Nicole Tate – Stairwell Project Harpist, Cancer Ward, RBWH, June 2024
As you know The Stairwell Project and You Can Make Some Noise Workshops are two small live music initiatives we started at the Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital – The Stairwell Project in 2015 and the YCMSN Workshops in 2022. It seems we are, with both of them, “punching above our weight” in respect of the the calming and other positive affects on patients, staff and musicians.
I had a phone call last week from Nicole Tate who plays harp in one of the general cancer wards at the RBWH each Saturday, being unavailable during the week. In school holidays however she plays there on weekdays. Patients are coming and going a lot more with clinics open and consultants in the wards. Last week during the school holidays she was in the ward midweek. There was no crisis or roster problem – it was that she wanted to share a bit of that day’s experience with me – a spontaneus group singing with her as she played , the smiles on people’s faces, the positivity from staff. I gathered from her report that that day was a high point in her regular weekly visits.
Getting the balance right in this live music preject in hospital wards continues to be part of our prescriptive considerations. What times are best, when do we leave, what if there is an emergency, is this music distracting for staff, what is the right repertoire, what instrument would be out of place? And then there are moments like this one that Nicole shared with me that sometimes just happen, that a flow arrives that carries something magical into the ward and hearts, minds and maybe even bodies of everyone for a few moments.
Dr Michael Knopf and a passing patient on level 4, Joyce Tweddell Building, RBWH, September 2024.
“This photo is from a few years ago. I spoke with this gentleman after he had been listening for some time. The photo was taken by a SWP team member. We all had a lovely chat and he was really happy to have music where he was having treatments.
This past week at SWP in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital:
This is one of the areas the SWP musicians perform for patients and family, staff and visitors. It’s in a little niche across from 2 sitting areas near the elevators and down from the entry way in Oncology. Some of us also play in the chemotherapy ward for patients and staff.
People are all different of course- as individuals and coming from many parts of the world. I’ve met Aussies from everywhere, but also Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Kiwis, Brazilians, Paraguayans, and also many from North America and Europe.
It’s good to keep in mind that often the patients are quite ill feeling from their disease or medication. I play Bach, improvisations, Beatles, Bossa Novas and classical repertoire too. This week I played much softer than I normally do as many were unwell and closing their eyes to deal with the pain and discomfort. They do hear the music and will very often thank me as I get up to go to another spot.
This week we had: the lady so ill that she never opened her eyes in a grim-and-bear it face; the lady with the scarf on her head cheerfully chatting to the snacks gentleman but in turning her head to one side in the conversation one notes the red and tear filled eyes; the lady from Papua New Guinea who claps carefully but enthusiastically when I finish “Love Me Tender” and who later when I’m in another part of the ward walks by to tell me I’d buy your CDs!
The old gentleman who sits quietly munching a cookie while his wife sits next to him reading and, hilariously, the old fellow from Eastern Europe who, as I am playing, makes a blowing noise from his mouth. I turn to see what’s going on and apparently there was part of his sandwich caught in his dentures. He had taken them out, was holding them and blow the debris away!
It was not appropriate for me to laugh aloud.
A little while later, I place my guitar under my right arm and pick up my foldable chair and depart. Around the ward to the hallway and exit, several nurses smile and say “thank you” or “beautiful”. (I think they meant the music?)
Live, sensitive and caring music is denied most patients in the world. It seems to me to be a highly impactful accompaniment to medical treatment.”
Words by Michael on his personal Facebook Page
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