Wearing a new badge, and why!

Well, today I worked at the hospice for the first time wearing this badge:

rather than this one:

 And, it felt so good!

I’ve not really gone into any detail about my placement on this blog so, before I go any further, I think I should explain what it’s all about.

When I was thinking of a project that would make a difference to the hospice, I focussed on two of the things that I like to do best; listen to music and listen to people. By doing that, my ‘Myriad of Music’ idea started to take shape. It’s pretty simple, but often the simplest ideas are the most effective, and it basically involves bringing the therapeutic effects of music to Strathcarron in as many different ways as possible.

It’s common knowledge that listening to music, or singing along, can lift our spirits and help us to relax; especially if that music is meaningful to us. So, there lies the first part of my project; I’m going to spend a bit of time with patients, asking them about their favourite music (which should be a therapeutic process in itself) then make up a personal playlist of their favourite songs, or the music that’s most meaningful to them. The patient will then be supplied with their own MP3 player – after I’ve loaded it up with their personal playlists - for the duration of their stay at Strathcarron. With the patient’s permission, the playlist could be transferred onto a CD as a special keepsake for their family.

The single rooms in the hospice will also, hopefully, be provided with docks and speakers. I say hopefully because much of this part of my project is dependent on how much money I can raise, and how many donations I can pull in. I started fundraising a few weeks ago and, again, often the simplest ideas can be surprisingly effective. I made up a music quiz sheet, set up a Just Giving page, and sold the quiz sheets for £2 a go. I’d hoped to raise a couple of hundred pounds - which would’ve been enough to get me started with a number of MP3 players and some other accessories - but I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and have managed to reach a total of £970 so far. I’ve also been given, free of charge, a brand new Walkman by a local supplier - The Sony Centre in Bridge of Allan – and I’m hopeful that this proves to be the beginning of a partnership that’ll help me put more of my Myriad of Music ideas into practice.

I’m also going to be looking into the possibility of getting music ‘piped’ into the hospice’s bathrooms. I mean, what better way to relax is there than a good soak in the Jacuzzi bath with your favourite music playing over the bubbles?! And another thing I’ll be researching is a method by which patients who can’t leave their rooms can still feel a part of the things that are going on in and around the hospice. For instance, the second part of my placement involves bringing live music into Strathcarron. There’s a lovely area in the Day Care section which lends itself beautifully to wee groups of singers or musicians performing. However, many of the patients aren’t well enough to sit in Day Care so, to make everyone feel part of the experience, I’m hoping to facilitate the provision of CCTV cameras or camcorders that could ‘broadcast’ the performance to TV screens in the patients’ rooms. The system could also be used for things like watching the wildlife outside in the hospice's beautiful grounds – in fact, I’m sure there’ll be a multitude of different uses for such a system.

But, all of this costs money so – as much as my placement is not primarily about fundraising – the last part of the project should hopefully bring in enough cash to help put some more of these ideas into practice. And, what better way to raise money than a music event featuring the best rock and soul choir in Scotland?! A venue to host the night, starring my beloved Heart of Scotland Choir, has been booked for the eighteenth of May. Now I just need to leave myself enough time to get it properly organised, along with everything else I’m hoping to achieve while I’m working at Strathcarron! Yup, it’s going to be a really busy 4 months, but I simply can’t think of a better cause to be busy for!