Drums, rattles, and other primitive instruments were used to bring people together in celebration. Harvest times, changes of season, births, deaths, and initiation rites were some of the occasions . Music was used to call upon the spirits, for prayer, and for exorcism. Here are some of the ways music is being used around the world and in traditional cultures. Chinese traditional music therapy is being used today in China.
Music is played on traditional instruments to aid patients with modern disorders.
In Japan Western classical and romantic music is sometimes prescribed for various ailments. At hospitals and universities throughout India traditional Indian music is used as a therapeutic tool. In Madras, India the Raga Research Center experiments with different ragas for use in music therapy. They have found two particular ones they believe to be beneficial in treating hypertension and mental illness. In Africa music is used in celebration and religion.