Musician

As a Musician you perform, record and compose music across genres ranging from traditional Irish and classical to contemporary pop, jazz and electronic styles. Your working week is rarely uniform: you might rehearse with an ensemble one day, lay down tracks in a recording studio the next, and perform live at a venue or on a broadcast the day after. You collaborate with composers, producers, sound engineers and fellow performers, and you may also teach music privately or in schools to supplement your income. Most musicians in Ireland are self-employed, managing their own bookings, finances and rights income through organisations such as IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation).

Music at Leaving Certificate level is highly beneficial, as are subjects such as English, Irish and languages that support lyrical and cultural breadth. Many musicians pursue a Level 8 Honours Bachelor of Music at institutions such as UCD, UCC, TCD, University of Galway, MTU Cork School of Music or DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama (TU Dublin), while the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) and other conservatoires offer specialist performance programmes. Shorter QQI Level 5 or 6 PLC courses in music performance, music technology or sound production at Colleges of Further Education offer a practical entry point without the full degree route. A postgraduate diploma or Master of Music (Level 9) is pursued by those aiming for orchestral, academic or specialist compositional careers. There is no statutory registration body for musicians, though membership of IMRO and engagement with bodies such as Equity Ireland and the Musicians' Union of Ireland supports professional standing and rights management.