Thursday, December 20, 2012

Musical Instruments as Active Pain Killers


Music has the power to keep all living beings away from diseases and enhance their performance levels. It is beneficial in the growth of plants and trees. These facts are well-known all over the world. Now it is the turn of musical instruments to prove their importance in our daily life as they act as pain killers.
Drummer
From the US to Russia, from the European countries to Japan all are good in one musical instrument or the other. Most of the nations have their own musical instruments passed on from one generation to the other. Most of the time musical instruments are used in public gatherings like marriages, parties or other important occasions like festivals and fairs. In some countries they are used in worshiping the deities and during religious processions.

Music reaches the deep emotional levels. Each individual may respond in a different way and may hold special meaning for a particular music. Percussion instruments are very effective while singing the devotional songs and songs of public entertainment. Perhaps the use of musical instruments and the importance of using them in daily life would have been better explained by the ancestors who discovered them.

Active involvement in playing musical instruments may ease pain, anxiety and depression. It is becoming increasingly popular, and its effects on pain intensity and distress associated with pain have been documented in studies. Participants’ pain decreases as they became more and more absorbed in the percussion instruments and their tunes.

How can musical instruments become pain killers?

Actively involving in playing percussion instruments is better than just hearing music. It gives the power to humans to tolerate pain. Researches done at Oxford University have proved this. A book on Evolutionary Psychology has given a good explanation on it.

Pain is related to emotions and it shows the signs of some kind of dysfunction in a body part. Pain may also be a sign of danger many a times. The treatment to pain can never be postponed as it may result in breakdown of some part of the body. Type of pain varies with each individual and his problems. Only doctors can provide a good treatment and give relief from pain either with the help of pain killer tablets or injections.

If there is a resistance power to tolerate pain then doctors and medicines can be kept away for a long time. Human body produces endorphins to tolerate pain naturally. Endorphin is a kind of protein that is released from brain as a pain reliever. Like other resistances that are produced in the body to fight diseases, endorphins are released just to keep the pain away. Sometimes when the threshold of pain goes out of control then medication becomes a necessity.

There are many ways to get those extra endorphins.

1. Other than medications, it can produce excessively in the body just by laughing loudly for nearly 10 minutes.
2. Hear some good music for half an hour.
3. Food prepared with an ingredient like black pepper.
4. Eat chocolates.
5. Acupuncture.
6. Exercising that can give relief from pain.
7. Have sex with a co-operative and healthy partner.

Only acupuncture is extra in the list above. All others are common in everybody’s life.

Importance of playing the Instruments

Researchers at Oxford University have tested on Instruments and seen how they help in producing endorphins which are active in relieving pain. They had two groups with 12 members in each. One group had drummers and others had only the listeners of drum beats. Drummers were told to beat the drums for half an hour. The other group just heard it for half an hour. To see the result both the groups where tested by straining their hands for sometime. The group of drummers showed better resistance to pain than that of listeners. It proved that endorphins were produced more in drummers.

Scientists went on to find more evidence. They tested the devotees who danced and clapped in front of their deity. The group of people who danced and clapped to the rhythms and beats simultaneously while having their top portion of the body active had a better tolerating power. They proved more powerful than those who sit or stand erect to offer their prayers to god. Folk singers and cultural artists belong to this group. Social life and cooperative ways of living is well supported by this type of active involvement. Studies proved that music along with the active involvement of the human body was very much needed for a healthier and happier life.

Benefits of learning to play the musical instruments

Learning to play any musical instrument offers lot of benefits. Learning any instrument in ones lifetime is an achievement in itself.

