RNCM Professional Placement
Music and Health with Songbirds Music UK
Discovering the Power of Music in Healthcare
Songbirds Music UK is delighted to partner with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) to deliver the Music and Health strand of the Year 3 Professional Placement module.
Through this placement, emerging musicians are invited to discover how creativity, listening and collaboration can transform experiences in healthcare environments. Working alongside experienced practitioners, students explore the unique role of musicians in hospitals and develop the skills, confidence and sensitivity needed to create meaningful musical moments with children, young people, families and healthcare staff.
For many students, this is their first opportunity to experience music-making beyond traditional performance settings — discovering how music can become a way of connecting, communicating and supporting wellbeing.
Learning Through Real-World Experience
The placement is led by Music in Healthcare specialists Dr Ros Hawley and Mark Fisher, who guide students through a combination of training sessions, workshops, discussions and practical experiences.
Students learn how to prepare and create music in healthcare settings through co-creative approaches, where music is shaped together with the people involved. Rather than focusing on a fixed outcome, students explore the importance of listening, responding and adapting — allowing each musical experience to be guided by individual needs, interests and moments of connection.
Throughout the placement, students take part in one-to-one and small-group music sessions, creative activities, collaborative workshops and observations in hospital wards, public spaces and Paediatric Critical Care at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH).
They also explore how music interacts with the hospital environment itself, considering how sound, space and creativity can help transform everyday healthcare experiences.
Growing as Creative and
Reflective Musicians
Music in healthcare asks musicians to bring more than technical ability. It requires curiosity, empathy, flexibility and the confidence to respond in the moment.
Through this experience, students develop their improvisation, communication and collaborative skills while learning how to create inclusive musical experiences for a wide range of people. They explore different ways of making music — from sound exploration and improvisation to learning songs by ear — and discover the joy of creating music that is shared rather than simply performed.
The placement encourages students to rethink what musical success can look like: sometimes it is not about perfection, but about creating a meaningful interaction, a moment of connection or a shared experience.
Exploring Music, Health and Ethics
Connecting Students
with Future Possibilities
The placement opens up new perspectives on the many ways musicians can contribute to society.
Through conversations with RNCM alumni who are now developing projects and careers in healthcare settings, students gain insight into different professional pathways, further training opportunities and the expanding role of musicians beyond the concert stage.
The experience supports students in imagining a future where their creative skills can reach new audiences and make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Alongside practical learning, students are introduced to current research and discussions within the field of Music in Healthcare.
Through presentations, workshops and conversations with specialists, students explore the opportunities and responsibilities of working as a musician in healthcare settings. Contributions from partners including the Danish Academy Music and Health Programme, the BN Nurse Education Creative Health Training Programme at the University of Chester, and Therapeutic and Specialised Play Services at RMCH provide students with a broader understanding of creative health practice.
These discussions encourage students to consider the importance of ethical, person-centred approaches and how musicians can work respectfully within healthcare communities.
Students also have ongoing opportunities to reflect on their experiences through conversations with mentors and peers, supporting both personal and professional development.
Student Experiences
RNCM UG3 Placement Module – Class of 2026
Each year, Songbirds Music UK welcomes RNCM students to explore what it means to make music in children’s hospital settings.
Students begin their journey through preparation sessions,online observations and practical workshops before entering the hospital environment. These experiences help them understand the importance of following each person’s lead, offering choice and responding to different ways of communicating.
Students have reflected on how the placement has changed their understanding of music-making and expanded their creative practice:
“As someone who is interested in going into music therapy, this experience has been really beneficial as a starting point. I have gained new experiences in working with young people and in medical settings, and it has confirmed my passion for this sort of work.”
— Annie, RNCM UG3 Student
“It’s been really refreshing to have a new approach to making music, reminding us all that it’s so much more than perfecting music — it’s music for pure enjoyment.”
— Isabella, RNCM UG3 Student
“Eye-opening […] getting a feel for new music settings and a fun learning experience.”
— Lewis, RNCM UG3 Student
Through this placement, students develop not only practical musical skills, but also a deeper understanding of empathy, responsiveness and the human impact of music.
Shaping the Musicians of Tomorrow
Our partnership with RNCM supports the next generation of musicians in exploring new possibilities for their creative practice.
By experiencing music in healthcare first-hand, students leave with greater confidence, adaptability and awareness — prepared to build careers that are artistically ambitious, socially engaged and responsive to the communities around them.
At Songbirds Music UK, we believe music has the power to create moments of connection wherever they are needed.