Davina Slack Social Prescriber at St Austell Healthcare says: 

‘Music is well known for boosting self-esteem. When we listen to music our bodies release dopamine which gives us a sense of wellbeing and reward; this supports motivation and attention. It can induce relaxation by creating alpha waves in the brain which help to calm. It can elicit emotions. It stimulates oxytocin – a hormone related to positive, happy feelings. It’s a powerful tool for social connection and bonding. Listening to music can help reduce levels of cortisol, which can help with stress. For all of these reasons this can help to improve sleep quality.

The feedback that I have received has been extraordinary. Young people have engaged regularly saying that the sessions are fantastic, and they actually find themselves looking forward to them every week. They offer them space to be themselves, without judgement or fear.’

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Dr Laura Ashton at St Austell Healthcare says:

‘I would really encourage other health partners to think about running this music programme in other Primary Care settings. There is something really exciting about doing this sort of work in Primary Care because we are trying to prevent people from getting too unwell. Certainly, with wellbeing, the idea is that it’s preventative help – it’s early intervention. It’s the power of the relationships between the music practitioner and the young people which is so special in this project.’