1. Better IQ and development of brain is seen in children who are active in playing the musical instruments. Performance skills and sharper concentration is also a plus point. Adults who play instrument have an alert mind and sharp memory. Teaches perseverance and makes us well disciplined at work place or while studying somewhere.
2. Betters the mathematical and manipulating ability of an individual. Reading ability and comprehension skills are enhanced while learning to refine the time management and organizational skills.
3. Soft and soothing music calms the mind and gives enjoyment. Relieves stress from mind and keeps a person well relaxed.
4. There is lot of frustration to learn a new instrument. It gives a sense of achievement after mastering an instrument. It is fun and exciting to show relatives and friends that you have achieved something.
5. Mind and body coordination becomes excellent as you synchronize the movement of fingers, arms, hands, cheeks as well as facial muscles. Chest muscles, back, stomach and diaphragm are under control while playing a musical instrument. People suffering from respiratory illnesses like asthma will have more benefits when they opt to play the wind based instruments.
6. It promotes happiness in life and those living around us. When the audience applauds and cheers it becomes a memorable moment in ones life. It is very honorable and gratifying to voluntarily play in our local community and share the happiness as they enjoy watching you play

How to make the children get interested in learning percussion instruments?

1. Encourage children to create their own musical instruments. Thus they can become more creative.
2. Use percussion instruments to create a rhythm or to keep a beat like in an orchestra or band where percussionists often keep the beat and other musicians follow it.
3. Let the children know that a percussion instrument is a group of instruments that make sound when they are struck, shaken, or rubbed.
4. Tell them how drums are produced. The hollow frames and the membrane stretched across to produce different kinds of sounds.
5. A brainstorming session on percussion instruments that are struck with mallets or sticks. Explain how an instrument works. Show them how it vibrates and produces sound as it moves back and forth.
6. Show them the difference in various genres of music. May be classical, hip-hop or rock and compare their beats. Share music from different countries. For e.g. West African, Indian, or Native American folk music to learn those rhythms that are not typically found in modern Western music.
7. Basic scientific explanation on how most of the instruments work and how useful it is to humans. Show them how it produces sound while striking on an empty vessel or when filled with water or when a empty can is filled with few stones.
8. Let them bring in their favorite music, or select different songs to play it for the whole class. Tapping the feet along to the beat and comparison of the music. Scan the radio or stream music on the Internet, listening to different genres of music and exploring music from different culture and communities would be exciting.

Author owns the Copyrights of the content in this blog post. Copying in part or full of this content if found will be dealt strictly.


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Comments:
maddot 3 days ago - from Northern NSW, Australia Very interesting and a pleasure to read.

Author - Thank you, maddot for your kind comments.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Scotland accepts Kinnal Art

Chowki art of Kinnal village


This is a story of the Scottish students who were fond of learning the Chowki art of Kinnal village.

Kinnal village of Koppala district in Karnataka is famous for Chowki art. This art has been brought up and nourished by the art loving ancestors of Kinnal.
Kinnal art or Kinhal craft
Kinnal or Kinhal art and craft is slowly becoming famous all over the world. Once again, the historic art of creating Kinnal art work has been in news. Six of the students from Scotland learnt this art, during their 2 months stay at Kinnal. Formerly, the art work was taken to foreign countries only to exhibit them. But this time the foreigners were interested and came to learn it themselves. They also learnt kannada the regional language along with the art.

Since the time of Vijayanagara rulers, Kinnal artists resided in Kinnal , which is 12 km from Koppala.

The artistic works created using Chowki art are in different forms. Birds, animals, fruits, thrones, gods, goddesses and other human forms are created and painted in Chowki art style. Even today, the ceiling of the Virupaksha temple at Hampi has the art which was designed by the Kinnal artists.

Scotland students learn Kinnal art

 

Artist Ekappa with his Scottish students

 


The University of Glasgow, Scotland was impressed with this art and sent its students to learn the art. Tilly Gifford and Nick from the department of painting, Product Design Engineer Rob, Charlotte, student of Sociology, Fee, a student from designing section and Ailsa who was learning Spanish came to learn this art. The leader of this group was Tilly. She often visited India to see her grandfather at Mysore. Once during her visit to Mysore, she came across this art piece at a shop by name Ramson. The shop was in front of Mysore zoo. She was happy and was interested to learn the art. She then enquired the shopkeeper about this art and contacted the artist Ekappa Ramachandra. He denied her from teaching as he did not believe that a foreigner would learn this art. But she was determined to learn this art. The Craft Council of Karnataka and Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited at Bangaluru helped her in this regard.
 

