bring about the best possible result.  One of the most common treatments for vision loss and blindness are surgeries, performed by an ophthalmologist. Surgeries in this category include laser eye surgery (sometimes also used in refractive surgery), the common cataract surgery (lens removed in severe cases, replaced with a plastic IOL²), glaucoma surgery (such as canaloplasty), corneal surgery [including most refractive surgeries (which in turn includes laser treatments)], vireo-retinal surgery, extraocular surgery, oculoplastic surgery (reconstruction of the eye and related structures) and even eye removal (“Eye Surgery,” 2010).

External aids are more common than surgeries, due to factors such as the relative ease of use, the substantially lower costs, and a much lower risk factor. The most common aids are corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses and contact lenses (also called as glasses and contacts, respectively).  Corrective lenses are prescribed by an optometrist (as opposed to ophthalmologist for surgeries).  Eyeglasses may be more feasible for some than contact lenses, since a less complex method is involved in wearing them.  Other types aids include the iconic walking canes for the blind and service dogs. Canes help support the blind by letting them feel around them as they move, protecting them from tripping over something so easily.  The cane gained popularity among the blind after World War II, when some with eye problems were handed canes.  The canes were immensely useful, since they allowed the blind much greater travel independence, while allowing them to go by foot (Zahl, 1950, 353-365).   Some common things to watch out for when selecting a cane include being lightweight (to probe ahead constantly), being long enough (to reach ahead and work as a barrier, if necessary), and having a tip that is capable of sliding easily across the ground surface (Sauerburger, 2009). According to the same source, those who require a support cane, as well as a probing cane, may have to use both, with one in each hand.  Service dogs are trained to assist the blind in daily activities, and to act as a lasting companion to the individual.  Activities and training for service dogs (also known as guide dogs) include following a path, maneuvering, obeying commands, and occasionally disobeying to protect the person, if in danger (“The Guide dog,” 2010b).  According to Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.’s “Guide Dog Do’s and Don’ts” (“The Guide dog,” 2010a), a working service dog should be ignored and left alone to do its work properly, since distractions (including petting, abusing, or commands from someone other than the dog’s master) can jeopardize the safety of the dog and its master.  The source also stresses the importance of not treating the dog as a pet, but rather a working dog deserving respect.  Other forms of aids include printed Braille text alongside “regular” words, especially on signs and boards.  A very common occurrence of this is the Braille text on the doors of restrooms, or next the buttons in an elevator.  Other very nice devices for the blind are the Braille keyboard and the large print keyboard, such as those advertised by Hooleon Keyboards (“Large print computer,” 2010).  These Braille keyboard are essentially the same as regular keyboards, but with raised Braille lettering on each key.  Large print keyboards are also very similar in concept, but with large lettering on each key, with the lettering size often filling up the surface of each key.

Another part of prognosis could be personal training. In this personal training, areas such as adapting and functionality may be worked on.  Helping the person to adapt includes helping them adjust to their new environment, new lifestyle, new schedule, and even the unfamiliar treatment procedures.  Working on functional vision with the patient involves the assistance with and training for essential daily livings tasks, such as cooking, eating, mobility, and hygiene.  These skills must be taught through senses other than vision, and through hands-on experiences.  Social and physical skills must also be part of the training.  Along with discouraging stereotypic behaviors, social aspects should be encouraged. These include learning how to take turns, looking for social cues and opportunities, and participating in conversations.  An example of academic skill training might be teaching Braille.  In this scenario, a music therapist might work with the child, starting off with teaching him/her the Braille alphabet.  Songs, such as the ever-classic alphabet song, can be used here.  Songs and melodies can also be used to teach facts and concepts by incorporating music, musical instruments, and musical activities.  Songs such as “Wheels on the Bus” are perfect for this kind of activity, since they describe everyday things that happen in the world around them.  Songs such as “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” for example, also work better to encourage the use of the hands, and possibly reducing stereotypic behaviors, while the child is preoccupied in having fun with the gestures.  Such activities might require the use of tactile senses as major part of the teaching process.

