Bring music and memories to the workplace

“You’re on mute.” “Can you share your screen?” “My Wi-Fi is playing up!”

Sound familiar? Sounds like you’ve been working from home for the past six months!

We’ve all had to navigate a new way of life this year, and this includes our day-to-day working lives. Recent government guidelines have indicated that working from home will continue to be the norm for many of us, so it’s important to ensure we are looking out for each other whilst we continue to adapt to our new normal.

Mind, the mental health charity, highlights the importance of connecting with others whilst working from home:

“Evidence suggests that feeling close to, and valued by other people is a basic human need. Good relationships are important to our well-being. Try joining morning or evening online exercise classes, joining Facebook groups or even starting your own.” (Working from home: A Wellness Action Plan)

If you’re looking for a fun new activity to try with your workmates, why not host your own virtual Musical Tea? Connecting through music is a great way to get to know your colleagues on a deeper level and would be a fun activity to round off a week of hard work. You’ll also be joining hundreds of others throughout the UK in raising awareness of the power of music for people living with dementia, who have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Steps to setting up a virtual workplace Musical Tea:

1. 1. Register to host an event
      Sign up to host a Musical Tea to receive your free event pack, available to download or delivered directly to your door. You’ll also receive access to loads of free event resources. Sign up now.
   2. Get planning
      Why not give your colleagues a Zoom meeting they can really look forward to? Before the event, ask your attendees to think of a song from their ‘memory bump’ (the ages between 10 and 30, when we form our strongest memories) and a memory that accompanies the song. Even better, ask people to send in a photo from their youth and put together a quick PowerPoint quiz. Can you and your colleagues guess who is who?

      Or why not get baking? Even if you can’t share the cakes in person, you could still have a competition to see who can come up with the best musical baking pun. Buns and Roses, anyone?

      You could also pick a theme for your music memories, such as songs that remind you of an important event or the place where you grew up. Check out our conversation starters for ideas.

      Got a date in mind? Send your colleagues an email invite to save the date!

   3. Set the scene
      Who doesn’t love a good Zoom background? Brighten up your working from home look with one of our downloadable backgrounds.
   4. Share music and memories
      There are lots of ways to celebrate your Musical Tea. It can be as simple as sharing a cuppa and cake over Zoom and chatting about music that is meaningful to you. Or you could Or maybe your team would enjoy a music quiz? Could a musical colleague share their talents with you and give a Zoom performance?! Be sure to share any photos with the rest of your organisation and with us on social media using #MusicalTea.
   5. Donate
      At Playlist for Life we want everyone living with dementia to have their own playlist of songs that is meaningful to them and for those who love and care for them to know how to use the playlist effectively. Fundraising is vital for us to achieve this mission. Any donations you collect whilst enjoying your Musical Tea will go directly to our goal of sharing the power of personal music with those who could benefit most. Find out where your money goes and donate now.