Music as medicine | Praharshitha (Prashy) Veeramraju | TEDxKids@SMU

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.

Have you ever wondered about the physical effects on the human body due to music? The toll each musical note takes upon each organ? What about the psychological effects of music? What does music do to people?

My name is Praharshitha Veeramraju and I am a senior attending Heritage High School in Frisco, TX. I am a philanthropist. I have organized two fundraisers raising money for both lupus and attaining physical therapy equipment for children in India. I am also very passionate about the art form of music. I play a classical Indian instrument, called veena, and I sing Carnatic music. I am a student aspiring to be a doctor in my future years. More specifically, I plan on being a neonatologist, as infants are where my true zeal lies. I am very thankful that I am able to present my two passions and the path they share.

Hi everyone. How are you?

Raise your hand if you listen to music.

How many of you listen to music

when you're stressed out,
anxious, or all of the above?

Does it help?

So it's safe to assume that music
helps us psychologically, right?

Do any of you think
music can help us physically?

(Audience) Yes.

I do too.

Let me explain.

Music is defined

as a combination of vocal or instrumental
sounds to produce harmonies.

So what's a sound?

Well, a sound is just
a bunch of vibrations

that are traveled through air,
plasma, or other mediums

and can be heard when they reach the ear
of an animal or a human.

The key word here is vibrations.

Vibrations are known to affect
the human body in so many ways.

In fact, a research study
done in Berlin University

demonstrated that
the vibrations of a bugle

can kill bacteria and germs.

Isn't that cool?

How many of you listen to music
for at least an hour a day?

Did you know that listening to music
for at least an hour a day

kills cortisol?

Cortisol is one of the main stress
hormones in the human body.

It's what makes us frustrated or angry

and all those negative emotions
that we feel from day to day.

The brain is one of
the main things that uses music.

We use music all the time
to help us calm down

even if we don't know about it.

In fact, classical melodies,
pop music, and jazz

can stop seizures and strokes
from reoccurring.

Did you all know that?

I know I didn't.

Did you also know

that music and your blood pressure
and pulse have a direct relationship?

So, our heartbeat, or a human's heartbeat,
at average is around 72 beats per minute.

So if you listen to music
anywhere from 70 to 75 beats per minute,

you tend to feel calm and relaxed,

while if you listen to music
that's lower than 70 beats per minute,

you feel edgy and anxious.

But if you listen to music
that's greater than 75 beats per minute,

you tend to feel energetic and excited.

How many of you know

the seven syllables
that are taught to us in music class

starting from elementary school?

I'd like to reintroduce my little sister
to come sing those seven syllables.

(Applause) (Cheers)

Sister: (Singing) Do re mi fa so la ti.

Prashy: In Carnatic music,
a traditional South Indian form of music,

there are also seven notes.

Sister: (Singing)
Sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni.

Prashy: Bye.

(Laughter)

The number seven is very important
so keep that at the back of your mind.

How many of you know how long it takes

for one blood cell to travel
through the entire human body?

I think I heard it: seven minutes.

And one pluck of the veena,
a South Indian traditional instrument

from the bridge to the base of the frets,

for the vibrations to travel
through the instrument

takes seven minutes.

Mind blowing, right?

What's even more fascinating

is that the structure of the veena

is almost entirely identical
to the human body.

Let's take a look at this picture.

As you can see,
there are 24 frets on the veena.

Just as there are 24
presacral vertebrae on the human body.

The frets, or the length of the frets,
is 18 inches long,

just as the human
body's spine is 18 inches.

And the distance between the frets
in the lower octave

is quite thicker than it is
for the higher octave,

just as our spine is thicker at the base,
or at the bottom right here,

than it is at the neck.

What you did not know, probably,

is that different scales
played on the veena

can actually provoke
different therapeutic effects.

And there's so many scales,
as shown on this picture,

and as much as I would
love to stand here

and explain each effect
that each scale has,

I know some of you all
want to go trick-or-treating tonight,

so I'm just going to name a few.

Nattai gives courage
and confidence when played.

Hindolam purifies the blood
and it also decreases blood pressure,

or brings down the level
or numbers of your blood pressure.

Nalinakanthi gives off a pleasing effect
when it is heard or played.

And at this time, I would like
to play a song for you guys on the veena.

(Applause)

(Veena music)

(Applause)

Music is something strange,

but it's also very familiar.

It's strangely familiar.

Thank you.

(Applause)