The Settings

Where people with blindness or vision live depends significantly upon the type and degree of the condition.  For someone with only a minor vision problem, corrective lenses may be sufficient.  Another person might require thick glasses and large print to read. Those with a severe form of vision loss might require Braille for reading and writing, and depend upon other external aids (such as canes, rails, etc.) to move around. This last group might need more assistance with daily life than the others.  If the person is to live quite independently on his/her own, the house may be modified, both interiorly and/or exteriorly, for accessibility with the new impairment.  Part of the treatment or therapy program here might be to accustom the blind person to, and familiarize him/her with the new layout of his home.  This adjusting process can take quite some time, possibly weeks or even months.  It is one of the therapist’s duties to assist the person and provide support at this crucial stage.

The visually impaired might live in community living centers (CLCs), or choose to live independently.  Other settings where people of this population are most likely to be served are in hospitals, regular classrooms, special classrooms (such as those with assistive technologies), or even special institutions tailored to them.  An excellent example of an institution like this is The Maryland School for the Blind.

Music Therapy Activity

A music therapy activity we can possibly use with children who are blind involves the use of different pitches to denote different numerical values.  I would use a piano, with Braille stickers on each key. The stickers can read the note names (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, sharps, flats) along with specially assigned numbers (e.g. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).  Suppose the child needs help with remembering things, and we are starting out by getting him to memorize his telephone number³.  Let us say it is 555-6438. Starting out on the C Major scale (easiest with all white keys), the sequence might be GGGAFEC, with the last C ending in the higher register.  Once we work with the child to create ourselves a rhythm, we now have a little song (or jingle) that the boy can easily remember the number, should he ever need to dial it.  Along with his very own, personalized tune, a part of this exercise might teach feeling for, and using the keys, as well as basic phone operations (such as picking up the phone⁴, or hanging up).  Through these mnemonic devices, the child can learn to memorize not only phone numbers, but also addresses, passwords, names, or anything else he would come across in life.

Conclusion

Vision is something many of us, the able-eyed, take for granted.  Once we can work toward understanding how the blind function and live through, we can understand ourselves better, and therefore show more empathy toward them.  A little awareness can go a long way.  Knowing what the possibilities are for vision loss, we can take the necessary precautions to protect others and ourselves.  Simple measures, such as goggles or masks, should be practiced when working with potentially dangerous tools. Be being more prepared, we can hope to take care of those already in need, first.

References

Braille. (2010). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved (2010, May 27) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille

Davis, W. B., Gfeller, K. E., & Thaut, M. H. (2008). An Introduction to music therapy: theory and practice. Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association, Inc..

Eye Surgery. (2010). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved (2010, May 27) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_surgery

Key definition of statistical terms – american foundation for the blind. (2008, September). Retrieved from http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=1280

Kimbrough, P. (n.d.). Braille history. Retrieved from http://www.brailler.com/braillehx.htm

Large print computer keyboard,braille keyboard,large print keyboard sticker labels. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.hooleon.com/menu-vision.htm

Nfb – braille.org. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Braille_Initiative.asp

Sauerburger, D. (2009). What Type of cane should i choose? | visionaware. Retrieved from http://www.visionaware.org/what_type_of_cane_should_i_use

The Guide dog foundation for the blind inc – etiquette and guide dogs. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.guidedog.org/Content.aspx?id=1416

The Guide dog foundation for the blind inc – frequently asked questions. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.guidedog.org/Content.aspx?id=564

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Protection. (2004). Vision impairment 2, dd, ncbddd, cdc Atlanta, GA: Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/vision2.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. (2008). Prevalence of blindness data Bethesda, Maryland: Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/about/index.html

What Causes low vision?. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.aoa.org/x5241.xml

Zahl, P. A. (1950). Blindness: modern approaches to the unseen environment. New York, NY: Hafner Press.

Footnotes

¹ The age of onset is the age in which a person first started showing or experiencing symptoms of a condition or disease.

