Music for the end: Fredericton woman composes songs for the dying
Atlantic Voice documentary explores compositions for the end of life
Fredericton musician Cat LeBlanc takes on commissions regularly, composing works of all different sorts.
But about seven years ago she got a call for a job that she wasn't sure she wanted to take.
"It was their family that contacted me. This was an older person. They would have been early 60s, I guess, and they really liked Bon Jovi," she said.
LeBlanc isn't the arena rockers' biggest fan, but she agreed to learn to play their hit It's My Life because, as she says, "it's really hard to say no to dying people."
Her client was in palliative care, at the end of their life, and hat song was among their last requests.
LeBlanc played it live in the hospital room but as she finished singing, she realized it wasn't a hit.
"It was my own interpretation, and they were like, 'No, I don't want your own interpretation. I want it to sound like [a] cover song," she recalled.
Then LeBlanc says she was told, "I'm not dying tomorrow. Can you come back in a couple of weeks? That was embarrassing."
She complied and made the patient and family happy. Once that was over with, LeBlanc said she had no intention of doing more of palliative care performances.
But word spread and the requests kept coming. And LeBlanc kept saying yes.
"You really don't want to disappoint dying people," she said.
Over the years, LeBlanc estimates she's done about 40 to 50 of these performances for people in their last moments. She's done them live, taped, and over Zoom, with people from across Canada and as far away as Italy.
"I would say I've hit every province at this point. I mean, it's unfortunate, but people are always leaving us," she said.
'A sacred privilege'
Sometimes people approach LeBlanc for a cover song, but more often they ask for something of her own creation.
"Someone would say to me, 'I would love for you to create an original score for me to listen to in my room,' and that would mean that they would be dying probably to that music," said LeBlanc.
She said when it comes time to write, she might be given a theme, like winter or tranquillity. Then she starts composing with her guitar, keyboard and maybe flute. Her music often has an ethereal quality.
"I like ambient music and also just vocalizing and harmonies. I think it's a very gentle thing to play when someone is in pain, or they're near the end of their journey," she said.
Other times, she's given a lot more information as source material for the songs. One man who was nearing the end of his life asked Leblanc to write a love song for his wife.
"They really love them a lot and they have been through a lot," said Leblanc.
She said he shared personal details, in order for the song to reflect their marriage in an honest way. People are often very honest with her, she says, as they make their final requests.
"It's sacred because that's private time with someone that you can never talk about with anyone else," said Leblanc.
"It's a sacred privilege."
Leblanc sends the client drafts of her work and then, if they're feeling well enough, the client signs off on the final draft. The music is recorded and given to the person who is dying and their family.
Helping other artists
Hope Maston of Fredericton commissioned music from LeBlanc that she played to her father-in-law during his last night alive.
Even though he wasn't fully conscious, Maston found that playing soothing music helped both her and her father-in-law in those final hours, when loved ones can't do anything but be present.
"It was mostly, you know, for him and myself just to have that little bond," she said.
LeBlanc takes this unique approach because she feels it's important, but it is work. She asks people to pay if they can, but she doesn't keep the money for herself.
Instead, she funnels it into the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, which gives out money, services and mentorships to artists in Atlantic Canada.
The fund is named after her sister, who died of brain cancer in 2010.
The sisters were very close.
"I think she would like that we're keeping her memory alive," said LeBlanc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
