A talented carer has spoken of the joy he gets using music to interact with youngsters receiving care from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Ben Goddard, who plays the guitar, is part of the team at EACH’s base in Milton.
As part of his work, he uses his training to provide musical care – honing his skills to create individual songs for children and young people, sensitively tuning into their expressions and working their sounds or voice into improvised music.
Ben is supported by Music Therapist Katherine Walters, who meets with him regularly to reflect on his work. Together, they decide who might benefit and where best to make use of Ben’s skills.
“It started organically with me playing my guitar on the care floor, improvising silly songs and basically trying to make the children laugh,” said the Senior Care Assistant.
“Whenever I had time, I’d try and make up something for whoever happened to be in at that time.
“Now it’s progressed to become something very meaningful both for the children and their families.
“It’s fun, all about play and seeing what we can create in the moment.
“That’s the starting point for all the songs, and the main thing I’m always hoping for is lots of laughter.
“In essence, I play to the children, we make a racket together and I record any interaction – be it their voices, laughter, noises, expressions, capturing their personalities or anything musical they’re able to contribute.
“I then use software to edit and produce a song for the families to keep, so, as well as being something special in the moment, it’s also an important piece of memory-making.”
Ben has recorded various songs which have been gratefully received by parents.
One was a piece for the family of 14-year-old William Carlson, who sadly died in September. He had a brain malformation called Lissencephaly, which led to complex epilepsy and cortical visual impairment. William was profoundly disabled, with multiple learning difficulties and complex respiratory needs.
In the song, he can be heard finger-drumming, and it came about after mum Helen shared details of a dream she had about William playing the drums with Ben.
“Helen said it was strange because she doesn’t normally have dreams where William can do things he can’t physically do in real life,” said Ben.
“So, during his next visit, I went off and wrote and played a song, putting my hand over his on the iPad.
“He was finger-drumming, and then, with a bit of editing and playing around, we were able to create a drum solo in the song.
“It sounded great, and, judging from Helen’s feedback, she was more moved by it than I realised.”
Ben has also been out into the community to record a song with a two-year-old boy receiving care.
With help, the child was able to strum a guitar, and he also produced a ‘cooing’ sound.
“I was able to record it and produce something to give to his mum,” said Ben.
“I got some lovely feedback, and she said it’s something she’s going to treasure, because it captured a special moment.”
Earlier in his career, Ben received training from the Jessie’s Fund – a charity that helps children with additional and complex needs or serious illness to communicate by using music.
Another recent highlight saw him using his talents to enthral youngsters at a movie-themed day for children with the genetic condition Muscular Dystrophy.
He used technology at the hospice to get the children involved, hosting his very own ‘School of Rock’ session.
“One of the pieces of software uses facial recognition, and we were able to convert a child’s opening and closing of the mouth into musical sounds,” said Ben.
“He was effectively operating the ‘wah pedal’ – an effect pedal you step on while playing to create a ‘wah-wah’ sound.
“That’s what he was using his mouth to operate. He was genuinely surprised by what he could do, and it was a truly magical moment.”