² Intraocular Lens

³ Another observable fact is that all telephones have a little “bump” on the 5 key.  This is so that anyone familiar with the layout of a phone should be able to dial a number, without fumbling in the dark, or because of vision. This works since all other numbers are arranged around the center key.  This is also true for computer keyboards, where on QWERTY keyboards, for example, similar “bumps” are on letter F and J.

⁴ Another thing to consider when teaching this is that most modern cordless phones don’t connect by “picking up”; rather a “Talk” button (generally green) needs to be pressed. The same can be said about “hanging up” and the “End” button (often red).

Sorry. I was trying to upgrade to WordPress 3 and deleted my MySQL database, but found out the backup didn’t download properly. As a result, some of my latest posts are gone, along with some pages up top (about, contact, resume, etc.). Not to worry, though. The only “major” post I’ve written since is my research paper on “Vision Loss and Blindness”. I will be republishing that very soon I just did. Thanks.

The following is an essay I wrote for my English class. All written by me, Snehith Chittavajhula. All rights reserved. No publishing, copying, redistributing, modifying, or changing my text in any way is allowed. Not without my express written permission.

The Therapeutic Effects of Music on the Body

The body of a living being is a very complex network of functions and reactions. The human body is no exception. Sometimes though, certain parts of the human anatomy do not function as well as they were intended to. Examples of such a case include paralysis, certain types of cancer, autism, and other disorders. Fortunately, several methods of therapy have been developed to combat some of the symptoms of the patient. One of them is music therapy, or the practice of healing the mind and body through music. Music therapy is a relatively new concept compared to the other types of therapy available; though its roots go back thousand of years, scientific research on the subject by the modern world only picked up a little more than a half a century ago. Music therapy is quickly gaining popularity as a creative form of therapy and as a strategy of not causing additional pain to the patient[1], should it not be as immediately effective as the treatment was first planned out to be. Music can calm the mind, relax the body, and bring a subconscious and pleasant effect that motivates the human body to actively mend itself and resume proper functions, usually quicker than otherwise. Music can also be supplemental, that is to say, the minimum effect music can bring to a patient is reducing anxiety and relieving tension enough for them to cooperate peacefully with surgical procedures and other therapy treatments required for their medical conditions[2].

One of the immediate reactions associated with the human body is pain. When a person comes into physical contact with something— sometimes at a speed and force— that harms the body, nociceptors (or sensory receptors that acknowledge pain) that reside near the skin surface use the nerve fibers to send a signal to the brain. The brain in turn interprets the signals as potential harm and commands the respective limb to retract, to prevent further harm. An example of this is when a person burns their finger; their first reaction is to pull their arm away. Music can help reduce the intensity of the pain, if not cure it altogether. According to an article in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, a study was conducted on 60 patients recruited from chiropractic clinics, all suffering from various levels of chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and disc problems. The study was an experiment, conducted to test whether chronic pain can be reduced by listening to music. Twenty people were given a choice on which music to listen to, another group of twenty chose between five different but relaxing genres (piano, jazz, orchestra, harp and synthesizer), and the remaining twenty patients were not treated with music therapy. All participants were kept under supervision and maintained a journal, recording the results and present conditions. The two groups that were exposed to music reported a 12-21% decrease in pain, whereas the third group reported an overall 1-2%. Those listening to music for an hour a day felt physically more in control of the pain situation and psychologically less disabled. The doctors and researchers accredited the patients’ improvements to the musical aspects of the treatments (“Listening to Music Can Reduce Chronic Pain And Depression By Up To A Quarter”),

Anxiety and stress can also affect the human body. The emotional and mental suffering can start out as a short-term problem but become a long-lasting effect on the physical and physiological aspects of the human anatomy. Stress, often associated with an external pressure of some sort, is usually caused by worry and fear. Anxiety, often triggered by stress, is more of a psychological series of thoughts than a specific feeling. This is an advantage, as it becomes possible to break down a person’s thoughts and solve what are perceived to be problems, one after another. Music has been proven to reduce anxiety, relax and stabilize pulse and respiratory rates, and lower blood pressure. A study conducted in 1989 by researchers resulted in a lower systolic blood pressure in the nine patients exposed to two music albums, both with a slow beat (Gaynor 80). The reports of various separate experiments seem to suggest that one music-listening session can reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure down by five points, with the pulse rate decreasing by approximately four to five beats per minute (Gaynor 81). The calming effects of music on the nervous and respiratory systems can do wonders to the person. Anxiety and stress levels come down, the patients are relieved of tension, and they allow their mind and body to relax, thereby passively encouraging themselves to heal.

