A Song Reclaimed: How Linda Found Herself Again Through Music

When Linda Carol (MacIsaac) Graham arrived at Maple Hill Manor, she believed her days with music were over. Her guitar had been her closest companion for most of her life, but illness forced her to give it up. Moving into long-term care, she thought that chapter had closed.

That changed when she was introduced to Jill, a music therapist with the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton County. Though shingles had once damaged her chording hand, Linda was eager to try again. When a donated guitar was placed in her lap, she felt like “the luckiest person in the world.”

“It was like craving something you couldn’t have,” Linda said. “To have it back, it was everything.”

Playing again brought peace and escape. “It relaxes me and takes my mind off my illnesses,” she explained. “It makes me feel normal, like I don’t have cancer, don’t have COPD, and I’m not 70 years old.”

With encouragement from Jill, Linda went on to record her very own album—something she never imagined possible. “It never even entered my mind,” she said. “I wouldn’t have known where to start.”

For staff, the project was just as meaningful. Emily Loro, Education Coordinator and Infection Control Nurse, remembers when the idea of a celebration first came up. “The day Linda first played her album for me she jokingly mentioned an album release party and I ran with the idea,” Emily said. “Although she mentioned it jokingly, I knew how proud Linda was of her album and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to plan this for her.”

She added, “For Linda to record and release her music while going through health issues was truly an inspiration to me. She proved to us that if there’s a will, there’s a way.”

The release party was a team effort, explained Administrator Kendra Baldwin. “My Care Team, including Emily, our CCAs, LPNs, and Dietary Director, were instrumental in coordinating it,” she said. “The key message was that they wanted to make it special for Linda—and from what I saw, I think she was honoured.”

Kendra recalled asking Linda if she was proud of herself. “She told me no—it wasn’t about pride, it was about an accomplishment she never thought she’d have at this stage of her life. I told her how proud we all were of her. To pick up the guitar after many years and play as if her fingers knew exactly what to do—she should be very proud.”

For Kendra, supporting Linda’s journey was never in doubt. “Music speaks to everyone, and for Linda it brought renewed purpose and enjoyment, which I feel helped distract her from her illness,” she said. “I am honoured to have been part of such a special day.”

The event left Linda overwhelmed. “I don’t think there’s a word big enough. It was surreal. I couldn’t believe all these people wanted a copy, but they did,” she said.

Her songs also carried deep memories. That’s The Way Love Goes reminded her of her father, while Margaritaville brought back her husband, tapping his foot to the beat. Each tune was both a gift to herself and a connection to others.

Now Linda hopes her music brings the same peace to listeners. “Grab a bottle of wine and relax,” she said with a smile. “Enjoy it.”

Looking back, she has advice for others who’ve set aside something they love. “Bring it back. Even if it’s not the same, try it,” she said. “If you’re a painter and can only paint one straight line, then paint that line. Maybe tomorrow you’ll paint two.”

Linda has chosen to pass her guitar on to the Hospice Society so another patient can experience the same spark it gave her. “I hope it brings the same joy and happiness to others that I got from it,” she said.

Through her guitar, Linda has reclaimed joy, found purpose, and left a lasting piece of herself with her community. For the staff at Maple Hill Manor and the Hospice Palliative Care Society, her story is one they’ll never forget—a reminder that it’s never too late to rediscover the music within.