EDITH BOWMAN LAUNCHES ‘MUSIC FOR THE END’ PODCAST,  WITH MARIE CURIE

• End of life charity Marie Curie has launched a new podcast featuring a playlist of songs for the end 
• First of its kind podcast features a Nurse & Healthcare Assistant's experiences with patients, the illnesses they helped them with and what music they chose to listen to in their final days 
• Each track in the playlist has been chosen by terminally ill people to listen to at the end of life, in new campaign championing the power of music in the final stages 
• Songs include those from Beatles, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra and ABBA 

Edith Bowman and end of life charity Marie Curie launch the 'Music for the End' podcast, a one-off special episode that features a playlist of songs for the end chosen by the terminally ill to listen to at the end of life. The podcast also features the charity's Nurses and Healthcare Assistants experiences with the people they supported, and what music they listened to in their final days.

Edith Bowman hosts the 'Music for the End' podcast joined by Marie Curie Nurse, Rekha Vijayshankar, and Viki Darvill, Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant. Both discuss their experiences of what they've seen over the years and the role that music plays in their life, and those of their patients. As music therapy expert, Lecturer and Honorary Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at Queen's University Belfast, Dr Tracey McConnell, also joins the conversation.

The podcast comes following Marie Curie launching the first ever playlist curated by terminally ill people for the end of life last month. The playlist ranges from upbeat dance tracks to moving melodies, each track was chosen to feature on someone's personal 'end of life playlist'.

The tracks were identified in a new survey of recently bereaved people about their loved ones1, commissioned by Marie Curie, and range from Frank Sinatra's My Way to ABBA's Dancing Queen. While delivering expert end of life care, Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants often support their patients in creating similar playlists of songs that meant the most to them over their life, to listen to in their final months, weeks and days.

Marie Curie released the new playlist last month to spotlight just one of the many ways its nursing staff get to know what matters most to people they care for and make sure they have the best quality of life until the end.

Music plays a vital role in end of life care for many, with the polling revealing most people listened to music during their end of life care (82%). Of these, the vast majority (84%) agreed that music relaxed and calmed their loved ones, and nearly two thirds (61%) have seen it ease anxiety and emotional distress.

Edith Bowman said: "It's a privilege to host the Music for the End podcast, music is such a powerful friend in life, to uplift, inspire and soothe. It was so interesting to speak to the wonderful Rekha, Viki and Dr Tracey from Marie Curie about their experiences with music, and how it can uplift and help not only those at the end of life, but their nearest and dearest. I've got my own personal experience with Marie Curie and so grateful for the incredible support they gave my family, so it was truly an honour to be a part of this podcast."

Rekha Vijayshankar, Marie Curie Nurse, said: "Key to my role as a Marie Curie Nurse is to give my patients a better end of life experience, and I have found music can play a part in helping to do this. I was inspired to use music with my patients because my father is a classical musician. I've often found that the deepest philosophical discussions with my patients have happened in the context of having music in the background. A patient once said to me, 'if you have music in your life, your heart can reach the sky', this has always stuck with me."

Viki Darvill, Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant, said: "Music plays a big role in my care for patients. I use it within my everyday care routine, when supporting both patients and their families. I also run a choir in our hospice, and it's lovely to see my patients come together and sing songs that can often spark a memory."

Music therapy expert, Lecturer, and Honorary Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Dr Tracey McConnell, said: "Music communicates where words sometimes can't, and many patients find it difficult to communicate at the end of their life because they want to protect their loved ones, or are unsure of what to say, so it can become a wall of silence. I had one patient in our MusiQual research project who had quite a strained relationship with her children, but with the help of a music therapist, she wrote a beautiful song for her children to be played at her funeral. It's acts like this which show the power of music at the end of life."

The top 10 songs on the first ever playlist curated by people at the end of life:
1. My Way – Frank Sinatra
2. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
3. The Best – Tina Turner
4. Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland
5. Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
6. Angels – Robbie Williams
7. Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
8. Beautiful – Christina Aguilera
9. Hey Jude – The Beatles
10. These are the Days of our Lives – Queen

Day or night, Marie Curie care for people and those close to them at home, in one of its hospices, or over the phone. The charity is there for people until the end, whether they have dementia, heart disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's, advanced cancer, or any other illness they're likely to die from.

Edith Bowman and Marie Curie 'Music for the End' podcast is available to stream on Acast: https://tinyurl.com/MarieCurieMusicfortheEnd

Marie Curie's new playlist is available to stream and download on Spotify now: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GcCsVnT7n26GBDpYtRHhV?si=F2Rc-m4oTe6ITvujxUcfGQ.

The Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 is there to help anyone having problems accessing the proper care and support they need or facing emotional, practical, or financial difficulties.

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For more information, contact mariecurie@theacademypr.com.

Notes to Editors
Marie Curie – please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care').

References
1 The consumer polling around the role and impact of music in end of life care for Marie Curie was carried out online by Opinion Matters throughout 17.09.2024 -19.09.2024 amongst a panel resulting in 1000 UK Respondents (Aged 18+) who have experienced bereavement of a loved one who received end-of-life care responding. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).

About Marie Curie

• Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity.

• The charity provides expert end of life care for people with any illness they are likely to die from, and support for their family and friends, in our hospices and where they live.  It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK, and campaigns to ensure everyone has a good end of life experience. Whatever the illness, we're with you to the end.

• If you're living with a terminal illness or have been affected by dying, death and bereavement, Marie Curie can help. Visit www.mariecurie.org.uk or call the free Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309.

Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care')
mariecurie.org.uk
facebook.com/MarieCurieUK
twitter.com/mariecurieuk
instagram.com/mariecurieuk

Further details on Dr Tracey McConnell: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/tracey-mcconnell

MusiQual research:
https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofNursingandMidwifery/Research/research-themes/chronic-Illness-palliative-care/cipc-projects/MusiQual/