The brain of a child is relatively simple, yet almost as complex as that of an adult. Since a child’s mental structure of thoughts is not completely organized and relatively developed as that of an elder, the brain of the child is open to all social interaction and communication with the outside world. The child develops a language of his own, recognizing objects around him and associating them with different-sounding words. He uses this newly-learnt language to speak to those he sees, especially peers, and brings a difference in his tone to imply a question, a wish, or a dislike. Unfortunately, sometimes a child does not interact much with other people. He is not in favor of the prospect of meeting another person, or his thoughts are completely outside the idea of who is around him. The unfortunate part is that these symptoms often indicate autism, which is a disorder associated with brain development. Autism is more often observed in infants and children. Musical interactions have brought forth great improvements in the way an autistic child reacts and responds to certain situations. Medical researchers from Wales have done a case study on an autistic three-year-old girl. Just two years of therapy has seen a drastic improvement in the little girl. Before therapy, the girl acknowledged her mother’s presence every six minutes on average, making eye contact once every three minutes. The time dropped to one minute post-therapy, with eye contact twice a minute. After follow-up therapy sessions, the little girl could acknowledge the presence of her mother in just nine seconds, giving eye contact six times a minute (Campbell 237). In the words of Clive E. Robbins, Ph.D. (director of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center at New York University), music “can be used as flexibly as we use speech to reach children with language problems” (qtd. in Campbell 237). Music therapy has helped autistic children in the past, and will continue to do so in the future.

Every person’s brain and body synchronize with frequencies and sounds waves that follow a steady beat[3]. These sound waves will try to provoke the brain to either speed up or slow down to match the music that is being played. Once synchronization is achieved, the body and brain “follow” the frequencies; thoughts and actions tend to go slower and play catch-up to maintain the beat, making the person feel more alert. If the music increases tempo, the flow of thoughts on the person’s mind tends to go faster along with gross motor skills, or basic physical movements, playing the beat. Once the brain interprets the incoming sounds waves and matches them, the rest of the brain and body keep up the pace. Very soon, the body starts using its fine motor skills, while still making basic movements such as nods and taps. These fine motor skills are movements that require hand-eye-brain coordination, such as driving or playing a jigsaw puzzle. These precise actions are not distracted by the beat, but rather supported by it and depend on
it to keep the thoughts flowing. Having thoughts and actions flowing in this steady pace creates space for a new level of concentration, which is always a highly productive one. The time spent focusing on a task at this stage is highly reduced, with no decrease in quality. The mind is working faster, often organizing thoughts subconsciously and in the most effective, practical manner. Everything falls into place, all because of the music playing in the background.

Music has its effect on not only the body and the brain, but also the complex human emotions. Negative emotions can cause depression. The most common feelings associated with depression are melancholy, fear, doubt, and apprehension (Lingerman 28). Depression is not a frequent occurrence, but unfortunately it is not uncommon, either. Nine and a half percent of the American population suffers from depression (“9.5% of Americans Battle Depression”). Soft music is often used by psychiatrists, hypnotists, and doctors to relax the person until he or she feels comfortable enough to share their story. This allows the patient to remain in a calm state throughout the conversation, without feeling agitated or tense. Musical interaction is added into the treatment plan, and over the course of time, positive results start to show. The patient’s depression will have receded from extreme thoughts, like suicide, to hopefully less dangerous thinking. Soft slow pulses and beats in the music help to ameliorate thoughts, and reactions usually come out as less intense responses.

