Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.

The Work

Music therapists help people with physical, mental and emotional difficulties to express themselves. Music therapists do not teach clients to play instruments. Instead, they encourage their clients to use musical instruments and make sounds, as a way of relieving a particular problem.  
 
For instance, clients who feel isolated may benefit from learning to use sounds to express emotions or relieve depression. Others may find that musical movement helps their physical co-ordination.  
 
The therapist, usually in consultation with other professionals and the client, decides on the goals of therapy and works out a programme to meet the client's needs. The therapist has to decide with each client whether it will be better to work on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting.  
 
Music is used to help the client to listen, move and communicate. As a result, clients may develop confidence in their abilities and become more aware of other people. Clients may be children, young people or adults.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
• Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
• Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
• Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
• Customise treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
• Establish client goals or objectives for music therapy treatment, considering client needs, capabilities, interests, overall therapeutic program, coordination of treatment, or length of treatment.
• Document evaluations, treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
• Assess client functioning levels, strengths, and areas of need in terms of perceptual, sensory, affective, communicative, musical, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, or other abilities.
• Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to music therapy.
• Improvise instrumentally, vocally, or physically to meet client's therapeutic needs.

Further Information

• Music Therapist - from: N.C.S. [UK]

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

To become a registered music therapist with IACAT (Irish assoc for creative arts Therapist Ireland), you will require a primary degree in music followed by a postgraduate qualification in Music Therapy.

A number of the major universities colleges and institutes of technology throughout the country offer degree courses in music search CAO courses 

If your first degree is in a subject other than music, you may be considered for a music therapy course if you can demonstrate a high standard of musical ability, based on interview and demonstration. 

Current Masters programs: 

MA. Univ Limerick: Music Therapy NFQ level 9

MA Univ Limerick Music & performance NFQ level 9

MA CIT College Cork group facilitation & Arts NFQ level 9

People looking to branch from traditional talk or occupational Therapy into Music Therapy may contact IACAT for Recognition of prior learning, professional accreditation for practice. 

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €26k - €41k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Salary expert/ Payscale/ Indeed/ Glassdoor

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment growth was below average for therapy professionals, with levels in 2022 remaining below that of 2020. Although LFS data does not allow for a detailed breakdown of employment in this group, Census data for 2016 and 2022 shows detailed employment as follows.

Despite the lack of overall employment growth in recent years, issues with recruitment resulted in a number of therapist roles (occupational, physiotherapists and speech and language) being added to the Critical Skills Employment Permit List in June 2022. A total of 53 new permits were issued in 2022, primarily for physiotherapists with a small number for occupational and speech & language therapists.

The delivery of the Sláintecare report, particularly in terms of community care and mental health services, will require additional staffing in these occupations and, while a combined total of 100 additional training places are planned for occupational, physio, and speech/language therapists in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s education system, given the duration of training programmes, recruitment difficulties for these posts are unlikely to ease in the short-to-medium term. However, as employment levels are not increasing and the data does not allow for detailed analysis, it is not possible to determine if shortages exist for this occupation at present.

• Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists

  • P.O.Box 4176, Dublin 1
  • 087 992 1746
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish World Academy of Music and Dance

  • University of Limerick, Limerick.
  • (061) 202590
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• IMRO Irish Music Rights Organization

  • Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 HW59
  • 01 661 4844
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here