Singing For Care
Singing For Care discusses singing in healthcare settings and is particularly focused on sharing the experiences of groups led by nursing staff and care staff who sing and share their singing with those in their care.
Caring for others lies at the heart of our Republic. Likewise in nearly every village and town, there are choirs. Singing For Care grows from exploring the connections between the two.
There are community choirs, choirs in hospitals, and choirs in residential care settings like nursing homes. There are choirs made of doctors, nurses, consultants, and clinicians. Singing groups of residents and porters and kitchen staff. There are people who sing specifically to address lung problems, brain health, and strokes. Choirs that blur traditional divisions between health professionals and the patients.
What seems key to successful choirs is where enthusiasm meets professionalism. A skilled teacher and music director who can adapt repertoire to ability is able to build on curiosity. Many people in our research noted that new participants would shyly arrive, convinced they were unable to sing a note, but with support, would find their voice. With practice, this might lead to a performance, to each other, for family and friends, maybe even to a wider public. The venue seems less important than the opportunity to raise our voices with each other and benefit from the confidence this builds.
It’s easy to forget in these times of national health programmes that health is the responsibility of all is us and care is something we share between us. We are now seeing just how important and helpful it can be to “sing our care”.
Guidebook 4: Singing For Care
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