I started taking lessons from Éilís after a long hiatus from classical violin and a long hiatus from playing After my first few lessons, while I was enjoying myself I also knew that I wasn’t prepared for learning to play by ear and memory…and for improvisation and ornamentation. It was a tough beginning for me, but the more I played, the more I listened and the more lessons had passed I was feeling more comfortable. There were moments in lessons where I was surprised by how quickly I began to naturally figure out the next step of a tune or what bowing might work.period. While I am a fan of Celtic music, I wasn’t sure how playing would go. I could not have asked for a better teacher to jump into something new with, and I was more lucky than I could have known to have Éilís and her vast experience and knowledge of music. Éilís was helpful, patient and encouraging with my attempts.Thank you!

I’m an adult beginning fiddle player and have been enjoying lessons with Éilís Crean for about one year. She has a great love for traditional Irish music and she is devoted to sharing this music with others. Special qualities of the East Galway style include its richness of tone and melodic ornamentation. Éilís is uniquely qualified to pass along the foundational skills for producing this beautiful music. She has an intuitive approach to teaching, providing equal measure of challenge and encouragement. The fiddle is a difficult instrument to master at any age, requiring patience and persistence from both student and teacher. I enjoy my lessons, and even enjoy practicing, and am steadily improving under her tutelage. For adults who have dreamed of playing the fiddle, but feared it was too late to learn, or more advanced players seeking to learn Irish style from one deeply immersed in the authentic tradition, I would highly recommend Éilís. She is dedicated to her craft, and an excellent guide.

I came into Irish music after a medical injury forced me to quit classical trumpet. At the time, I was in Boston attending a well known music conservatory. When I was told that my condition (focal dystonia) would prevent me from playing the trumpet ever again, I decided to pursue Irish traditional music. Being in Boston, I was fortunate to find a large community of masterful teachers and players, including Éilís Crean. She also encouraged me and two others to form a trio, and she coached us for competition in the annual East Coast fleadh. Thanks to Éilís’s encouragement, we earned a second place medal. However, our most valuable prize was knowing that we could learn and perform our music at such a high level – a point that Éilís often stressed. My time studying with Éilís definitely has influenced my approach towards Irish music and has helped me get where I am today.