Comfort and Connection through Quiet Confidence

Towards the end of February, we were working our way through the hospital and we came to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

"OPUS music are fantastic! As staff, we are so relieved when we see them walk through the unit doors. Today they came to the unit, we had a delirious patient that was hearing sound. They asked if now was a good time and we welcomed them greatly. OPUS music started playing and immediately the patient settled and relaxed back into their bed. They continued to play and calmed the patient so much that they fell into a deep and comfortable sleep ... They are so welcome and needed. They bring calm and positivity with them and help to make our jobs easier. They always manage to make the patients and family experience happier and nicer."

Healthcare Staff

Rich Kensington and I were suddenly called on by staff attending a young patient who was experiencing delirium and demonstrating distress at various sounds in the room. The situation appeared quite urgent. The staff stated that medical and nursing interventions were not working and they felt sure we should try some music. There was a sense of immediacy in the request and the staff seemed confident that music would be an effective alternative. We considered what to play / sing and how to deliver the piece.

We began purposefully and quite upbeat, with intensity to match the young person’s tempo and distress. After a few lines of the song, the young person connected with the music and a few changes were observed. Their own vocal noises lessened, movements became smaller, and they paused every now and again to listen. Rich moved the piece to a slower and more gentle tempo, but still with a strong vocal connection. Through this time we noted our own heartbeats racing, as a result of the intensity of the situation, and we realised we needed to bring our own internal energy levels down to assist the young patient.

We brought the pace right down singing a well-known lullaby song and keeping the vocal tone strong, open and connected. We reflected afterwards that this strength and consistency of voice may provide a focus for someone struggling through their own delirium to hang on to for a comfort and a way out.

Through the development of our practice over the years, we have constantly reflected upon the importance of being able to deliver strong, confident, quiet playing in hospital settings – to be able to match the volume of the environment suitably, but to sound positive in doing so. This situation reaffirmed that learning and caused us to really consider the impact of warm and present vocal tones and open-hearted singing in such a sensitive healthcare environment.

Eventually the young person relaxed so far, that their parent could allow their previous restraint to become a soothing embrace, and they finally fell into a deep sleep. We moved a little further away from this person’s bed area and playing our last gentle piece for the whole room to relax and gain a calmer inner state again.

This proved a powerful experience for the musicians too and one which has stayed with us both.

"This service is absolutely invaluable. Today they arrived and immediately calmed an incredibly delirious patient. It was exactly what was needed ... it is invaluable to provide holistic patient care. Thank you again for today your timing was absolutely perfect. Medical and nursing interventions were not helping, but this provided an immediate effect."

Healthcare Staff

National Portfolio Organisation

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OPUS Music becomes National Portfolio Organisation

OPUS Music CIC is delighted to become part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023

OPUS Music has been awarded £145,000 per year over the next three years by Arts Council England. This new investment reflects the significant role that OPUS plays locally, regionally, and nationally in the delivery, training, and advocacy for the use of music within health and social care.

The funding will support the development of three new communities of practice based within the Ashfield, Bolsover, and Nottingham regions with a specific focus upon supporting people experiencing mental health challenges.

It will allow OPUS to reach a wide range of musicians and participants, building an increasingly diverse and inclusive approach to the use of music within health and social care.

“We are delighted and hugely grateful to have been chosen as one of Arts Council England’s new National Portfolio organisations over the next 3 years This investment comes at a time when we are increasingly recognising the power that music can have on our lives, especially when we are experiencing health challenges. We are looking forward to working even more closely with these three communities, developing more, and increasingly relevant opportunities for people of all ages to both lead and to engage in music and music-making. We are excited to be working with them to create opportunities to explore how music can play an important part of the health and wellbeing of themselves and of their communities.”

Nick Cutts

CEO

A picture of a music making session with guitars xylophones

Healthcare Musicians Richard Kensington and Oli Matthews

Healthcare Musician Nick Cutts making music with patients and healthcare staff

Matron and Deputy Head of Nursing at the Children's Hospital Evelyn Gysei-Appiah and Deputy Chief Nurse Robin Binks with Healthcare Musicians Sarah Matthews and Oli Matthews

Healthcare Musician Oli Matthews working on the Children's Critical Care Unit

Re-Connecting

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Re-Connecting

The morning’s Healthcare Musician practice had joys that ranged from the first smile of a very young baby in the Neonatal Unit to the last song of an older person’s life.

As I take a few moments to reflect upon what it means to be back in hospitals making music, I am once again overwhelmed by the human connection and depth of emotion tapped into by musical interactions in person.

As OPUS musicians, we profoundly felt the frustrations of not being able to be involved and to be present within the spaces at all for the last three years. It has taken such a lot to come back to work, and we are so delighted to be doing it once again. As the crisis of COVID-19 slips a little more into the past, we now find ourselves as Healthcare Musicians able to bring something of connective humanity into these difficult and delicate spaces once more.

