Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust began with a simple but powerful vision: to make music therapy more accessible to people across Northern Ireland who could benefit from it most.
In the early years, the focus was on building awareness, establishing trust, and creating the foundation for a service that could grow sustainably over time.
1990
On 1 October, NIMTT appointed a Business Manager and employed three Music Therapists.
This marked an important stage in the Trust’s development, helping the organisation move from early vision into a more structured and sustainable service.
1995
In August, the NI Music Therapy Trust received funding to undertake a project called CODA.
The project was designed to respond directly to a recommendation made in the NI victim’s strategy document ‘Reshape, Rebuild, Achieve’. The aim of the CODA project was to provide the opportunity for creative expression and development for those who were sufferers or survivors of the troubles in Northern Ireland.
2003
In December, NIMTT was awarded £326k to fund the ‘Music in Mind’ research project, which was a pioneering, complex intervention RCT that examined the effectiveness of music therapy in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Over a three-and-a-half-year period, a trial team, led by Professor Sam Porter, Chair of Nursing Research at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, QUB conducted the study. Their review of the literature suggested it to be the largest study of this type to be undertaken at that time globally.
2009
In April, NIMTT secured a contract with HSCB to deliver a regional service for children with severe disabilities.
NIMTT continues to deliver this service today, supporting children and families across Northern Ireland through specialist music therapy provision.
2013
NIMTT was rebranded as Every Day Harmony on 26 September, during its 25th anniversary year.
The new branding was officially launched at an event in Stormont, marking a new chapter in how the organisation presented its work and connected with the wider public.
2015
In June, Every Day Harmony opened a Music Therapy Hub in its head office in Carryduff to provide additional sessions and more cost-effective choices for individuals and groups requiring Music Therapy.
Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol became an Ambassador for Every Day Harmony and attended the official launch of the Hub in Carryduff. Gary provides invaluable support to our work and continues to lobby for music therapy at the highest level.
2019
Today, renamed Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust, we continue to evolve, reaching more people through therapy, partnerships, research-informed practice, and improved digital communication.
2026