Work Environment
This occupation is typically found in the following Career Sector(s):
Videos on the Web
- Music Therapist- from: Youtube Search
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.
Working Life
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 programmes 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]
Qualities - Music Therapist
You will need to be mature, understanding, sensitive and emotionally secure.
Clients may progress very slowly or fail to progress at all, so patience and resourcefulness are important.
A high level of musical skill and creativity is a necessity.
Ability to play and encourage engagement with musical instrumentsis required by completion of training.
Emapthy and supportive nature towards a varied client group in many different support settings.
Interests - Music Therapist
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.
Entry / Progression - Music Therapist
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.
Pay & Salary - Music Therapist
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
Labour Market Updates - Music Therapist
Note: The following information relates to occupations that include: Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Speech and language therapists, Therapy professionals n.e.c.
This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2024).
Employment growth was above average for therapy professionals, mostly related to an increase in employment between 2022 and 2023 of 3,000 persons. Over four-fifths of those employed were female and a third were working part-time (the highest share across healthcare occupations); this occupation also had a high share who were aged 55 years and over which will have future implications for replacement demand. A small number of employment permits were issued mainly for physiotherapists, but also for occupational and speech and language therapists.
The delivery of Sláintecare, particularly in terms of community care and mental health services, will require additional staffing in these occupations. Provision in the education/training system for these occupations has expanded, with 100 places added in 2023 (across Ireland and Northern Ireland), and further places announced for September 2024.
Given the duration of training programmes, recruitment difficulties for these posts are unlikely to ease in the short-to-medium term. However, the numbers employed in each of the therapy categories are too small to allow for detailed analysis and to determine if shortages exist.
Useful Contacts - Music Therapist
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IMRO Irish Music Rights Organization
- Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 HW59
- 01 661 4844
- [email protected]
- Click Here
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Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists
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Irish World Academy of Music and Dance
