Transforming healthcare through music-making for children & young people with complex needs

Songbirds Music UK
April 2022 Newsletter

Hello and a warm welcome to our April Newsletter. We are busy with our training sessions at the moment with the RNCM 3rd Year students finishing their course in early May. Most of them have been able to observe remote sessions in hospital and home settings – hopefully next year we will be able to take them into the hospital wards in person again. In this month’s newsletter we give an update on this year’s PEP training with medical students. We also outline our Short Breaks project in the Salford community, which is going very well and it is inspiring to work with such talented children and young people. Speaking of which – a big welcome to our new volunteer Jasmine!

Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend,

Mark
Mark Fisher - Co-Director of SMUK / Specialist Healthcare Musician

‘It just filled my heart with calm and joy to see my child in his full element during these sessions. Dancing, singing, making up his own songs it was just amazing to be a part of it. It has definitely lifted our spirits which was much needed. There were times when he might have had a difficult day in school and just wanted to listen; he just cuddled up to me which he doesn't do very often. We really hope that more families have the opportunity to experience the sessions as it really brought calm and entertainment in to our home’.

Short Break Remote Music Project - Parent

Songbirds Share…

In October 2021 we received a prestigious award from Innovate UK Creative Industries fund to complete a 6-month trial in the use of a telepresence robot as an interface for delivering enhanced remote live musical interaction sessions. The robot was piloted at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, in the Nursing Simulation Suite at the University of Chester, in partnership with Philip Barker Centre for Creative Learning and in a family home community setting. We commissioned a film-maker to document the project and produce a short film to celebrate and profile the project.

Wingbeats Conference Update:
We have made the decision to postpone this event until autumn when we feel confident we can deliver it in a safe, hybrid approach of in-person and remote activity. Watch this space for more information!

Our work relies on fundraising and donations and we are so grateful for any donations you are able to make, no matter how big or small. If you would like to support Songbirds Music UK and help us to continue our work, please visit our donations page by clicking below.
Thank you!

You can follow us on various social media channels.
Just click on any of the icons below.