Laura Stephenson has been working with us in the South of England since 1986. She most recently performed at our Festive MusicaliTea event in Walton-on-Thames.
“The first live music I did was at a mental health hospital called St Francis in Sussex. It was an Elizabethan programme and we actually got dressed up in costumes. So that was quite an induction!
The power of music is incredible. I hear families say they can’t believe it because their father has disappeared, but then he’ll be singing all the words of a song they didn’t even know he knew. I’ve loved the work and found it incredibly humbling and extraordinary. More than in any other way of making music, you have to give the best of yourself. You are thinking of other people all the way through and you really want to take them away for a while. That’s such an incredible thing to be able to be a part of.
As the artist you’re merely the vehicle for the music. You bring your own interpretation, but you’re just passing it on really. Something that we all share in is the music. You’re the vehicle through which it goes, but the participants are all having an influence and make a difference. I often find it quite difficult to do a regular concert then because I’m so used to really interacting with the audience. And that’s the loveliest thing about it really.”
Kindness in harmony at Companies House
This Random Acts of Kindness Day, we are celebrating the Companies House choir in Cardiff, which brings colleagues together to boost wellbeing and raise funds for Music in Hospitals & Care.
Student Volunteering Week: Molly
It’s Student Volunteering Week, and we’re celebrating the important role student volunteers play in helping us share the joy of live music with communities across the UK.
Children’s Mental Health Week: Reuben’s Retreat
We’ve been sharing the joy of live music with children, their families and staff at Reuben’s Retreat in Glossop. The sessions are designed to soothe and support children with life limiting illnesses and offer an opportunity for families to connect with others who understand their experience.