Music and memories

17 January 2025

Music is healing and can transform someone’s mood and even pain. Tom, our Music Therapist, gave one patient living with a rare brain tumour the chance to feel like themselves again through the power of music.

As the Music Therapist here at Sobell House, I see time and time again how music can unlock precious memories, instantly transporting someone back to the associated experience, place, or person, which can often lead to life review work.

Over the last year, I worked with a patient called Grace* who had a rare brain tumour and needed help with daily activities. Getting out of bed, washing and dressing, eating and drinking all needed the assistance of her husband and a team of carers. Each week I would make a home visit for our music therapy sessions, and during these sessions we would simply sing through some of her favourite songs, each one filled with memories of her life. Her husband and carers would join us – along with visitors and neighbours at times – to help sing these songs. Singing was something that Grace could still do herself, that didn’t need to be done for her or to her. She had agency and autonomy, and singing allowed her access to these cherished moments of her life.

By October, Grace’s health had deteriorated, and she was needing more medical assistance. She was now more fatigued and less able to engage in our music making. The last time I saw her, she was bedbound and less responsive, but her husband was keen that we sing through some of her favourite songs as usual, confident that she could still hear us. We were joined around Grace’s hospital bed by her carer and sister, who was visiting at the time, and sang through some of her favourite songs that we knew would be most familiar to her. I sensed that we were all aware time was short now and little more could be done, but in that moment, we could still sing, still do something ‘normal’, something positive that we had done together throughout the year. It was a privilege to support Grace and her family.

 

Did you know that our art and music therapy service is entirely funded through donations? If you can help fund this service and many others with a donation of any size, we’d be so grateful.

 

 

*Name changed for anonymity.