From the Heart

By Isabel Weng

#Originsofmusingsabout

Musings About was a project I had always dreamed of starting since my undergraduate years. I grew up in a church which would volunteer at an aged care home with performances and it was such a privilege to talk to the residents there and see how positively our songs would impact their lives. As I progressed through medical school, I noticed that there was a disparity in the resources allocated in activities to the children's hospital as opposed to palliative and geriatric wards. I realised that many patients in these wards were often very lonely and overwhelmed with symptoms and appointments that would often limit their activity. And so, Musings About's vision was born and my hope was that music would bring a sense of normality into these patient's and their carer's lives, even if it was only for a brief moment.

The name 'Musings About' was based on the idea that patients and their families could write down their 'musings' about life as the performances occurred. They could write down their dreams, aspirations, their regrets and stories such that the musicians, which was originally intended to be medical students, could see each patient as a whole person and not just someone to be treated. With the massive disruption of COVID however, this initiative was only fully implemented once infection control precautions were lifted. Since the start of 2023, we have been playing regularly at PAH and St Vincent's Hospital. Our performers and committee members have thoroughly enjoyed talking to patients, staff and carers after each performance, and whenever we get to perform and see the smiles on these patient's faces it makes our performances even more worthwhile. In 2024 and beyond, we hope to collaborate with other allied health students also as we would love to share this rewarding opportunity with them!