Yukon's top doctor Brendan Hanley finds solace and strength in music

This story is a part of a web series called Music that Matters with CBC Yukon's Airplay host Dave White. Dave sits down with Yukoners to talk about five pieces of music that inspire them.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon's chief medical officer, has been hosting a news conference every two or three days during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He usually starts with an update on how many people in Yukon have tested positive for the coronavirus, and then gently reminds people to wash their hands and maintain physical distancing in an effort to slow the spread of the disease.

And then he always reminds Yukoners that we're all going through this together, and it's tough, and if we show a little kindness and a little heart, it will make this difficult period a bit easier for our friends and neighbours.

As a result, a lot of people in the territory may feel they know Dr. Hanley fairly well by now.

If so, they may be surprised to find out that he once gave serious thought to becoming a professional musician after spending most of his young life playing the clarinet.

"I certainly had to make that decision at a certain point," he said.

"I was finishing high school, and I was playing in the Edmonton Youth Orchestra and I was playing some chamber music, and I had to make the decision: am I going to do this for real? And after a discussion with my teacher and others I decided, 'I think I would enjoy this more as an amateur, and pursue something else as a career,'" he recalled.

So he went to med school.

Dr. Hanley's lifelong relationship with music helped him with his musical choices.

His first pick was from Yukon composer Daniel Janke, who leads The Problematic Orchestra, which often features Dr. Hanley on clarinet.

"I thought La vie est belle is a good one to start with," Hanley said. "Since Daniel's a good friend of mine and it's such a simple, lovely, clean, optimistic tune and I think there's even a little bit of clarinet in it."

Listen to La vie est belle here.

Dr. Hanley's next pick was Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, as covered by Jeff Buckley.

"I wonder what [Cohen] would be thinking of this life we're living right now," Hanley said.

"We all have our favourite version, and of course my absolute favourite is my own two kids playing it on violin as a duet. But I really enjoy this one as well."

Hanley's next pick is from an opera by Georges Bizet.

"This is the famous Pearl Fishers duet," Hanley said.

"There are a few pieces for me that just stop me in my tracks. The last time I heard this piece was on [CBC Music], it was probably a few months ago when I was driving into my office and I just parked and closed my eyes and let it flow.

"And that would be my advice: just close your eyes and let the beauty flow, especially in these difficult times."

Hanley changed it up for this fourth pick, when he chose (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles by The Proclaimers.

"It's just plain raucous and jolly and fun, and we need some of that as well," Hanley said.

"And maybe a not-so-subtle reminder that we may have 500 miles to go in this one, or maybe a thousand."

Dr. Hanley's final pick was Sinead O'Connor's version of Nothing Compares 2 U by Prince, a song that means a great deal to him — maybe more than ever right now, as we all find ways to cope with the odd new reality we're sharing.

Here Dr. Brendan Hanley's full conversation with Dave White here: