Learning, practicing and performing a fine art is a great way to increase physical and mental wellbeing. This has been proved periodically by several people in the medical field.
Communication is a key part of what makes performing arts a success, whether it’s the actor or musician communicating with the audience, the director communicating with the actor or the choreographer communicating with the dancer - their jobs will only work together successfully if everyone communicates and cooperates. Therefore, involvement in the performing arts will improve and develop your interpersonal skills.
There is evidence to suggest that involvement in Music, Dance and Drama can improve the concentration levels in other subjects, as well as adding a new depth of knowledge and understanding to other subject areas. There are also spiritual and psychological benefits, as the performing arts encourage self-discipline, self-expression, calmness and fulfillment.
There are several perspectives to this. On a social level, learning, practicing a fine art sharpens our sensitivities to more subtle issues, emotions and expressions. It gives a sense of belonging to a particular culture, a sense of identity and a sense of evolution from merely existing to earn and spend.
Indian classical music for instance gives us enrichment on several areas. To start with, the yogic posture of Padmasana is practiced while learning or performing. It is directly related to our confidence level and state of mind at any given time.
The practice of aligning one’s voice or instrument to a particular Sruthi or pitch makes us focus on something stressless and enriching. This makes us to stay in tune with a particular frequency that indirectly improves our alignment faculty.
Remembering the grammar of a certain raga and its structure enables a certain method in creativity that leads to organized thought. Art is not random creativity but artistically organized expression of creative thoughts.
Next, on the psychological level, Indian music soothes the senses and connects one to the Within. The spiritual anchor it provides crosses the boundaries of region or religion.
The Tala or the rhythm provides the track for the music to manifest in a very systematic way. While the singer is showing the counts of the beats of the tala in a certain measured metric method, it becomes a motor activity that slowly becomes independent of conscious thought and happens automatically.
This entire process unconsciously increases the bandwidth of the brain wherein the creativity happens on one side, the adherence to the grammar and sruthi happens on the other side, the motor activity of the tala keeps happening and the posture exudes confidence and clear thought. We may even call the entire process a Psychosomatic Motor activity.
Psychosomatic medicine is an interdisciplinary medical field studying the relationships of social, psychological, and behavioral factors on bodily processes and well-being in humans and animals. Indian music is said to improve the intellectual capacity of children and increase their ability to multi task efficiently.
In concurrence with the same thought, playing the Veena or any such instrument activates the tip of the fingers that indirectly activates the nerve endings that are acupressure points. So, apart from all the positive aspects mentioned earlier, playing a music instrument certainly gives a sense of achievement, relieves stress, disciplines, improves team work, communicates emotions and adds sheen to the entire personality.
With the Margazhi Music festival rocking Chennai, it is perhaps a good time to cultivate or renew interest in the Fine arts.