Tune in for mental health

A young musician is helping people recognise the benefits of music therapy via an app

When 4-year-old Nirvaan Pandit joined the classes taught by his mother, a bansuri player and teacher, for three- and fouryear-olds, he learned more than music. Even though he was just a little boy at the time, he saw how his mother engaged with her students, and noted that music superseded any other form of communication and helped in the mental development of the children.

“Even the ones who were quiet and reserved became energetic and passionate,” says the Mumbai-based 17-year-old guitarist and pianist. “Music has been an integral part of my life and provides many positive developmental effects.” Which is why, at the age of 14, Nirvaan began a quest to democratise the effects of music that is still popular today.

Two volumes of tunes

Tapping into the fact that there are no forms of music therapy in India, the then-14-year-old Nirvaan, developed an app called Theratunes, aided by his elder sister, Keya, a pianist.

Theratunes has been running for three and a half years now, starting off as a measure for Nirvaan to compose and explore the way he could help people, and visit NGOS to study the impact of music therapy on the ground.

Their in-person programme experience helped them develop more lessons and expand and now, since the onset of the

“MANY PEOPLE IN INDIA DON’T BELIEVE IN SELFHELP OR ASPECTS OF THERAPY THAT HELP INDIVIDUALS IMPROVE THEMSELVES" —NIRVAAN PANDIT, MUSICIAN

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Nirvaan's app focusses on using music to evoke cognitive, emotional and physical responses