Overview
What is Music Education?
The Bachelor in Music Education provides for the academic, artistic and professional requirements of those wishing to become music teachers at post-primary level (including Northern Ireland). Not all graduates choose to teach however. Some, on graduation, pursue further study at Master's and doctoral levels in performance, conducting, and composition and quite a few pursue postgraduate courses in the media and in the music business.
The degree is taught in partnership with the Technical University of Dublin Conservatoire of Music and Drama (TU Dublin Conservatoire) and, on alternate years, with the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM). The degree is an integrated course of study designed to equip students with a high standard of performance in their principal instrument (including voice) and a competence in related musical skills, such as conducting, keyboard skills, and performance in choral, orchestral and chamber music groups. The course also provides for a solid grounding in harmony, counterpoint, composition, orchestration, analysis, history of music, and Irish traditional music.
Do you enjoy…
- Performing, composing and sharing music?
- Learning how to inspire others with your musicianship?
- Exploring how to influence the next generation of musicians?
Music Education: Is this the course for you?
If you love sharing music, already have a competent standard of music performance, and wish to combine these qualities with a teaching career, then this course is ideally suited to you. Whether your interests are primarily academic or practical, your experience of this vast and rich discipline will be greatly advanced. As an academic study, music fosters independence of thought, creativity and critical and analytical skills. This course offers opportunities to perform music, to share music with others via teaching and performing, and to conduct a number of different ensembles.
Music Education at Trinity
Trinity College Dublin is the only university in Ireland which offers the Bachelor in Music Education degree. Students study both music and education to Honours degree level leading to a professional qualification in post-primary teaching which is accredited by the Teaching Council of Ireland. One of the strengths of the Music Education course at Trinity is the commitment to individual and small group teaching. The facilities in the Associated Colleges include recital rooms, practice rooms with pianos, music studios, excellent listening equipment, and a substantial lending collection of print and audio resources.
The staff at TU Dublin and RIAM has a wide range of experience in vocal and instrumental music, composition, music technology and musicology. The staff at Trinity’s School of Education has a wide range of expertise in all aspects of education including educational research, the psychology of education, philosophy of education, sociology of education and music pedagogy. Students also have access to the largest research library in Ireland.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Music Education is a professional degree accredited by the Teaching Council of Ireland. Graduates have excellent employment records. Most graduates choose post-primary teaching, many garnering reputations as inspirational music teachers; others choose instrumental teaching both privately and in conservatoires. Graduates also go on to work in areas such as professional development, instrumental and vocal performance, academia, agencies associated with the arts, and in fields such as music therapy and music technology. Many students take postgraduate courses majoring in areas such as music education, musicology, performance, and composition. Occasionally graduates pursue disciplines such as accountancy, law and medicine!
Recent graduates are working in primary, post-primary and third-level teaching posts in Ireland, in countries throughout Europe, the US, UAE, China and Singapore as well as with international companies in Ireland such as Google.
Your degree and what you’ll study
A basic feature of the programme is personal development in music, supporting the ability to awaken the interest and enthusiasm of pupils. Students are encouraged to engage in ensemble work at a level appropriate to their ability. Opportunities to perform are provided, offering realistic individual goals for all, including the exceptionally gifted. Structured school placement in all aspects of classroom practice both at primary and post-primary levels is provided, as well as instrumental/vocal practice.
In addition to individual instrumental / vocal tuition, there are approximately 15 hours of lectures per week, comprising music and theoretical education.
First Year
Junior Fresh Student: Music Performance (solo and ensemble), Aural Skills, Compositional Techniques, Music History (Western Art Music, Irish Music, Ethnomusicology), Practice of Music Education, Music Technology for the Classroom, Fundamental Music Pedagogy (conducting, keyboard skills, classroom instrumental skills), School Placement.
Second year
Music Performance (solo and ensemble), Aural Skills. Compositional Techniques, Music History (Western Art Music, Irish Music, Popular Music), Practice of Music Education, Critical and Sociological, Perspectives in Music Education, Irish Educational History and Policy and School Placement.
Third year
At this point, students cover: Music Performance (solo and ensemble), Aural Skills, Advanced Composition Techniques, Contemporary Music Studies, Contemporary Music Studies, Sociology of Education, Practice of Music Education, and School Placement
Fourth year
Capstone Project (recital + dissertation / composition), Advanced Musicianship (aural skills, analysis, conducting), Inclusive Education, Digital Learning, Psychology of Education, Introduction to Assessments and Examination in Post-Primary School Education and School Placement.
Click here for further information on modules/subjects.
Study abroad and internship opportunities
The programme has strong links abroad, including active participation in the Erasmus exchange system with Kodály Institute. It allows second year students the option of spending one semester studying abroad. Further information on study abroad can be found at: www.tcd.ie/study/study-abroad/outbound
