College students enthral patients with fusion music

KOCHI: It was sheer motivation and the desire to learn more about music therapy that encouraged 15 students from the Women’s Cell of St Teresa’s College to string together memorable melodies and fusion music for the weekly ‘Arts and Medicine’ programme at the General Hospital on Wednesday. The weekly music therapy entered its 208th episode, this week.

Seven of the students rendered solo performances while the others sang in groups. The bouquet included evergreen hits like Onnam Ragam Padi, Paadam Pootha Kaalam, Ola Thumbathirunnooyaladum Chella Painkili and Oru Madhurakinavin Lahariyilinnoru.

Students from St Teresa’s college have taken part in the Arts and Medicine programme previously, but this is the first time the Women’s Cell of the college has coordinated with the organisers, said Thara Sebastian, assistant professor, Department of Home Science, who is also the main staff coordinator of the Women’s Cell.

“It’s the cause that we are primarily concerned about, but our visits to the hospital also have an educational purpose. Our students from different streams have visited several times as part of their courses. The hospital is equipped with an efficient palliative care unit and our MSc students had been here to prepare their thesis. Now, it has an efficiently run music therapy programme and we are happy to participate in this endeavour,” she said.

Jyothi K V, a student of MSc Child Development course said some of them are singing for the first time, but that did not deter them from giving their best. “The support was tremendous. It instilled in us the confidence to give the best,” she said.