Anger, Joy and Hope: Reflections of a Revolutionary. An Interview with Nigel Osborne.

Abstract

Leslie Bunt's Introduction to the interview:It gives me great pleasure to introduce this text written by music therapy colleague Alpha Woodward. For quite some time Alpha and I have been exploring how to communicate to the international music therapy community through ‘Voices’ something of the essence of the work of a quite remarkable man, Nigel Osborne. Alpha has provided a creative solution to this challenge by interweaving excerpts of an interview with Nigel within the context of a case study exploring the background and evolution of the Pavarotti Music Centre in Mostar. As Alpha points out in her text Nigel Osborne is a great friend and ambassador of music therapy, although not ‘formally trained’ as a music therapist. His work touches on so much that is fundamental to the work of music therapists and as he says ‘enlivening children through song.’ But Nigel goes further in combining this passion for music with his burning desire for social justice and action.