The librarian at the Govinda Dasa College, Surathkal, has launched a unique experiment of playing classical music in the library for the last three years.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Mani Krishnaswamy Academy on “Influence of music on reading habit”, librarian K. Balakrishna said that he had been playing Indian classical music in the library for about two hours every evening to acquaint students with it.
A connoisseur of classical music, Mr. Balakrishna said, “It is the responsibility of the society to expose children to classical music, even if they don't want it. We need to give children ‘kashaya' because it is good for health.”
The soothing sounds of violin, veena, saxophone, and flute would help students focus better on their reading. By listening to the music over a period of time, students would learn to distinguish between various ragas, he said.
Mr. Balakrishna said that he was careful in checking whether students were getting disturbed by the music. “In three years' time, no student has asked me to stop the music. On the contrary, it it is not played on, some enquire why it is not there. Now, I see some students reacting to the tunes and beats of the music with hands and feet,” he said.
It had been found through various studies in the past that music had a definite impact on health. Various ragas had a healing effect on the mind and body, he said and added that similar experiments were being tried in some colleges in Shimoga and Hubli.
