My Story

My name is Danny Dineen and I am the founder of Munster Music Therapy. I am an experienced, registered primary school teacher, music therapist, neurologic music therapist, musician and student of cognitive science. It is my dream to provide the widespread use of music therapy services to the people of Ireland, starting with the province of Munster and of course, Co. Cork, the place that I call home.

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In my journey through life thus far, the power of music has never ceased to amaze me. No matter where I went or who I met, music was always the eternal well from which everybody could drink. We turn to it in times of joy and sadness, from weddings to funerals. From the day that we are born, to the day that we leave this life, music is always with us. No matter your age or ability level, everyone has a tune that speaks to them, a beat that makes their finger tap, and a song in their heart.

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I decided to train to become a music therapist after spending five years in the teaching profession, working particularly close to those with special educational needs. As well as using music as a teaching tool, I had used it as a source of joy and a way of relieving stress when times were tough. I felt that I had an obligation to share this gift with others. I completed the two year masters programme at the university of Limerick and continued to develop my ideas by founding Munster music therapy and beginning an M.Sc. in cognitive science at University college Dublin.

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Munster Music Therapy is dedicated to providing a top quality music therapy service to the people of Ireland. Starting from our base in Carrigaline we plan to familiarize the exciting field of music therapy, using evidence based approaches to work with our service users. 

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Munster Music therapy is based on three foundational pillars;

The first pillar is that of excellence.

We aim to provide a top quality music therapy service tailored to each individuals specific and holistic needs.

The second pillar is that of education.

Although well established in many parts of the world, music therapy is a relatively new discipline to the shores of Ireland, here at Munster music therapy we believe that the key to supporting healthy development across our community is education. This means that we aim to provide open access educational content about music therapy and it's related fields which is relevant to both service users, teachers, music therapists and other healthcare professionals alike. 

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The third pillar is that of continued research and development.

In the new information era that we find ourselves in, we at Munster music therapy believe that continued research and development is at the heart of progress. We believe that modern brain imaging technology, online communication and the vast array of new developments in both science and interpersonal relations have huge potential to both grow the field of music therapy and its accessibility to individuals on all walks of life.

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Part of the dream is the setting up of this website which is designed to be an open access online hub for all you need to know about music therapy for services users, parents, teachers, therapists and students who want to know more about this fantastic field!

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As well as an open access educational hub, this website is to further the field of music therapy and general well-being. As we are thoroughly embedded in our community and could not exist outside of it, we have a dedicated community section on the site where we can raise awareness of the many other fantastic organisations of a similar ethos and the events that are going on in our community. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to get involved!

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To conclude, we here at Munster music therapy would like to invite you to take a step towards a more holistic ideal of healthy human development, where through the use of that magical sound we call music, we can do the hard work of self-development and at the same time, have some fun!

Le meas,

Danny Dineen

B. Ed, MAMT, NMT

Founder of Munster music therapy