Singapore, June 12 -- It is not uncommon for musicians to have a dream stage. Perhaps a sold-out arena or a dim jazz bar steeped in soul. Bakti Khair's is a hospital ward.

Becoming a music therapist was a hope he held onto for more than seven years. Through being a primary school music teacher, getting married and becoming a father, the dream never wavered.

As he put it: "Music therapy connects music, psychology and healthcare."

A burgeoning scene here, the clinical and evidence-based profession uses music to improve physical, emotional, cognitive and social well-being. Its use ranges from palliative and dementia care to pain management and early childhood intervention.

Bakti encountered music therapy while doing research for an under...