One of the earliest memories of Dr. Rajendran is witnessing the salubrious effects of music in alleviating her grandmother’s stress and anxiety during her struggle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This experience left a lasting impression, leading her uncle, a great admirer of classical music, to enrol her in classical South Indian veena lessons. Two decades later, this memory resurfaced when Dr. Rajendran observed classical music being played for patients while serving as a visiting international medical student at the Stanford Cancer Institute. She was impressed by how effectively music was integrated into the U.S. healthcare system. Her mentor, Dr. Anthony D’Amico, the advisory dean of Harvard Medical School, encouraged her to explore the intersection of oncology and music.

As defined by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to achieve individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship, facilitated by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Despite the existence of AMTA-accredited music therapy professional services in the United States for over 70 years, music therapy is still not commonly included in core treatment teams. While some major hospitals offer music therapy for rehabilitation and supportive care, many healthcare settings still lack these services. Even when affiliated music therapy centres are available, physicians may be unaware of the services, leading to a lack of patient referrals.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses often highlight that research on music therapy is hindered by poor-quality randomized controlled trials and anecdotal evidence. There is a pressing need for well-designed randomized controlled trials across various clinical fields, including oncology, to build a robust evidence base for recommending music therapy to patients. In response, the Dr. Rajendran launched an advocacy-lecture-concert program called “Oncology and Strings,” the first of its kind globally, aimed at promoting the integration of music in healthcare. The primary objective is to motivate physicians and music therapists to conduct randomized controlled trials on music therapy, particularly in regions like India where it is not yet an accredited service. Furthermore, she created and distributed a free, copyright-free instrumental album titled “Chordae Tendineae” for use in hospice and palliative care centers, NGOs, and cancer centers, reaching approximately 10,000 patients.