Projects
Songbirds@RMCH…
is a multiple award-winning flagship music programme at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Developed over 15 years, our team of musicians, work alongside Therapeutic and Specialised Play Services and hospital staff teams to deliver a bespoke and interactive music programme with children and families to improve and enhance the hospital experience. We work across all wards but particularly focus our specialist work on children with very complex needs, disabilities and/or life-limiting illnesses who are currently undergoing a journey of transition; from ward-to-ward, ward-to-home and into adult services.
Sound Environments…
is an ongoing music project in the Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) unit at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Led by senior music for health specialist musicians; Dr Rosalind Hawley and Mark Fisher in partnership with Eleanor Aston, PCC Ward Manager and linked to Therapeutic and Specialised Play Services, our team of musicians deliver weekly live music sessions to both clinical spaces, a programme of staff training and awareness sessions, and create online resources for families and staff. A key element of the project is the use of live music to alter auditory experience of the existing acoustic environment, with the aim to relieve stress and anxiety and provide a more therapeutic and responsive acoustic for children, families and staff.
Songbirds@Salford…
is a remote music project working with our partner Salford CVS to provide families with regular multi-sensory storytelling and music sessions. The families we work with have a child with complex needs and disabilities who may be shielding and more isolated from school and activities due to COVID-19, or their complex healthcare needs make leaving the home more challenging. The music creates stimulating experiences for the children to aid wellbeing, enhance communication and support families to develop the skills and confidence to make music in the home.
Songbirds Share…
is our professional and public engagement strand of work; incorporating training, CPD and workforce development to share practice, build a specialist musician workforce and use our track record of excellence in the field to further increase our profile as a recognised music and health hub for the northwest region. Working with our training partners at RNCM, Salford University, University of Chester and Manchester Medical School we deliver online and ward-based training programmes with music, nursing and medical students. We also deliver a CPD training programme for young music leaders (SYC – Songbirds Young Creators), a remote network of immuno-suppressed musicians and chair a national Youth Music in Healthcare Organisation Network. Our planned Wingbeats conference in Spring 2022, will showcase evaluation findings and case studies from our programme as well as profiling and exploring best practice in music in healthcare.
Songbirds Music UK: Music Interaction Telepresence Robot Trial…
trialled, developed and evaluated the use of a telepresence robot; ‘Jamie Moon’ during October 2021 to March 2022, as an interface for delivering enhanced remote live musical interaction sessions with hospitalised children in paediatric settings. The trial used music as a vehicle to innovate new knowledge for professionals across health and communication in using computerised devices to interact with patients at increased risk of isolation due to debilitating illness, limited communication, immuno-suppression and COVID-19 restrictions.
