JK News Today

Raj Kumar Dogra, son of the soil, is the lone musician of Jammu and Kashmir, who is not only a musician but a Musical Therapy Expert. Dogra has done number of workshops and meditation therapy events for soldiers, students, patients and pregnant ladies in and out of J&K and continuing with the same.

 

Q: When you started all this and how?

Dogra: If I elaborate my journey, then it all started in 1991, when I took admission for Bachelor’s in Music from Fine Arts College under Jammu University. It was my aim to become a musician or actor, but that time I did not think on these lines and I only want to be a professional musician. I passed out in 1996 with Gold Medal and I was expert in Sitar. Then I moved to Mumbai and had learnt ‘Sitar Vadan’ under the guidance of Pandit Arvind Parikh of Ustad Vilayat Khani Gharana.

 

Q:  How you shifted to musical therapy from just a musician?

Dogra: After Mumbai, I gone to London and stayed there for three years and researched on therapy through music. It was the beginning of this therapy. Because I realized that classical music is the shortest way to God. This is the easiest way because it brings peace.

 

Q: What is Musical Therapy and how many programmes you have done in this?

Dogra: Musical therapy is basically meditation through music. When I play Sitar, the people just in relaxation mode listen it and go deep in their thoughts. While listening, they observe that they are just doing meditation, feeling much relax and stress free. It gives soothing vibes to the brain and heart. I worked on how to burst the stress from human brain. I have done number of programmes for soldiers, students, patients, pregnant women etc at many places in London, Mumbai, Delhi and J&K since 2009.

 

Q: How you got any award or reward for this and why you choose this over professional music?

Dogra: Relaxation of people is my award and reward. Though I got many certificates from various organisations for this therapy programmes. And I feel it is much better to earn money then to earn name and fame and more than that satisfaction from, what you are doing.

 

Q: What is way forward?

Dogra: Focusing on youth musicians, I want to open a musical meditation centre in Jammu, so that youth would learn this art and continue it as a profession and passion in their life.