Episode 94
First aired January 30, 2019
Training musicians in India to become clinicians In this interview Dr. Margaret Lobo explains to Dr.Vijay Murthy her journey of regaining her voice after an illness when she was in her teens to establishing The Music Therapy Trust in the UK. Margaret shares her experience of how her own life led to helping thousands of children and adults by using music as therapy. She now works mostly in India and has established the first ever music therapist training programme. Margaret explains how her work in India can change the world of children and older people who would benefit immensely from music therapy.
About our Guest
Dr Margaret Lobo has worked tirelessly in the field of music therapy for over 30 years to help some of the most vulnerable people in society in the UK and India. Together with a small team of highly skilled and dedicated therapists in London, she built up the work of the Otakar Kraus Music Trust (www.okmtrust.co.uk) from modest beginnings to an organisation operating in 17 venues providing over 3,000 music therapy sessions annually for over 250 people.
INDIA - In 2005, Margaret was invited to extend her work to India and Nepal, where she established The Music Therapy Trust as a registered charity, starting the first Post Graduate Diploma in music therapy training Indian musicians to become qualified music therapists. Over the past 10 years the students have provided clinical music therapy on a volunteer basis as part of their training at over 70 NGO’s for hundreds of children and adults who are disabled or marginalised, including slum children, those with cancer, palliative care, gender issues and isolated elderly with dementia & Alzheimer’s.
Margaret is one of the named mentors for the ‘ASHA Foundation, “Inspirational Women from Around the World” and in 2003 was nominated for the Beacon prize for her philanthropic work. In 2007, she was awarded a Fellowship from the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA) and in 2010 received an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University for her major contribution to the community in the UK, India and Nepal in the field of Health and Social Sciences.
In November 2017 Margaret and her late husband Walter were both presented with the International Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award for their 30 years of volunteer service to their music therapy work in the UK, India and Nepal.
In January 2018 the Prime Minister of Great Britain honoured Margaret with a “Point of Light” award for her inspiring voluntary work and fundraising for The Otakar Kraus Music Trust in the UK. The money raised and the work done in establishing and running the charity has made a real difference to people in the community. This is the Prime Minister’s daily award for volunteers, recognising outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making positive changes in their communities.
