Transforming experiences of healthcare and hospital for children and young people with complex needs

June 2025 News!

Musicians’ insights

Hello everyone and welcome to the June newsletter!

 Hello and welcome to our June newsletter! We're really proud of our young team, who continue to grow and develop through the opportunities we are able to offer them. This month, read insights into their work with medical students, get the latest updates on our RNCM Fledglings activities, and find out more about the Songbirds approach and how it began. Over to Gloria and our musicians, scroll down to read more – happy reading!

Wishing you all the very best,    

Ros, Mark and Juliet

Lead Musicians, Co-Founders and Co-Directors, Songbirds Music UK

Songbirds and medical students: Sound Environments & QEPEP Programme Highlights 

Over May and June, Songbirds musicians had the joy of working with medical students as part of the University of Manchester Medical School Quality & Evidence Personal Excellence Pathway alongside our regular Sound Environments sessions in the hospital. These sessions gave the medical students a chance to experience how live music can support wellbeing in healthcare spaces.

As Jodie, our Young Associate musician, shared:
“Leading the PEP sessions with medical students was a great opportunity to show them the impact Songbirds Music UK has in hospital settings. We set up right in the atrium so we could be seen and heard by everyone. The medical students joined in with percussion, singing, and even brought their own instruments. While some were shy at first about singing in public, once the children joined in, it all clicked and they saw the value the interactions had on everyone walking past including the patients, families and hospital staff,….it was great to see the cleaning and security staff smiling and dancing along to our music too!’ 

Our musicians invited the students to reflect on how music might positively affect the atmosphere of a hospital ward. They spoke about its calming effect, the way singing can ease tension, and how live instruments offer a welcome break from the routine of hospital life. These are things we regularly hear from patients and families—but it’s just as important for hospital staff to recognise the role music can play in shaping a more supportive and human environment.

Through these sessions, the students gained a deeper understanding of how live music and simple musical interactions can make a meaningful difference in clinical spaces. We hope this experience stays with them as they go forward in their medical careers, carrying a deeper understanding of how music can support wellbeing, communication, and joy in hospital spaces.

 Below : Jodie and fellow Young Associate musician Grace with some of this year’s medical students

Fledglings wrap-up

As our Fledgling musicians wrap up their residencies, the Fledgling Project 2025 is gently coming to an end. In a sentence: music met every child just as they were—and quietly reshaped the musicians along the way.

This year, young musicians from the RNCM brought warmth, creativity, and open hearts into children’s wards across Manchester. With their musical partners, they gently tuned into the moods of each space—softening anxiety, lifting moods, and sparking joyful, playful moments.

Julia, a pianist who picked up her violin again for the project, said it felt like learning a new skill from scratch. A lively 10-year-old—“like a little rock star”—turned her improvisation into a musical game, full of laughter and surprise.

For Tammy, another third-year pianist, one special moment stood out: when a distressed child settled down with the music, picked up egg shakers, and reached out for a hug from her mum mid-song. “It was such a heartwarming and beautiful moment,” she reflected.

These small, powerful moments remind us why this work matters. In unfamiliar spaces, music offered comfort, choice, and connection.

From first notes to growing confidence, this year’s Fledgling project has been full of musical firsts—for the children, families, and the young musicians too. We’re incredibly proud of everything this year’s Fledgling musicians have brought to the wards—and can’t wait to see where their wings take them next.

Gloria and Helena, who took music into the Starlight Unit at Wythenshawe Hospital, met children and families in corridors, waiting areas, hospital bays and even outside in the play area - one parent said:

“My daughter really enjoyed the music, it put a smile on her face and she even put down her tablet to listen and join in. She said she wishes they could play for her at home too. ”

A big thank-you to all the musicians, mentors, hospital staff, and families who made it all possible.

Below: Helena and Gloria with Health Play Specialist Pip

Songbirds’ Approach

At Songbirds Music UK, we believe that every child—no matter their circumstances—deserves the chance to make a little noise, play, and feel seen. Our approach began with Ros and Mark’s award-winning Songbirds project, where music found its way into hospital rooms, intensive care units, and the hearts of children with the most complex healthcare needs.

Many of the children we encounter spend long stretches in hospital. Some can’t speak, but they can listen, feel, respond,and even lead. And that’s where the music begins. In these sessions, a heartbeat might become a rhythm, a blink might become a cue, and a sigh might shape a whole song.

These gentle, joyful encounters don’t just lift spirits—they can support children’s cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems too. It’s music that moves with the child. Or as the Building Better Healthcare Awards judges said:

 “An outstanding winner—especially enhancing for children who cannot communicate verbally.”

Ros brings years of experience as a hospital musician (and a PhD too!), while Mark’s work is shaped by his own time in hospital - plus his creativity as a composer. Together, they don’t just bring music into hospital settings—they build little musical worlds where children can play, explore, and just be themselves.

As one NHS colleague said:

“They’re not just the icing on the cake—they’re an ingredient within the NHS.”
And we think that ingredient is magic.

Songbirds Share 

Some little moments from our Fledgling sessions this month—shared by the children and families we’ve had the joy of making music:

“I really enjoyed the music because it was very relaxing and kept you in the moment.” – from a young musician-in-the-making

“Really, really the best! After having a very bad experience with hospitalisation, this has been one of the only things that calms us down—me and my little baby. It really took us far away from reality.” – from a mum

“We love to enjoy that and both ladies are so kind. LOVE MUSIC!” – another joyful voice from a child

These words mean the world to us. Every session is a reminder that music can create small, safe spaces—where joy, calm, and connection gently take root.

Thank you to all the little ones and grown-ups who sing, shake, listen, and laugh with us.

Thanks for reading!!

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