Musician Spotlight: Bernie Fawcett

Our diverse community of professional musicians play an instrumental role in helping us achieve our mission to create connections and shared, meaningful live music experiences for people in hospitals and care. We work with over 300 musicians, including some who have been with us for many years and have seen lots of changes to popular music, health and care settings and the charity over the decades.

Singer and guitarist Bernie Fawcett has been working with us in the North of England and North Wales since 2015. Bernie began his musical career playing at weddings, wine bars and on cruise ships, and has found sharing live music with hospital patients and care home residents rewarding and a great way to communicate with people.

“Like meditation or prayer, music can transport people to a different place, a happy place. I think everybody enjoys music. It’s a good feeling. It brings people together and can change lives,” says Bernie, who has witnessed first-hand the emotional responses that live music can evoke. “Occasionally you see people crying or tapping and singing along. You notice with some dementia patients that they know the words – it triggers a memory. Music is really about communication, which is the important thing. As a performer, it’s about the people. We’re just a vehicle to help them get to a good place.”

Bernie regularly visits two mental health services for older adults in Liverpool – Leigh Moss Hospital and Heys Court. He says of his recent live music experiences there for World Mental Health Day: “I felt as though they were very engaged. People have told me that they really enjoy the music and you can see by them singing along to the well-known songs. I think music has the ability to carry people through tough times, especially those struggling with mental health. It’s like a therapy – a place of solace and reflection. Music can help people find peace.”

Find out more about our musicians at mihc.org.uk/our-people/musicians and about music for mental health at mihc.org.uk/our-programmes/mental-health. Your support means we can we share the healing power of live music with those who need it most. Please give today.