Led by the power of live music

Music in Hospitals & Care’s first research subcommittee into the therapeutic benefits of live music was established in the early 1950s.

Research and evaluation have continued to be the foundations that inform our programmes, including insights and findings from across the music and health sector and our own live music experiences.

In 2013 we began working with university researchers Dr Nigel Marshall and Dr Kagari Shibazaki to build on existing anecdotal evidence for improved wellbeing following live music in hospitals and care homes. The first studies focused on our live music experiences in dementia care homes and equivalent settings in Japan.

The partnership proved to be incredibly valuable in providing insights and evidence around the impact of our live music. Since then, Dr Marshall and Dr Shibazaki’s research has expanded to include hospice care and young adults with learning disabilities.

We have also worked with Salford Institute for Dementia at a specially created music café to conduct a study on how regular live music can enhance wellbeing and participation both for people living with dementia and their families.

As we continue to build on this research, it enables us to focus more on impact led work with those who can benefit the most from experiencing our live music.