Musical Rounds

For our Musical Rounds Season 1 finale, we share the story of Charlie, a young man wise beyond his years. He spoke about his family unit, one that is knit together with deep love, faith, and unfortunately, loss. While we don't often provide context for the voices behind the episodes, we invited Charlie's mom to share some words with you all to provide more context for him and his younger brother Bryan, both of whom passed away within six months of each other after battles with leukemia:

"Charlie was a caring son, brother, grandson, cousin, and friend who loved God, his family, and those around him. Alongside his brother Bryan, he shared a deep faith and a strong love for his parents, sister Leslie, and brother Marvin. The close-knit family remains united through their faith and the love they shared together.

Charlie was known for his strong work ethic, determination, and dedication to helping others. He excelled in interviews, was a hardworking and driven individual, and volunteered with the Coalinga Explorer Program. Charlie was a proud supporter of law enforcement and dreamed of attending Fresno State University to pursue his future goals.

Charlie had a special love for animals and leaves behind many cherished pets, including his bunny Samuel Pablo, affectionately known as Sam; his cat Rose, also known as Lilo; and his dogs Pepe and Rocky. He was also preceded in death by his beloved dog Snow.

A devoted sports fan, Charlie cheered for the Denver Broncos, the San Francisco Giants, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He greatly admired Kobe Bryant and enjoyed supporting both Mexico and the United States during the FIFA World Cup.

He graduated from the CHP academy and worked as a CHP dispatcher in Fresno and Hanford. He worked at Pleasant Valley State Hospital and Coalinga State Hospital.

Charlie will be remembered for his kindness, dedication, loyalty, and love for family. His hardworking nature, caring heart, and commitment to serving others left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him."

With much gratitude to the patients and families that shared their stories with us,

Melanie Ambler, Shelby the cello, Grace Carroll (producer), Michael Shofi (audio engineer), Janice Tjan (visuals), Chase Morano (annotation)

musicalrounds.org

A husband and wife share the secret that's defined their marriage: a goofy, naked gardening tradition they've kept up for years, dodging the neighbors' eyes and laughing every time. Recorded bedside in the hospital room, they trade permaculture trivia and Rice Krispie sound effects one minute, then land on something raw the next: her gift for finding joy through pain, his quiet resilience, bending like one of his own plants. Twenty-five years, a lot of hard chapters, and somehow they came out "way ahead."

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

This warrior can point to the exact spot where his tumor lives. He takes Melanie's finger and presses it right there, onto his skull, so she can feel it too. But what he ultimately wants her to feel isn't the cancer, it's Hawaii: the food, the beach, his daughter's chubby cheeks, and a faith he refuses to let go of. This is "We Are Warriors," a story about a man deciding, faith first, exactly how he's going to leave this world.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

"Most people are fundamentally good people. It's a nice feeling." Meet Mr Sociability and his wife of 60 years. Take part in a delightful trip around the world, from concert halls in Vienna to the streets of Morocco, and hear about a lifelong obsession with trains. I left this couple's hospital room smiling at their love for each other, the world, and at their admittedly hilarious banter. I hope you'll smile too :)

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

“Art to me is beauty…What you put on that canvas is what's in your mind. And I love that. No one can take away what you draw, what you paint, what you say. No one can take that ever away from you.” On this episode, meet a true artist at heart, hear a serendipitous love story featuring a dog named Angel, and transport yourself to some ocean waves crashing in the background.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

When I walked into this woman's hospital room, I discovered she was awake and intubated, which meant a machine was helping her to breathe and, as a result, she wasn't able to speak. Instead, she communicated with me by writing on a whiteboard. Together with her mother at her side, she shared about her devout faith, and her love for the beach. In a beautiful allusion to the poem, Footprints in the Sand, her mother described being carried by God through the most difficult stretches of life.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

Allie never thought of herself as sweet. Her sister knows exactly why: she knows everyone's name, walks up to strangers, makes every person feel like they belong. Her whole family lives within ten minutes of each other. Her Zumba friends dedicated a class in her honor. Three songs fill the hospital room, the last one inspired by her loving character. "Something sweet," Melanie says. "For a sweet person."

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

*this patient’s family consented to names being used in the episode.*

A man meets Shelby the cello and decides he wants to go somewhere he's never been: a canyon in New Zealand, hunting red stag. As the low tones carry him into the landscape, he lifts his binoculars instead of his rifle, watching the stag rather than taking the shot. From there it's a walk through a pine forest, soft underfoot, sunlight breaking through the trees.
Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

A woman takes us to her favorite place on earth, which turns out to be a person: her husband. The man who taught her what safety feels like. She tells the story of spotting him across the pillow section at Kmart, throwing a pillow at him, and ducking. Thirty years later, she still calls him her blue light special, the one she got to pick out and take home.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

Meet a man who's lived the life of a hummingbird, with his family joining him in his garden for one last happy party. We hear stories from his youth waking up in the moat of an English castle with bats flying overhead, to decades of life lessons, and an everlasting joy for the "most amazing bird in all the world."

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

A cellist walks into a hospital room, and the most annoying sound in medicine becomes something unexpected. Meet Melanie Ambler and Shelby the cello, and the moment that started Musical Rounds.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

75% of people asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they may never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Website: ⁠musicalrounds.org⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠, ⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠ and the ⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

A tale of radical acceptance. A woman who has had six cancers since age 23 shares why she stopped fighting — and started making friends.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠musicalrounds.org⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠, ⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠ and the ⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

A beautiful glass doll is dancing in circles, trying to bring happiness everywhere it goes. It doesn't know it's broken. A story of Afghanistan, family, and a spirit that refuses to be extinguished.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

A cabin in the Sierras where the kids sleep on the floor, everyone piles onto a Polaris, and you head as far into the woods as you can go. Then a diagnosis threatens all of it.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠⁠musicalrounds.org⁠⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

He used to clean a high school orchestra room and he can still hear every instrument. From a symphony hall in Mexico City to a hospital bed in California, he's still flying.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest. Melanie entered these rooms not as a physician but as a musician. As such, she had little to no information as to why this patient was in the hospital — and nor will you. What you will hear is what they wanted to share with you directly.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

Website: ⁠musicalrounds.org⁠

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠⁠Peak II Foundation⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠⁠, ⁠Honeywell Arts Academy⁠ and the ⁠⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks.

Hosted by cellist and resident physician Melanie Ambler (and her cello Shelby), this series began as a year-long research project while she was a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine.

During bedside sessions in palliative care at three hospitals in the Bay Area, patients share unscripted stories from their lives while Melanie improvises a cello score that moves with them. Each conversation is recorded live, in a single take, in the hospital room.

Seventy-five of the first hundred patients asked for their story to be shared with the world. They wanted to reach people they would never meet. This podcast is our way of honoring that ask.

The people you will meet in this series are receiving palliative care, a field of medicine focused on comfort and dignity near the end of life. Their stories hold love, loss, and laughter. Their music carries the rest.

New episodes release every Tuesday starting June 2nd, 2026.

Website: https://musicalrounds.org

Hosted by Melanie Ambler. Original music composed and performed by Shelby the cello. Produced by Grace Carroll and Chase Morano. Audio engineering and mixing by Michael Shofi. Cover art and animations by Janice Tjan. Made possible in partnership with the ⁠Peak II Foundation⁠, ⁠Healing Hands Scrubs,⁠ ⁠Stanford MedScholars⁠, Honeywell Arts Academy and the ⁠Arnold P. Gold Foundation⁠.

With deepest gratitude to the patients and families who entrusted us with their stories.