 
Center for Music Therapy Education and Research (CMTER) celebrated its 6th anniversary on 10.02.17 in alignment to its visionary spirits and pioneering mission of introducing Music Therapy as a Complementary Medicine into its regular medical care. Functioning under the Deanery of Research and Allied Health Sciences, headed by Prof. N. Ananthakrishnan, the Center is currently headed by Dr. Sumathy Sundar. The Center has provided patient services since 2010, trained aspiring music therapists, supervised interns and students and has contributed considerably to the body of literature of music therapy in many international journals of repute so far. The anniversary event began with the unique musical invocation of the nathaswaram of Indian music and a musical rendition of both the welcome address and introduction of the Chief Guest. Former Director of Internal Medicine, Madras Medical College and presently the Dean, Govt. Medical College, Perambalur – Music Maestro Kalaimamani and Padmashri Prof. Dr. Sirkali G Sivachidambaram was the guest of honor and delivered the keynote address. SBV Vice Chancellor Prof. KR Sethuraman spoke on the pioneering mission crafted by the university to introduce music therapy as an innovative method with a salutogenic focus into medical sciences. Prof. N Ananthakrishnan, Dean, Allied Health Sciences delivered the felicitations and spoke on the activities of the Center, the academic initiatives, overseas collaborations, research initiatives and publications, and the patient care services provided in diverse areas by the Center. Dr. SirkaliSivachidambaram spoke on the evidence showing the effectiveness of specific ragas on specific medical conditions, and also how it is difficult to explain listening to a particular raga is beneficial in a particular medical condition, considering multiple aspects of Indian ragas, diverse culture of patients multifactorial nature of health and illnesses and how more research is needed in this area. He appreciated that SBV serves as a model for future music therapy centers in the country and also stressed the need for developing music therapy programs in government medical colleges and hospitals for which SBV would serve as a model and how future music therapy centers could look up to CMTER for the development, research and clinical applications of music therapy. The program ended with the CMTER faculty and students rendering a musical vote of thanks.
