Our stories
People are at the heart of what we do. Discover some of our stories from across the UK to find out more about how people in health and care are benefitting from live music experiences.
Singer and guitarist Edelle McMahon has been working with us in Northern Ireland since 2018, and began sharing the joy of live music with people at Belfast’s Northern Ireland Hospice in 2021.
Edelle’s live music experiences involve moving from room to room, allowing her to connect with one person or family at a time and adapt to each individual’s needs.
“Every single door I stop on is like a performance for one, and it is very personal. The acoustics in the hospice are incredible. You are walking through this beautiful corridor with high slanted ceilings, and the sound just fills the space. But more than that, it is the emotional connection that matters. Families are often in tears. If it is a song someone truly loves or one that awakens a memory, it can be a really moving moment.”
Since 2023, professional musicians from Music in Hospitals & Care have been sharing live music with Carmarthen Breakthro’, a charity supporting children aged 4-18 with physical and learning disabilities in Carmarthenshire.
Music in Hospitals & Care musician Chris Knibbs explains how he adapts each live music experience to suit the group’s energy:
“For a young group like this, we increase the speed of the music. They’ve got loads of energy and they want to use it. I usually take the instrument up, not playing it, so that they can touch it and then move it a little bit. They can feel the vibrations and they’re in control.”
The Redwoods Centre is a mental health inpatient facility in Shrewsbury. It also welcomes people from the community to its bistro area and light filled atrium, where Music in Hospitals & Care musicians play every month.
Jessica Kent is the Arts for Health Lead at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. She tells us why the live music is beneficial for patients, staff and family members.
Bringing live music to either the ward or in a public area provides the patients with a moment of relaxation and allows them to tune into a different kind of vibe. It’s important for our staff because it cuts through the dynamic of the ward.
Manchester Sensory Support Service works with families of children with visual and hearing needs in Manchester from birth until they leave school. Music in Hospitals & Care musicians visit the babies and toddlers group in the community room at Asda Eastlands around once a month.
Leah has been coming to the sessions with her 17 month old son, Amari, for over a year.
Deaf and hearing impaired children being exposed to music, especially in this small group, is very important. They can interact with and touch the instruments to feel the vibrations.
Alexander is two years old and lives at home with his parents and two older brothers. They go to Kites Corner in Gloucester for respite care and daytime support. We recently joined them there for a family music day.
Alexander loved doing the actions along with the nursery rhymes so I know he thoroughly enjoyed it – his smile proved it too.
Keshia looks after her four children, two of which have additional needs. She started coming to Lifted Carers Centre in Wythenshawe just a few weeks ago and has been back almost every day since. One of the first activities she took part in with the group was a Music in Hospitals & Care live music experience.
It uplifted my emotions and put a smile on my face.
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