By Seli Baisie
Mawuyrami Ocloo is Ghana’s first trained Music Therapist. She was born and bred in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. Her musical journey began at age 8.
Mawuyrami Ocloo in an interview with co-host Valerie Danso on the GTV Breakfast Show explained how her musical journey started.
According to her, A German caucasian Woman taught her elder brother and sister how to play the piano, and they also taught her.
She said education is expensive and she had help from the Late Professor Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, who took her to GETFUND where she got a scholarship to study Music Therapy at Maryville University of St. Louis, Missouri. us the United States of America.
Furthermore, she wanted to know and experience music and therefore decided to pursue music as just performance and going for programs.
When asked when a person needed Music Therapy, she said; “A person needs Music Therapy, depending on their strength and weakness. For instance, if you have a premature baby, they would need Music Therapy to help calm them down with oxygen saturation, help build their motor growth skills. If a child has a speech challenge, or physical challenge or an emotional challenge Music Therapy can help even for the elderly”.
She added, a Music Therapist should be versatile in a number of instruments and pass out proficiency.
She concluded by saying Music Therapy has helped parents see that children with special needs have potential and help curb the stigma with persons with disabilities. She also urges the public to get in touch and get some knowledge in Music Therapy or learn to become a trained Music Therapist.
Mawuyrami is a pioneer in Music Therapy in Ghana (the 1st officially trained Music Therapist in Ghana ). She established the Music Therapy Association of Ghana (MTAG) which champions the course of Music Therapy in Ghana, West Africa.
Below is the full interview;
