Five Questions With… Andy Lowndes
Every fortnight we sit down with a guest working in dementia care to bring you an insight to their role and experience of using meaningful music. This week we speak to Andy Lowndes, Vice Chair of Trustees and resident Music Detective at Playlist for Life.
Listen to Andy's personalised playlist at the end of the feature.
Hello and thanks for joining us. You’re the Vice Chair of the Board at Playlist for Life, and the resident Music Detective. What motivates you across both of these roles?
Hi, and thanks for asking me to be involved.
Throughout my career, and indeed my life, I have loved meeting and talking to people, latterly with people living with dementia, their loved ones and carers.
One of my previous roles was as a Research Fellow and Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at Glasgow Caledonian University. Here I worked on a reminiscence research project which used football-based and memorabilia as a memory stimulus. The results of the project were amazing and as it was coming to and, I was introduced to Sally Magnusson who told me the story of her mum’s dementia and the powerful impact that personally meaningful music has for her. I felt this made complete sense given the impact I had seen music have as a nurse and Clinical Researcher. I joined forces with Sally and a small group of others and Playlist for Life was born.
I was then lucky to be able to take early retirement and so I volunteered as a Trustee and Music Detective with Playlist for Life. These roles have enabled me to travel all over the UK talking to people about the power of music and how it can be a lifeline for the person living with dementia; a tool for carers which can help in moments of stress and distress or help them get to know the people in their care.
Music and the stories which go along with music help strengthen connection and I think being involved has been the best thing I’ve ever done.
With National Playlist Day approaching, what’s the first piece of advice you’d give, as a starting point, for someone looking to uncover the soundtrack of their life or the soundtrack of someone they care for?
I guess my first piece of advice is to start slowly. Learn how to do the detective work and track down songs from a person’s ‘Memory Bump’ and their ‘Inheritance’ and ‘Identity’ tracks. There are lots of free resources available on the Playlist for Life website that expand on this to help anyone construct a meaningful playlist. It can also help to involve the families of those you are caring for if you can as it helps you get to know them too. Once you get started, you’ll soon have the confidence to change just a wee bit of the world, one personal playlist at a time.
Our readers have asked what kind of technology they can use to support a person with meaningful music. What kind of music players would you recommend and how would you suggest overcoming barriers with technology?
Don’t worry too much about technology as there are always ways around it. Once you know the songs you want to add to a personal playlist for someone you are caring, the playlist can be listened to in many ways.
MP3 players and streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify are among the most popular methods. Some people use an Alexa device as once a playlist is created with it, it can be easy to use. All you have to say is: “Alexa, play my playlist. There are also lots of dementia friendly music players available.
You’re a retired Mental Health Nurse and Academic. What’s one thing (aside from listening to your playlist!) that you do for your own wellbeing?
Aha now that’s a long story but I think I’m happier and fitter (mentally and physically) now than I have been for a long time. I walk every day and I’m lucky to live in an area surrounded by lots of countryside walks. I love listening to the sounds on my walk and consider birdsong to be something on my playlist. I now have a slightly bigger family as my Collie, Sunna, came to live with me two years ago and she doesn’t tell me to shut up when I start rambling on about something. Thank you, Sunna!
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Andy's personal playlist
Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) by Elton John and Dua Lipa
Gets my steps up when on long country walks.
Bring Him Home From Les Misérables
My wife introduced me to Les Mis in London’s West End. Never was I so glad to have sunglasses at hand when leaving the theatre.
I Didn’t Know I Was Looking For Love – Everything But The Girl
Saints and Sinners (Glasgow) with darling Jen.
Puccini Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Un beldi vedremo” (Butterfly – Maria Callas)
Beginning to love opera lights out relaxation
The Whole Of The Moon – The Waterboys
Back to my DJ years where there are so many to choose from.
