Meet our Live Music Coordinators

Music in Hospitals & Care’s Music Delivery team works throughout the UK in partnership with health and care organisations to share the healing power of live music.

We have Live Music Coordinators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, North of England, and South of England and Channel Islands. You can also meet our Live Music Managers.

Live Music Coordinator Scotland – Penny Johnston

Hello, I’m Penny. I am originally from Perthshire but moved to Edinburgh to attend college.

Before joining Music in Hospitals & Care I worked for various charities, for example, supporting people with learning disabilities to achieve their best through arts, crafts, music, and dance and also supporting people with mental health problems return to paid work. I also worked arranging audio-visual equipment for conferences and events.

I was drawn to become involved with Music in Hospitals & Care as I was a semi-professional singer and was involved in running and performing in community choirs and vocal workshops. Music has always been a huge part of my life – even when I was a child I loved to perform for my family standing on the dining room table with a hairbrush as my microphone!

Working for Music in Hospitals & Care has strengthened my belief that music heals and in particular live music. I have been very fortunate over the years to have observed personally the wonderful skill of the musicians in bringing the light back into people’s lives and my own life. As part of the Music Delivery Team, I am looking forward to sharing more impactful live music going forwards.

Live Music Coordinator Wales and Northern Ireland – Chloe Baker

Hi, I’m Chloe. I joined Music in Hospitals and Care in May 2021, supporting the delivery of private and public live stream sessions. In my current role, I have enjoyed organising and attending live music, and building relationships with musicians and health and care settings.

I look forward to continuing this as it is always a joy to see the impact live music has and our musicians are not only talented at performing, but they are experts at engaging the people receiving it and adapting to the setting they are in.

I graduated with a BMus(Hons) in 2019 from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as a violinist. I found my love of performing with others during my studies and continued to perform as a freelance musician with string quartets, orchestras and bands. I still enjoy my performance work but I have always had an interest in the organisational side too! I went on to work at National Youth Arts Wales and National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, two amazing organisations that help young people access and enjoy the arts. I am also a new member of the Association of British Orchestras and a focus group of The Limelight Orchestra. These opportunities have helped me develop new skills and connect with people that have improved my way of working in my performance and at Music in Hospitals & Care.

It has been a real pleasure to help expand new and existing projects in Wales and Northern Ireland and I am excited to continue sharing the amazing impact it has on so many people. I look forward to receiving feedback and visiting live music sessions in the future, as it is important to reflect and improve the way we work but it is also a reminder of why we do what we do.

Live Music Coordinator North of England – Lara Osborne

Hello! I’m Lara. I was born and raised in Hull, Yorkshire but am now based in Manchester.

I have been with the organisation since the end of 2019, initially as a volunteer before becoming a full time Live Music Coordinator for the North of England.

I joined the charity shortly after graduating university where I studied Chemistry. Outside of my degree is where I began working in the third sector with organisations partnered with my university, most focused in social mobility and inclusion.

I have always enjoyed live music and go out to gigs and concerts as often as I can. It’s been an eye-opening experience to see the effects of live music in care settings and I’ve felt moved in some way at every live music experience I’ve witnessed.

Having seen the continued commitment and passion of all those involved as we navigated the pandemic and now as we grow and develop our impactful work, I feel extremely proud to be a part of Music in Hospitals & Care.

Live Music Coordinator Scotland – Courtney Mackin

Hi, I’m Courtney. I live in Glasgow but I’m frequently between both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

I also work freelance for some youth music projects in Scotland and my experience of how music can impact on people’s lives is what drew me to the position at Music in Hospitals & Care. I’m thrilled to be a part of such a lovely team here!

I studied HND level music performance at Glasgow Kelvin College and then went on to study BA(Hons) Commercial Music at the University of the West of Scotland. Studying both the performing and business side of music has given me experience of two different sides of the music industry and enabled me to gain skills that has equipped me for my role at Music in Hospitals & Care. I still write, record and perform my own music as a singer-songwriter, I usually perform mostly in Scotland but occasionally around the UK.

It’s such a delight to work for Music in Hospitals & Care and to be able to make music accessible to people who not only benefit greatly from it but also may not have access to it otherwise. One of my favourite things about my work is receiving all of the lovely feedback from settings and musicians on the impact of live music.

Live Music Coordinator South of England and Channel Islands – Sunny Shehab

Hello! I’m Sunny. I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, but moved to Brighton in 2018. I joined Music in Hospitals & Care as Live Music Coordinator for South England and the Channel Islands in March 2023. It has been a real pleasure to support the delivery of live music to regular and new settings, and see its impact on people’s wellbeing first hand.

My home for 18 years, I learnt to admire Lebanon for its resilience and community regardless of circumstance. From a passionate and artistic family, I started playing the piano at 7 and flute at 10. Music quickly became my means to express myself, and allowed me to build connections and memories born from common musicianship. I gained recognition for my musical contributions to my school and Beirut community, such as volunteer work, fundraising, and live music community events with jazz bands and orchestras. In Brighton, I graduated with a BA Honours in Music after 3 years at the University of Sussex. During and after my degree, I pursued my passion for music composition independently and released a debut album alongside other tracks.

As a charity, Music in Hospitals & Care represent the values I have carried between my two countries. As a musician myself, live music’s positive, healing power is undeniable, and should be accessible to everyone. I look forward to working with talented musicians and a range of unique settings to help bring a smile to people’s faces.

Live Music Coordinator South of England and Channel Islands – Ali Kelly

*Currently on Maternity Leave

Live Music Coordinator South England and Channel Islands (Maternity cover) – Elliot Shulman

Hi, I’m Elliot. I was born in Portsmouth and brought up in Gosport, Hampshire. I am now based in Chichester, West Sussex.

I have recently joined the charity in July 2023 to provide maternity cover.

My professional background in based healthcare administration, having worked for the NHS for many years. However, I am also a musician who plays and organises live music in my local area. Having contributed to festivals, live music and recordings over the years, I was happy to combine and pursue my passions with the charity.

From my first day working for the charity, I have noticed the powerful impact and healing qualities music has on people. It is an honour to represent Music in Hospitals & Care with what I’ve always loved to do, and I look forward to seeing my journey unfold day by day.