Musical Rounds

Melanie Ambler and Shelby the cello
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks at the hospital bedside. Co-hosted by resident physician Melanie Ambler and her cello named Shelby, each episode is a session with a patient receiving palliative care recorded live in a single take: an unscripted story, a cello score improvised in real time. 75 of the first 100 patients asked for their stories to be shared. They wanted to reach people they may never meet. This series honors that ask. New episodes every Tuesday starting June 2nd, 2026.

Episodes

  1. Alive & Kicking

    2d ago

    Alive & Kicking

    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.

    11 min
  2. As Far Into the Woods

    2d ago

    As Far Into the Woods

    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.

    8 min
  3. The Glass Doll

    2d ago

    The Glass Doll

    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.

    11 min
  4. So, Here We Go

    2d ago

    So, Here We Go

    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.

    8 min
  5. A Duet with the IV Alarm

    2d ago

    A Duet with the IV Alarm

    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.

    20 min

  6. Season 1 Trailer

    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. 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: 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.

    3 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Musical Rounds is a podcast where people with serious illnesses share their life stories, and we transform them into live, improvised soundtracks at the hospital bedside. Co-hosted by resident physician Melanie Ambler and her cello named Shelby, each episode is a session with a patient receiving palliative care recorded live in a single take: an unscripted story, a cello score improvised in real time. 75 of the first 100 patients asked for their stories to be shared. They wanted to reach people they may never meet. This series honors that ask. New episodes every Tuesday starting June 2nd, 2026.

Information

  • Creator
    Melanie Ambler and Shelby the cello
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Melanie Ambler and Shelby the cello
  • Show Website
    Musical Rounds

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