We took our time in choosing the right moment and piece of music for the new family in the NICU. Twinkle Twinkle was chosen. The parents videoed their little one as they seemed to be sleeping. Then, just gradually, the first little smile appeared across their face. Then once and twice more before the final verse was sung. How special it was as Dad went back through the video and froze the frame where he saw his little one smile for the very first time. How wonderful to play this intimate role in helping to make memories for this family from such an early age.

For the older person we met later that same morning, it seemed hard to choose the piece to play to begin with. What would have the right content for this human being who had lived a long full life and was nearing the end of the journey? Having spoken with the relative, who had enthusiastically beckoned us in, we settled on Diamond Day – a lovely gentle piece including elements of descriptors of the countryside, the horses passing, the crops growing, and the people that you meet as you go through life. We were then told that they had owned a cart horse when very young and had often spoken about this. We had, fortunately, picked something truly connective and meaningful for this family experience.

Another older patient videoed us playing and singing Edelweiss all through. At the end they said “Aw, that was romantic! We do need a bit of that right now, don’t we?!” I think I know just what they meant…

It is important to reflect that these in person experiences are potentially powerful and meaningful for both the patients AND the Healthcare Musician. It is part our chosen professional musical world, and for the last three years there has been a definite void…

– Sarah Matthews

Recruiting OPUS Board Members

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Recruiting OPUS Board Members

We are looking to recruit at least 2 additional board members (voluntary) to support our ambitious plans for the development our organisation and practice, our engagement with the health and social care sector, and our relationship with our communities with whom we co-produce improved health and wellbeing outcomes.

Please consider joining us in taking the next steps of our exciting journey!

More information about OPUS Music CIC is available in the linked document: OPUS information February 2023

Board member (Voluntary)

Main Responsibilities

Ensuring OPUS Music CIC complies with legislative and regulatory requirements, and acts within the confines of its governing document (Articles of Association), company law, policies and other relevant legislation or regulations.
Maintaining sound financial management of OPUS Music CIC’s resources, ensuring expenditure is in line with the organisation’s objects, mission and vision.
Contributing actively to the board’s role in offering strategic input to OPUS Music CIC in partnership with the artistic and production teams.
Evaluating outputs against agreed goals and targets.
Safeguarding the good name and values of OPUS Music CIC.
Promoting and developing OPUS Music CIC in order for it to grow and maintain its relevance to society.
Interviewing, appointing and monitoring the work and activities of the Chief Executive and other members of the OPUS team as/when required.
Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of OPUS Music CIC and its resources.
Acting as a counter-signatory on charity cheques and any applications for funds, if required.
Maintaining absolute confidentiality about all sensitive/confidential information received in the course of board members’ responsibilities to OPUS Music CIC.

In addition to the above statutory duties, each board member should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board reach sound decisions.

This may involve:

Leading discussions

Focusing on key issues

Providing advice and guidance on new initiatives

Evaluation or other issues in which the board member has special expertise

Members are expected to attend all board meetings unless under exceptional circumstances. Board meetings are held four times a year and usually take part online via MS Teams (in person at least once per year). Papers are distributed a minimum of one week in advance of the meeting.

In exceptional circumstances, board members may be called to extraordinary meetings. EGMs are held for the consideration of non-recurring business that requires approval by the board and will be held online.

Board away-days may be held (a maximum of two per year), at which members are encouraged to attend where possible. Away-days are held in person and focus on discrete areas of development or of significant relevance at the time.

Board members may claim out of pocket expenses incurred in travelling to meetings.

We warmly welcome applications from those who are significantly underrepresented in our organisation and sector, including disabled people, and individuals from LGBTQIA+, Black, Asian and Global Majority Communities. We are particularly keen to hear from members of the communities we serve or work alongside.

How to apply

In the first instance, please get in touch with Nick Cutts, Chief Executive, OPUS Music CIC for a conversation about becoming a board member.

07786 157515
nick@opusmusic.org

Molly Davies

Comfort and Connection through Quiet Confidence

Comfort and Connection through Quiet Confidence

Towards the end of February, we were working our way through the hospital and we came to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

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National Portfolio Organisation

OPUS Music becomes National Portfolio Organisation

OPUS Music CIC is delighted to become part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023

Re-Connecting

Re-Connecting

The morning’s Healthcare Musician practice had joys that ranged from the first smile of a very young baby in the Neonatal Unit to the last song of an older person’s life.

Recruiting OPUS Board Members

Recruiting OPUS Board Members

Please consider joining us in taking the next steps of our exciting journey!

Board member (Voluntary)

Main Responsibilities

Leading discussions

Focusing on key issues

Providing advice and guidance on new initiatives

Evaluation or other issues in which the board member has special expertise

How to apply

Find out more

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