UL’s Music Therapy in focus on Late Late Show as Irish World Academy graduates perform

A number of graduates of University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance featured on RTE’s Late Late Late last Friday night.

Several musicians from the Irish World Academy made an impactful appearance during the show’s celebration of Tradfest, which featured some of the most talented musicians and vocalists in Ireland. Included among them were Tara Howley from the BA Irish Music and Dance, Aisling Lyons, a graduate of both the BA Irish Music and Dance and the Profession Masters in Education (Music), as well as Tommy Hayes and Sorcha Costello, graduates of the MA Music Therapy programme.

Tommy, a world renowned bodhán player and percussionist, and Sorcha, a fiddle player and awardee of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil, took the opportunity to talk to Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy about their day time careers as music therapists. 

 “It’s something I didn’t understand at all until I went to see it first hand,” Ryan remarked, while recalled recently witnessing the positive impacts of music therapy on children. Ryan also recalled meeting 10-year-old Saoibh Longeran, who performed her own song that she composed in music therapy on the Late Late Toy Show.  

Both Tommy and Sorcha completed the MA Music Therapy programme at UL which is the only music therapy training on the island of Ireland. 

“The training that we got through on the Masters course at UL is just amazing, both personally and professionally, it really sets you up for your career,” said Sorcha. 

Tommy also spoke to Ryan about the need for the Irish Government to take action in recognising music therapy as a health profession, following suit with other countries in Europe. 

The stellar line-up also included Niwel Tsumbu, who recently performed on the stage of the University Concert Hall with Academy artist-in-residence, Rhiannon Giddens as part of the UL50 celebrations, ‘Sounding Sionna’.

For more information on the MA Music Therapy see www.irishworldacademy.ie.