Music
Bringing music to hospital life
Every day, music can be heard across our hospitals. A familiar song at a patient's bedside, a performance in a waiting area, or live music in a staff break room can change how a hospital feels, even for a few minutes. Those moments can help people feel more at ease, spark conversations and provide a welcome distraction from appointments, treatment or a busy shift.
Through Air Arts, a part of Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity, highly trained, specialist musicians work across UHDB supporting patients, visitors and staff. From one-to-one bedside sessions to performances in public spaces and original creative projects inspired by our hospital community, music is helping to make our hospitals more welcoming places for everyone who walks through the door.
The Wandering Minstrels
Funded by Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity and Arts Council England, The Wandering Minstrels project brought highly skilled orchestral musicians into hospital settings, equipping them with specialist training to work alongside our established hospital music team. Delivered in partnership with Sinfonia Viva, the project explores the unique role live music can play in healthcare, creating meaningful interactions with patients, families and staff while demonstrating the impact that music can have for recovery as well as wellbeing.
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Music in unusal spaces
Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Music in Unusual Spaces takes live music beyond the ward environment and into the shared spaces that form part of everyday hospital life. From entrances and waiting areas to restaurants and outdoor spaces, the programme brings high-quality performances to places where patients, visitors and staff can unexpectedly encounter music as part of their day. By transforming familiar hospital spaces, the project creates opportunities for people to pause, connect and experience something different during what can often be a stressful time.
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Resources and music videos
Not everyone can experience our music programmes in person, which is why we also create a growing collection of videos and digital resources. Recorded by our talented team of musicians, these performances help us reach even more patients, families and supporters beyond our live sessions, allowing the benefits of music to be enjoyed wherever people are.
Whether you're looking for a familiar song, a moment of relaxation or simply want to learn more about our work, our library of recordings is available to watch and listen to whenever suits you.
