Glasgow NHS consultants in band together record parody track for Parkinson's awareness

A group of Glasgow NHS consultants who jam as a band in their spare time are providing the soundtrack for a new music video to raise awareness of Parkinson's.

The Nutcrackers - made up of six Institute for Neurological Sciences staff members based at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth Hospital - have performed the backing track for 'I Will Survive' - a parody song for the podcast Movers and Shakers.

The podcast is fronted by six high profile people that suffer from Parkinson's and aim to educate and improve the lives of people with the disease. The podcast, which includes journalist Jeremy Paxon and Paul Mayhew-Archer, co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley, also recently launched the Parky Charter, a set of five aims to improve the lives of those with Parkinson's,

And after one band member appeared on the podcast, The Nutcrackers were approached to provide the soundtrack and appear in the music video.

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Dr Ed Newman, Consultant Neurologist, said: "Last year I was invited to speak on the podcast about how we teach medical students at Glasgow University about Parkinson’s.

“We’re all in a band called The Nutcrackers, made of up six Institute of Neurological Sciences staff and one solicitor from outwith, and I must have mentioned that. So when the idea for the video was formed, they called us and asked if we’d be up for helping to record the track. How could we say no?”

The Nutcrackers have performed the backing track for 'I Will Survive' - a parody song from the podcast Movers and Shakers
The Nutcrackers have performed the backing track for 'I Will Survive' - a parody song from the podcast Movers and Shakers -Credit:NHSGGC

As a result, in June, The Nutcrackers – made up of Ed, Consultant Neurosurgeons Calan Mathieson, Likhith Alakandy and Jerome St George, Consultant Neurologist Alok Tyagi, Neurorehabilitation Trainee Paul Fivey, and solicitor Suzie Falconer – found themselves at Starla Recordings in Lochwinnoch, recording We Will Survive.

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And a short time later a video crew rocked up to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and filmed the band performing the song.

The finished video was launched by Movers and Shakers earlier this month – and Ed and the rest of the Nutcrackers are delighted with the results.

Ed said: “We all feel very proud to be part of such a positive project. As well as being great fun, I feel it was recognition for all the hard work being done here to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s and their families.

“While not all of the band are directly involved in Parkinson’s care, we all know the huge impact the condition can have on the lives of patients and their loved ones, and we wish the Movers and Shakers well with their Parky Charter.”

To watch the video, click here.

To find out more about the Movers and Shakers, go to moversandshakerspodcast.com.