Tilly and her team at Kinnal 

 

Kinhal Craft

 

The handicraft at Mysore attracted Tilly so much that the colleagues at Glasgow University were encouraged to travel to Mysore.  They never expected any sponsor or donation from government or any other institutions in Scotland.  They learnt the art with the money from the sale of the paintings.  The expense of learning the art from Ekappa and other 6 members of the village was borne by the Scottish students.  In the beginning, they tried small handicraft works. But within 40 days they made dinosaurs, dancing monkey, parrot elephant, fish, snake, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Dwarapalak(gate keeper of the Indian myth).

Combination of Culture and modernization

 

Laerning Kinnal craft

 


The six students who learnt the Kinnal Chowki cultural art also taught Ekappa the modern art techniques. So, he enjoyed teaching them.

Previously, Ekappa was of the opinion that disclosure of the art tactics would lead to stiff competition. But later he realized that the art would end up with him if he did not teach it to any one. And also he wanted the art to flourish in the foreign countries. The people in the village preferred to be software engineers at Bangaluru and other foreign countries. On the contrary, Tilly in turn inspired the villagers that the financial stability can be achieved by nourishing this art. With the help of the book “learn Kannada in 30 days”, she was able to communicate with the localites. The students wore the Indian traditional costumes like the sari, bangles, vermillion on the forehead, nose ring and earrings. They set an example to the Indians who were inclined to the western lifestyle. They enjoyed the festivals celebrated in the village. They believed that the festivals in India were more enjoyable than the Plotado festival of France.

Money making was not their intention


Tilly and her team did not learn the Chowki art with intention of making money, but they wanted to help the people by teaching them what they learnt.  They wanted to teach this art to the needy to earn their livelihood.  They also wanted to launch the website, ‘Kinnal arts’ and explain the history of this unique art to the world.  At the end of their camp at Kinnal, the villagers liked them very much and did not want them to leave to Scotland.  They won the hearts of the villagers.

Author owns the Copyrights of the content in this blog post. Copying in part or full of this content if found will be dealt strictly.

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Comments

 

Valerie belew   2 years ago from Metro Atlanta, GA, USA
Very interesting. If I have not seen the authentic art, i have seen some that look very much like it. This was an interesting site, informative, and educational. Just what I would expect from you. I also like the fact that the art is not being learned for profit. I hate it when people behave as if the soul intent of dong anything must be to make money, and that anything that does not earn money is useless. There is life, and good life, unrelated to wealth. Thumbs up. (: v


Author 2 years ago from India Hub Author
I liked your comment...Valerie. Some part of our life has to be dedicated for helping others. Our soul gets the ultimate satisfaction by doing this. Confidence and Self-esteem grows along with it. Nothing is gained by becoming a self-centered personality.

M N Gujr 12 months ago
Thx for sharing info Mr Vivekananda
are you from Kinhala??? IF YES connect with me
Rgrds
M N Gujr
098444 83706

Author 11 months ago from India Hub Author
M N Gujr, I'm not from Kinhala. But I'm from the same state. I reside at Mangalore. Thanks for your comments

feeschmidts 11 months ago from London, United Kingdom
It's great to stumble over this article which I wasn't aware of existed. I am one of the students that went on this project. I haven't visited the village since, but going back and seeing what the actual impact was would be essential. Anyone know?
Now... this may be also of interest: a link to the documentation video I made back then about the process of the Kinnal craft uploaded on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosAMzTKWlE

Author 11 months ago from India Hub Author
Hi Feeschmidts, I felt glad to read this comment from you. More and more people have shown interest to learn this art. Scottish people have already shown how much impact it had made on their minds.

feeschmidts 11 months ago from London, United Kingdom
Vivekannada, thanks for your reply. Can you give me any more examples of this craft being used or taught outside the village of Kinnal?

Author 11 months ago from India Hub Author
Of course there are similar art works at a place called Gokak and also at Channapatna which is 84km from Mysore. But Kinnal art is taught only at that place.