So often music is employed as a motivator, as an energiser, to get us feeling good! We can choose to dramatically alter our own mood and the mood of others using music in this way. Often, I see music at work like this in care settings, and usually very effectively.

Occasionally however, there are the jarring occasions when its application seems insensitive, when pressurising somebody to ‘cheer up’ doesn’t acknowledge what’s really going on for that person (come on everybody, let’s sing “don’t worry be happy”)

Not everybody is able to choose if and what music they want to hear and we should be sensitive to this.

This same sensitivity needs to be in play when helping residents to write songs.

Last year, “Big Joe” (stage name for our prolific songwriter who is a resident at Bridgeside Lodge) was having a difficult period with the loss of a close family member and a period of illness where he spent stressful days in a hospital. He was hurting and understandably questioning the injustices of life and simultaneously being encouraged to cheer up by those around him.

It seemed important that he should use his musical talents to help him process these important emotions rather than suppressing them. We talked together and played around with words and musical ideas which might convey his feelings.

In the song, Joe questions why one person should endure so much pain whilst simultaneously acknowledging that a big source of strength and hope for him derives from the promise of sharing his songs outside of the confines of his medical setting.

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Nathaniel Keen