The Healing Power of Music

With hospitals restricting visitors while the coronavirus remains a threat, we had no choice but to move to digital resources and virtual visits, starting off in summer 2020 with some new recordings by LSO Principal Flute Gareth Davies. These were to aid NHS Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist Melanie Peck, and LSO Early Years Animateur Vanessa King in their work on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Royal London Hospital supporting parents, carers and nurses to read the early communication cues of premature babies.

In pre-Covid times, LSO musicians would play short musical excerpts to prompt parents and carers to recognise their baby’s states of alertness, identify cues and adapt behaviours. As Melanie says,

Vanessa outlines the main musical aims of the work on NICU:

1. To show the parents/carers just how important their own voices are to their premature babies and how singing to the babies can have such strong positive health effects on both baby and parent/carer.
2. To show the parents/carers how listening, singing and dancing to music can support all of their own emotions whatever they be, during this very challenging time where often the parents/carers can forget about their own welfare and needs.

We hope that by using Gareth’s new video recordings, Mel will be able to re-establish the same atmosphere on the unit while Vanessa and LSO musicians are not able to be there in person and Mel leads sessions alone on the ground, allowing parents, carers and nurses to express their emotions and ultimately communicate better with their babies through music.

Meanwhile, plans were afoot to return to the older children and young people’s wards and bedsides at The Royal London Hospital, even if virtually, to reach those up to the age of 16.

Andrew Wieland, Hospital Teacher at Barts and The London Children's Hospital School (London East Alternative Provision) based on Ward 7D at The Royal London Hospital, explains the situation the school was faced with back in spring 2020:

‘The hospital school closed on March 20th just before lockdown. In the weeks running up to the lockdown some staff had to isolate and we had to see all students individually. The school opened again early in June.

'Initially student numbers were greatly reduced as non-essential hospital admissions were cancelled, and as a result staff worked on a rota basis to minimise unnecessary journeys. The number of students gradually increased as we approached the summer holiday. When we returned in September the classrooms were still closed but all staff were on site, so all student contact was one to one, with teaching taking place at the bedside.

'All students visited by Mark and his colleagues have clearly enjoyed the experience. Youngsters have taken to online sessions brilliantly and clearly feel they have been visited in person by the musicians. The quality of sound and the visuals has been really good and the musicians have shown their experience of working online. They allow students time to respond and reflect, something I do not always see in other online meetings I attend where talking over each other occurs.

'Parents have also been very involved in the sessions which has been a real plus! During the pandemic parents are encouraged not to come and go from the cubicles or bedsides, so the LSO visits have been really welcomed.

'While we have not been able to recreate the lovely group workshops of the past, the feeling of having a "special" visit from the LSO has meant a lot.’

Mark Withers, LSO Animateur, adds ‘The virtual visits to the Royal London profit from the understanding built up from years of working together. What remains is so similar to our in-person visits.

'The hospital school team have prioritised a selection of young people for us to see and give us a short briefing before taking us on a tour of the wards. We tour on an iPad rather than in person and then play to and with, chat to and try to engage with all of the young people we meet. Where possible we look to encourage a very active participation and this is very similar to going in the room.

'So with all the restrictions around us, it is incredibly affirming to reach an audience so directly. But much more significant are the changes for children in hospitals. Visits are very restricted as are all activities. Anxiety, disorientation and boredom are all increased. So to be a stimulus in this environment is all the more important and appreciated by children and the family member that is with them.’

It’s not only the patients who benefit from these sessions; Clare Duckworth, LSO Sub-Principal First Violin, who joined a virtual visit in November 2020 during England’s second lockdown said, ‘We really felt like we were there in the space, and the children and their parents obviously enjoyed a change of routine too.

'Quite often we are told by a parent or staff member how much our visit has perked up a particular patient, but actually I always come away from these sessions feeling like I’ve benefitted from it just as much, and today especially so. To be able to share these spaces virtually during a lockdown feels an even greater privilege than usual.’