Students and staff alike have been using music to keep in touch with each other, connect their communities, and support key front line workers.
Journalism students create mood-lifting playlist for those in quarantine
Students studying Journalism have been taking on challenges set by their lecturers to keep a sense of community and stay in touch while campus is closed.
Each member of the team posts a challenge or two per week and so far there have been game, song and TV recommendations, tips for keeping fit indoors and voting for the best ‘quarantine biscuit’.
Students have shared photos of their baking adventures, indoor workouts and have kept up each other’s spirits. They also sent in their favourite mood-lifting tracks which has been compiled into ‘UoP Journalism’s Fabulous Mood-Lifting Playlist’ on Spotify including 65 tracks of feel good tunes to help people get by while stuck in quarantine or lockdown.
Each track comes with a story or comment about what that song meant to the person who submitted it. Check out the playlist on Spotify.
Student makes music with virtual orchestra
Second year psychology student Matt Joslin has been making music with his string orchestra without even being in the same room.
After getting used to the current lockdown and being inspired by professional orchestras going virtual and stitching together individual recordings, Matt decided to try it out with his own string orchestra.
Read Matt’s blog post to find out how he and his fellow musicians are getting on with their orchestral recording.
Nursing student records song in praise of NHS
Uty Pius, who is in the final year of her BN (Hons) Adult Nursing course and works at Southampton General Hospital, recorded ‘Thank You NHS’ in support of the amazing NHS staff who are working tirelessly in the effort against coronavirus.
I see the passion and courage of every NHS staff member to support and save lives. I worked in the ward three weeks ago and all I could feel is the hope for ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, which hastened my writing to encourage everyone to say thank you to the NHS for the great job they are doing.
Staff member and nurse sings of Hope for Nurses
Sue Rourke from the School of Health and Care Professions previously worked for 10 years in the critical care unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
Shielding at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, Sue is at increased risk from the virus as she is currently having treatment for cancer. As a result she’s not able to join colleagues and friends on the frontline of the pandemic.
But this hasn’t stopped Sue from showing her support and inspiration for her fellow nurses by recording a song called ‘Hope for Nurses’ in order to raise funds for the Cavell Nurses’ Trust after being approached by an old friend to get involved with a charity single. The Cavell Trust do vital work supporting nurses, midwives and support workers and each download of the song will directly benefit the trust.
Sue recorded the vocals at home on her laptop, which were then put together with a backing track and added to a video, also recorded by Sue, featuring nurses who are friends and colleagues as well as members of the South Downe Musical Society.
Sue said: “I have always enjoyed music and loved to sing, but only in recent years performed as a singer. ‘Hope for Nurses’ is my first ever recorded song which was something I never thought I would do! I am limited in the ways which I can contribute to the current effort and felt like this was a tangible way to show my support and help raise important funds.
“The lyrics of ‘Hope for Nurses’ are relevant to us all during these uncertain and worrying times. The sun will shine again, and our fight won’t have been in vain.”
Hope for Nurses was written, performed and produced by Jonathan Shirlaw and Martin Purvis, performed by Sue Rourke and supported by members of South Downe Musical Society for the benefit of Cavell Nurses’ Trust.