Today I went to play at Bristol Children's Hospital - and despite being quite emotional at times, it was a lovely opportunity at this time of year.
The kids and their families were very receptive to music, and particularly enjoyed Christmas songs, Disney songs and George Ezra! There's a lot of waiting around in hospitals and music can really help create a positive shift in the environment. I played in waiting areas, wards, corridors and individual rooms, and we had a lot of fun! Lots of staff joined in, singing and dancing along (especially with the Christmas songs!), which was lush.
1 boy in the atrium kept shouting ‘more’ after each song, which was nice of him! Another boy was dancing along to everything, and really enjoying the music. A nurse in intensive care cried during White Christmas, but was very appreciative of the music afterwards! One girl with complex needs became very animated and began smiling, dancing and vocalising in her room while I was performing Shotgun in the ward. Her Mum explained that it's her favourite song, so I ended up playing it twice in her room as she loved it so much! Her Mum is trying to get George Ezra to come and meet her as she is quite poorly, so she made a video of us singing. Seeing her laughing and dancing and completely enjoying herself, forgetting everything else, was such a lovely moment to be a part of.
Lastly... the staff are AMAZING here, I have no idea how they do what they do. Big up the NHS!
