Playlist for Life
1246. Sally Magnusson
Sally Magnusson, from Glasgow, is a BBC Scotland presenter whose charity ‘Playlist for Life’ has helped nearly 30,000 dementia patients by creating a personal playlist of their life.
Sally discovered how the power of music could benefit people with dementia when caring for her mother Mamie, who had dementia. After Mamie’s death, Sally wrote a memoir of her experiences and through her research learned more about the ways music can provide vital moments of happiness for people with dementia, particularly through memories of songs connected with personal experiences. Sally founded ‘Playlist for Life’ as a charity in 2013 to share the power of creating personal playlists, providing training for nearly 6,000 health and care professionals across the country to help them work with patients and develop their own personal playlists.
Sally’s award precedes BBC Music Day, which this year is dedicated to music and wellbeing.
In a personal letter to Sally, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how ‘Playlist for Life’ has harnessed the power of music to help thousands of dementia patients reconnect with their memories by creating their own personal playlists.”
Sally said:
“It’s lovely to receive this award, especially on the eve of BBC Music Day. I founded Playlist for Life in 2013 in the hope that every family afflicted by dementia, as mine was, might find joy and connection again through personally meaningful music. With the help of volunteers and supporters across the UK, we’ve already seen the quality of life of thousands of people with dementia improved.”