Working with me
Am I the right teacher for you?
Choosing the right music teacher is important as it is a relationship that can last many years.
You need a teacher who is qualified, experienced, and is also professional without being impersonal.
You need a teacher who has a teaching philosophy and style that suits you.
My name is Deirdre Keane
You’ll be glad to know that you can tick yes to all the items in the teacher checklist here if you are considering working with me.
To make sure we are a good ‘fit’ you can read on to find out a little more about how I teach and why !
Music Teacher Checklist
Teaching Qualifications
Performance Qualifications
Safe and Comfortable Premises
Many Years Experience
Insured
Garda Vetted
Reduce the chances of quitting with engaging lessons
You don’t want to invest time and money in learning an instrument only to eventually give up in frustration a few years later. I put music making first and make sure lessons are engaging and relevant so that my students don’t feel the way I did as a teenager.
I quit piano and regretted it so much that I returned to lessons as an adult and completed my grade exams. But I didn’t just do the exams this time around. I spent time working on skills that just don’t feature in exams.
I now teach a very broad curriculum and tailor it to each student’s needs. We spend time working on practical and creative music skills. We explore as broad a range of styles as possible. While exams remain part of the program for many students, we also take the time to enjoy our music and make it more relevant to our daily lives.
Everyone is capable of progress
I have learned to play a great many instruments – I never could decide what I liked most !
As I child I had Fiddle lessons where I learned tunes mainly by ear and by rote. I learned Piano the conventional way by going to formal lessons and learning to read music notation. I taught myself to play Banjo from a book. Taking lessons as an adult gave me a great insight into both the challenge of learning something new when you are older and fitting in the practise! I have a very broad experience of learning which gives me a big bag of tricks to pick from !
The right teaching strategies, careful goal setting and lesson planning, and teaching practise skills are an important part of what I do. I know that with these in place anyone can make progress no matter what their learning style and where they are starting from.
Musicians are a Community
When I learned Traditional Irish Music as a child I really enjoyed being involved with Céilí Bands and Music Groups. I was also lucky enough to attend a secondary school that had an Orchestra and a Choir. These activities gave me a great sense of belonging to something and there is always something special about playing music as part of something that is bigger than you.
As an adult I still love to join in Sessions on my Fiddle or Banjo. I meet up with Piano playing friends regularly and we play to each other, play duets or generally ‘talk’ Piano. Playing and sharing music with others is a very important part of my life.
I really want to give my students this experience of creating bonds and sharing music. I organise group challenges, sessions, concerts (informal and formal), workshops, performance groups and encourage everyone to participate. I also keep families informed of any music-making opportunities that come up in the community that I think they would benefit from and enjoy.
… My children aged 11 and 8 are learning tin whistle with Deirdre and they very much enjoy her lessons and are progressing very well. She is a very organised, efficient and flexible person to deal with and she has a friendly and laid back personality ..
Thank you so much for helping M. with her piano. She is absolutely delighted with her exam result. We all are. You are a fab teacher …
Thank you so much for the lesson today. S. loved it. She was nervous before the class but couldn’t stop smiling after the class. She said you’re a brilliant music teacher ….
Deirdre is an excellent teacher. She is well organised and very pleasant. We were very happy with her and our daughter could not praise her enough
… She is a patient kind and enthusisastic teacher and I would recommend her to anyone looking to practise music!
… My children aged 11 and 8 are learning tin whistle with Deirdre and they very much enjoy her lessons and are progressing very well. She is a very organised, efficient and flexible person to deal with and she has a friendly and laid back personality ..
Thank you so much for helping M. with her piano. She is absolutely delighted with her exam result. We all are. You are a fab teacher …
