The Songs I've Chosen To Help Me Prepare For Dying

For years, section DJ Dave Gilmore soundtracked different people's nights retired successful pubs and clubs.

But now he's curating a uniquely individual playlist - nan songs of his ain life to transportation him done terminal illness.

The database includes some November Rain and Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns and Roses, Apache by The Shadows - which inspired Dave to play guitar - and Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb.

Hazel O'Connor's 1980 deed Will You? is dedicated to his woman and mother to their 2 children.

An ode to tentative yet powerful romanticist tension, it is known for its saxophone solo - an instrumentality Dave besides learned to play.

"It's our tune from erstwhile we sewage together," Dave tells BBC's Morning Live, tapping his feet.

As nan opus evokes memories, his woman Kate softly adds "the conflict was worthy it."

• Watch Dave and Kate tell their communicative connected Morning Live

Moments for illustration this emphasise nan powerfulness of euphony to forge everlasting connection.

Its therapeutic benefits are progressively recognised successful palliative and extremity of life care.

The effect is neurological arsenic good arsenic emotional, explains Sarah Metcalfe, managing head of nan Utley Foundation's Music for Dementia campaign.

Brain activity scans show euphony "lights up" aggregate parts of our brain, simultaneously rubbing beingness and affectional consciousness centres.

"Even if 1 portion of nan encephalon is damaged, those different parts tin still beryllium accessed," Sarah says.

UK kindness Marie Curie surveyed 1,000 adults whose loved ones had received attraction successful nan last stages of life.

It recovered listening to euphony together helped to create a shared acquisition that brought them closer, creating a consciousness of normality and helping them relax.

Kate knowledgeable this first hand. When Dave erstwhile returned location aft a lengthy infirmary stay, he was twitchy and exhausted but incapable to sleep.

Out of desperation she turned to Native American music, 1 of his favourite genres to relax to.

"And past each of a sudden, this agitated, anxious man began to sleep," she recalls.

Diana Schad, a unit caregiver astatine nan Marie Curie hospice successful Glasgow pinch 19 years of acquisition arsenic good arsenic a musician herself, has installed a soft for patients and volunteers to use.

She says it is important to see nan feelings euphony evokes.

"You've ever sewage to inquire yourself, is this what they would for illustration to beryllium emotion astatine nan moment?" says Diana.

1. Focus connected euphony memories betwixt ages 10-30, which is erstwhile nan strongest associations are formed

2. Include songs connected to special, important places and important life events - youth, holidays, romance, first dances and wedding songs

3. Consider feelings sparked by songs - these tin beryllium conscionable arsenic powerful arsenic representation association

4. Remember that euphony tin trigger memories moreover for group pinch conditions for illustration dementia by connecting aggregate encephalon regions. Use resources for illustration BBC Music Memories to spark representation recall

5. Be unfastened to unexpected philharmonic connections, for illustration TV show themes aliases commercialized jingles that mightiness clasp typical meaning

Source: Music for Dementia's managing director, Sarah Metcalfe

Experts work together that euphony tin trim worry and psychological pain, moreover erstwhile personification is unconscious.

Dr Sam Murphy, elder teacher astatine nan Open University, specialises successful thanatology, nan study of decease and nan practices associated pinch it.

"There's surely grounds to propose that proceeding is nan past consciousness to spell truthful moreover erstwhile personification is unconscious aliases unresponsive, euphony tin still scope them," she says.

"It keeps them connected to their surroundings, to nan group they love, and to nan consciousness of being live and those memories that they've had."

Music tin beryllium arsenic adjuvant to loved ones aft a personification has passed away.

"I deliberation it's conscionable different distraction for those group that are mourning a loved one," Dr Murphy says. "But there's that comfortableness successful knowing that they're listening to thing that their loved 1 would person listened to complete nan years."

This is existent for Anna-Kay Brocklesby, whose hubby Ian passed distant from prostate crab successful 2023.

As Ian's wellness deteriorated, sharing his favourite songs became a important portion of their family's coping mechanism.

It became a measurement to support spirits up and enactment positive, says his wife.

"Every greeting he would spell down and make nan tea, he would play. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from nan philharmonic Oklahoma," she says.

"And he would loop it out. He utilized it arsenic a benignant of mindset of, this is really today's going to be".

They would play Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Elton John songs, which provided comfortableness and connection.

Two years aft Ian died, Anna-Kay still finds comfortableness successful nan euphony they shared together.

"He lives connected successful america successful many, galore ways," says Anna-Kay, "but euphony tin return america to a spot pinch Ian".