3.1 Making playlists
Making playlists
Sometimes making a playlist is easy. But sometimes you need to become a detective! In this lesson we’ll give you some tips on how to find the right music for someone when they can’t tell you themselves. That means knowing about the Memory Bump and about Inheritance Tracks – crucial clues every music detective needs!
Whether you are making playlists for people at your Help Point or just sharing resources, these are useful skills for you to use or share with the people you are supporting.
Your turn
Watch the next video. Mary McDougall from Playlist for Life describes the three types of songs you should look for.
The key things to remember about becoming a Music Detective are the three main types of music to look for.
Your turn
Click on each of the areas below for a reminder.
This is music from between the age 10 – 30. Psychologists have proven that we create more memories between these ages than at any other time in our lives. To find music from this period you could:
- Download chapters from the Playlist for Life 100 Years book
- Check Playlist for Life’s Spotify account where you can find a playlist of the top songs for every year since 1915.
These are songs passed to someone by loved ones.
- They’re not just from parents and grandparents, but also siblings, flatmates, children or even grandchildren.
- May include Memory Bump songs from parents / partner etc
These are songs associated with our deepest identity. These might be:
- songs connected to where they are from or where their parents are from
- local lullabies, folk songs, or foreign language songs
- religious songs or songs of praise
- songs linked to the ‘tribes’ we belong to such as football teams, political parties, mods/rockers, activists
Resources to help you become a Music Detective
Create a playlist
Get Started leaflet PDF
Discover the benefits of personalised playlists and how to connect through music.
Conversation starters PDF (interactive digital version)
Prompts to start building your
personalised playlist
Soundtrack of your life booklet PDF (interactive digital version)
The perfect tool to get started with a playlist
Print at home version PDF
For best results: print double-sided and flip on short edge.
Personal music journal PDF (interactive digital version)
With lots of space to write down your tunes and memories
Help finding tunes
100 Years Book
The top UK songs from 1915–2015
Our Spotify playlists
Our library of playlists by genre, decade, location, hobbies, etc.
Playlist maker
A handy tool to help you make a Spotify playlist.
BBC Music Memories
Find music, TV & radio theme tunes
Case study
Garden of Music
Watch the short video below to hear how Gary from Garden of Music helps people in his community to build their own personalised playlist.