Whether the patient had pain, hypertension, autism, or depression, music is the cure. Anything can be cured by music, whether the problem is physical, mental, or emotional. Music therapy goes back thousands of years, back to a time when music was considered magical, spiritual, and even divine. Discovered by primitive man and perceived as a phenomenal power, music was literally worshiped, as was the musician-witch-doctor who was feared the most for his power. The healer would chant, sing, and dance, as he believed the evil spirit causing the pain would surrender (Alvin 7-20). Modern science of today contrasts the beliefs of the primitive man. Music therapy has long been studied and practiced for millenniums, but today’s advances in technology help research and document the healing properties of music in a more organized, scientific way. Throughout the centuries, the credibility of music therapy was questioned with claims that the positive developments observed in the patients were a mere coincidence. Believers in this form of creative therapy, however, held that the music involved had everything to do with it. Most of the claims against music therapy have since been disproved, and modern physicians and psychologists started to actually recommend going to a music therapist, just as they would refer to another doctor of a specialized field. The fact that music can have no side effects gives music therapy a major advantage over other forms of therapy. Considering that this whole concept may be new to many people, this point alone can give them comfort, and may even entice them into trying such a treatment. Everyone goes by trust when their doctor prescribes them some medicine. Music therapy works the same way. Trust that music can heal is all it takes to feel the positive developments in the physical body, the brain, and psychological feelings. Whether music therapy classifies as a scientific art or an artistic science, its powers cannot be denied.

Works Cited

Alvin, Juliette. “The Origin of Music.” Music Therapy. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1975. Print.

Campbell, Don. The Mozart Effect. 1st. New York: Avon Books, 1997. Print.

Blackwell Publishing Ltd.. “Listening To Music Can Reduce Chronic Pain And Depression By Up To A Quarter.” ScienceDaily 24 May 2006. 1 July 2009 .

Gaynor, Mitchell L., M.D.. Sounds of Healing. First. New York: Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 1999. Print.

Gorloch, Karen. “9.5% of Americans Battle Depression: 10% of Adult Women, 4% of Men Treated With Antidepressants.” redOrbit Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 09:01 CST. 25 Jan 2006. Web. 1 Jul 2009. .

Lingerman, Hal A.. The Healing Energies of Music. Fourth. Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1988. Print.

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[1] I am a music therapy major, and this information is from general points I have picked up on the subject.

[2] Ibid.

[3] This section is something I learnt, gathered, and formulated as a music therapy major. I am just wording the concept.

The following is an essay I wrote for my English class. All written by me, Snehith Chittavajhula. All rights reserved. No publishing, copying, redistributing, modifying, or changing my text in any way is allowed. Not without my express written permission.

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There are many different systems of notating music, throughout the world, all with different structures and ways of notation. Any two of these countless systems are, if studied, highly different, yet strangely similar. One is the present-day music system embedded into the Western culture; the other is an Indian classical style called Carnatic music. Knowing what points these two distant systems share and hold unique will provide everyone with an insight into both cultures, as well as the value of appreciating the beautiful melodies we call music.

Both the Western method and the Carnatic method are highly evolved systems, developed over the centuries. Those who were profound in their respective musical fields experimented with the boundaries set by their predecessors. They played until they felt they hit something new, something exciting enough that was not already in the books. Then they practiced, perhaps for many years, to try and perfect it. Our highly motivated ancestors also documented what they did, in their own respective ways, so that later generations may benefit from these new styles. By doing this they took the standard to whole new level. By “raising the bar,” they have popularized new genres of music, and have left the ambitious in us to stretch the limits even more, if that is possible.

Both of these systems are also pentatonic, which is to say, both are based on the same basic five notes that form a backbone to the structures. Basic structures have been fit around these five notes, in both cultures. Many melodies have been composed of just these five basic notes, and are sometimes used for the purpose of training. Commonly this leads to advancing into and familiarizing the student with more notes, depending on the level of proficiency achieved. This is very common, especially in the Carnatic ways of teaching. The pentatonic scales can also be transposed, or converted into another major scale. One of these scales is the C Major scale (Western), which assigns the notes to the piano’s five black keys, respectively.

Speaking of scales, the musical structures of both systems comprise of a system of these scales, each made up of the same seven notes repeating in either direction. The direction in which a note follows a previous note shows how much higher or lower the pitch relatively is. As this repeating pattern goes on, each of the note names will keep repeating. It is structured this way because two pitches of the same note name, regardless of octave, sound very much alike. This is due to the sound vibrations we hear, and supposing we pick these notes from adjacent octaves, the higher pitch has vibrations exactly doubling that of the lower pitch (e.g. 440 Hz & 220 Hz). This is true for every note, the vibrations doubling for each octave we go up, and halving for each octave we go down. We can play a melody in two different octaves and both would sound about the same.

Both systems have methods of notation that use bar lines to form organized measures, or sections which denote a certain number of beats. These measures help us visualize and concentrate on one small section of the melody. By breaking the music down in this way, they let us stay focused and going on with our steady beat, which is difficult when we see so many notes at once, all coming at us very quickly. Both notation systems have relative spacing, allowing notes of longer duration to take up the space often used by more than one note. This allows us to visualize how long we need to hold these notes. The measures are also sometimes broken down by more bar lines, often invisible and implied. This helps if a measure is housing many notes together, making the whole bit looking very cluttered. Both systems have their own ways of telling us to repeat certain measures at the end, often with a symbol or words of some sort. Measures are also frequently used to indicate where to start playing from (“Let us start from the fourth measure”), especially when playing from somewhere in the middle. This makes it helpful for bits that repeat and is common in practice sessions.

One very strong difference that is immediately noticed is in the way the music is notated or written down. Western sheet music uses the staff, a group of five lines that are relative to each other in pitch. The notes are represented as little bubbles on this staff, their location showing us the pitch associated with that position, with higher on the staff meaning a higher pitch. If a pitch is high or low enough to go past the set of five lines, then ledger lines, or additional lines for the staff, are added as necessary. Even if I do not know the note names, I can see how the melody of a piece of music goes up or down through this type of notation. In strong contrast, the Carnatic system uses lines of written note names, each called a svara, with dots above or below the svara indicate which (sthaayi) the svara belongs to. Then, there is what is individually called a raga, which is a set alphabet consisting of only those note variations that are allowed in a song tuned to that raga. This concept makes it very difficult to learn Carnatic music without the aid of a teacher or at least an audio source which we can imitate and learn. This difference shows that though learning the theory is extremely helpful for both, Western music has a more visual approach, while Carnatic music takes a more concentrated one.

Another major difference between the two systems is the way of counting beats and the rhythm. In Western music, a time signature, a set of two numbers, indicates how many beats there are per measure, and the note of which length to take as one beat. These numbers, written on top of each other, are placed on the staff before the melody, so we can expect which beat to follow. In Carnatic music, however, there is a tala, or a precise method of tapping our fingers to the beat, that tell us how many beats we are looking at. The most common tala is the basic adi tala, which counts 8 beats. After we tap the base beat (with our right hand only), we tap 3 of our fingers separately, starting from the little finger. We finish off the tala by hitting the base beat and flipping our hand over, and we do this part twice to add up to 8 beats. When we are done tapping the tala, we repeat the tapping cycle without breaking the flow of the melody.

The third pressing difference is the concepts and organization used. Western melodies are structured in scales composed of 7 basic notes (12 including variations) called C, D, E, F, G, A, and B, with C repeating. (They are also named Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, and Do respectively, as a sight-singing technique called solfege.) The standard set used in Carnatic music does not exactly match the Western notes, though there are equivalents. Each svara has a name of its own, them being Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, and Ni, with Sa repeating, for each sthaayi, or octave. Each set of names would seem different, difficult, and maybe even odd to those of us used to the other.

