Deniz Hepdogan at the Playlist for Life conference

Please describe the event you attended.

Playlist for Life is a UK-wide music and dementia charity. Its aim is for every person living with dementia to have access to a personally curated playlist of music so that it is meaningful to them. At their Come Together: Celebrating the power of playlists in Scotland's communities conference, we heard life stories of how personalised music supports wellbeing and connection, and explored how community organisations, and health and social care professionals are using playlists to strengthen dementia support across Scotland.

What drew you to attend this event? 

I found that engaging with members of the public as much as possible helps me understand the details of Scottish care context, so I make a real effort to take every opportunity to do so. That’s why I wanted to attend this event to (re-)connect with local stakeholders and learn more about how personalised playlists are used in everyday care from the perspective of people who are actually using them. I was also eager to get to know more about non-academic organisations working in care, using music and technology.
 

How was your experience attending the event? What were the highlights and key moments?

I wanted to attend this event with an open mind, as I have been reading a lot about the benefits of music and different forms of musical engagement, though it is not always straightforward to observe how these are put into practice and what kind of effect they create in daily life. So, there was a discussion, which made me very emotional during that moment, about a person who was unable to attend their mother's funeral because they were in the hospital. This person was later able to listen to the songs played during the service, favourite songs of their mother, and felt that they could still be there during the service. This story showcases how music can act as a narrative of our lives.

How was this event relevant to your research, interdisciplinarity and the ACRC Academy?

It provided valuable insight into how personalised playlists are used in real-world care settings, directly related to my research on music listening in care homes. It helped me bridge the gap between theory and practice. In care contexts, implementation of personalised playlists involves not only music and technology, but also staff and organisational practices. Hence, it can be understood as a sociotechnical system in action. This was evident in the way different stakeholders work together to support their use, highlighting a collaboration. Furthermore, in line with what we explore in the ACRC Academy, the event reinforced the importance of engaging with local stakeholders to ensure research is grounded in real-world practice and community needs.

Any lessons learnt / best practices that you’d like to share?

Continuing from the sociotechnical aspect, implementing something new, whether a device or a service, requires careful attention to the full context in which it will be used. It is essential to understand and respond to the needs of the wider system in which individuals live and receive care.