Creating Functional Playlists

With the abundance of music streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc. it’s no wonder that creating highly specific, niche playlists has become the mainstream. There is a playlist for everything, from “Nostalgia Late 90s Mix,” to “Goblincore Mix” to “Energetic Shower Mix” (all very real playlists the Spotify algorithm has curated for me). And while my “Bed Rotting Mix” may be the perfect soundtrack for a lazy Saturday, listening to those songs on repeat certainly will not help me feel any more motivated or ready to take on the day. 

The point of this being, playlists can do more than just describe your current mood, they can be functional too! Below are two ideas of how to create therapeutic playlists to address specific goals, whether it be with your clients, or for yourself! 

1. The Iso-Playlist 

Based on a foundational idea of music therapy, the iso-principle, this playlist meets us where we are, and takes us where we want to go

• The first step when creating an Iso-Playlist is to identify an emotional spectrum, starting with your lowest low, ending with your goal emotion or mood, and all the feelings that come in between those two ends of the spectrum, for example:

Depressed               Lonely                Bored                Content                Hopeful                  Joyful 

• This emotional spectrum will vary from person to person based on what they feel is their biggest struggle, and what emotional state they hope to achieve, but once it’s established, the playlists making can begin 

• For each emotion that has been identified, think of 2-3 songs that reflect that feeling

• Once you have a complete list, the playlist is complete and ready to serve its purpose!

Of course, the iso-playlist cannot cure your negative feelings entirely, but making meaningful choices to transition to more positive songs can help break you out of the rut of ruminating in that negative space. 

Goal Areas: development of coping skills, self-expression, emotional identification, improved mood

2. Life Review Playlist 

This is a playlist to help you process either a significant period of your life, or your entire life so far. Through doing this, you are not only working on self-expression and reflecting on your own development, but it can also be an engaging way of discovering how your musical preferences have changed or stayed the same over time! 

• Rather than identifying a spectrum of emotions, like we did with the iso-playlist, the first step of a life review playlist is identifying the major periods of your life

  Early Childhood      School Aged      High School/College     Young Adulthood      Present Day 

• Like we did before, we will identify 2-3 songs that reflect each of these periods of our lives 

  • These do not have to be songs you listened to during that period of life, although they certainly can be!

  • Sometimes we discover songs later in life that remind us of our younger selves, and those are applicable too 

The life review playlist could be used with anyone at any age, but it may be especially beneficial with older adults or hospice care as a means of sharing the music that shaped you and influenced your life the most. 

Goal Areas: self-expression, processing of life events, reminiscence