Yet another unavoidable difference is the number of note variables possible. The Western system has five additional note variables (C♯, pronounced as C Sharp, D♯, F♯, G♯, and A♯; these are also the ones easily thought of as the black keys on a piano) added to its standard set of seven. These twelve together make up the Chromatic scale, so much influenced and standardized in the 1600′s that all pianos, keyboards, and synthesizers are tuned, even now, to this scale. In sharp contrast, the Carnatic system has a countless number of ragas, each with a different variation to each svara. Only the notes of Sa and Pa (whichever octave we cho
ose) are not changed, regardless of the raga we pick up. Even the Mayamalavagoula raga, (the standard in which to begin learning), has trills and pitch-bends for every note, apart from Sa and Pa.

There are musicians, including me, who have and will experiment and play Carnatic music on Western instruments, but it is definitely not easy. It is not easy, but not impossible. The amount of trills and pitch-bends that come in quick succession make playing these melodies on woodwinds and strings much more viable, compared to playing on a piano or trumpet. The favorable instruments let us move our fingers strategically to notes “in between” and back, without the impression of going over several notes. We are not confined to the notes built in, and they allow us to navigate from high to low to high very fast, our capacity permitting. The only instrument capable of playing both Western and Carnatic music by default is our own voice. Built inside us, these instruments are capable of taking us through the largest range of music, all without moving a finger. Amazing.

What do all these similarities and differences mean to us? It means that wherever we come from, wherever we live, we all have music in common. Being similar is a good thing, in that it allows those of us familiar with one of the systems to relate easily and transit smoothly into the other. We need to think of it as a language. We all know English, yet write in different styles and hand-writings. In the same way, music is spread throughout the world. Each of us just play in different styles and write it down differently. Music is something we can all relate to. However structured or notated, music gives us all the same feeling. Through music, we can communicate our expressions and emotions. All the people in the world, including us, share this language we all know and feel. Some call it Music, some call it Sangeetam, and yet we all mean the same thing. I call this perfect harmony.

1 The retro apple is Finder
2 The donut is Firefox, my web browser of choice
3 The veena is Garageband, my first step in organizing any recording
4 The phonograph is iTunes
5 The flower is Freemind, the open source mind-mapping app
6 The paper crane is Smultron, and excellent text editor

The Hard Drive icon on my desktop reads “హార్డ్ డ్రైవ్” is “Hard Drive” transliterated into Telugu, my mother tongue.

When each day comes to an end, all I have to think about is what made that day special. I just might do whatever it is again tomorrow.

Hello,

I’m Snehith. Snehith Chittavajhula. This is my third set, a continuation of my Permanent Marker Icons Series. This is my Christmas present to all of you. Thanks to all of those who waited for me, put me in your favorites, and emailed me.

My contact info changed, so here you go:
Web – [link] snehith . com
Blog – [link] blog . snehith . com
Email – [link] art @ snehith . com

p.s.: If anyone has emailed me in the past, please email me again. I did lose some email when switching email addresses. Thank you.

~~~

I spent quite some time looking for icons that fit my style. Then, realizing I’m the only one who knows my style, I decided to make my own icons. These were hand-drawn by me, and edited in The GIMP.

Please enjoy this Christmas Edition!

Included in this set:
Candy Canes
Cookies
Elf
HO, HO, HO!
Ornament
Present
Snow Angel
Snowflake
Spare Antlers (yeah, i know… my idea!)
Stocking
Tree
Waiting Chimney

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Now, for the official lines:

These icons, and any icons I may have released or will release, are the sole property of me, Snehith Chittavajhula. They are to be used ONLY FOR PERSONAL USE. I reserve any and all rights to my work.

By using these icons, you are agreeing that you WILL NOT modify, copy, edit, redistribute, or publish these icons for anything other than PERSONAL USE. If you wish to let others know of my art, please credit me along with my links. Anything else you may wish to do requires my permission.

Thank you and enjoy my art!

~~~

Snehith Chittavajhula
Web – [link] snehith . com
Blog – [link] blog . snehith . com
Email – [link] art @ snehith . com
DeviantART – [link] imsnehith . deviantart . com