Our Story
Raven's Den Music School is a project that we have wanted to start for many years. Through the experience of countless music lessons as both teachers and students, we have noted the pitfalls which can lead to students becoming demotivated or even giving up on music entirely. We do not want to see students become discouraged by being forced to learn a style or an instrument which is not for them. We believe a student's relationship with music should be allowed to flourish organically around their interests.
Raven’s Den was born out of our desire to take our years of practical knowledge and challenge ourselves to address these common issues that we know many music students encounter. Our goal is to help our students cultivate their own musical visions and ideas so that they can become the musician they wish to become. We believe everyone has their own musical story to tell, let us help you to tell yours.
We know how important it is to study under a teacher who cares about your needs. Our small class sizes and one-on-one lessons mean that we are committed to giving each student as much attention and guidance as they need.
Niall O'Leary
Co Founder & Teacher
Specialising in Guitar, Ukulele, Music Theory, Bass, Songwriting and Production.
About Niall
Niall O’Leary is a Bray based guitarist with an interest in many musical genres ranging from rock/blues to progressive/jazz. Niall produces his own music consistently, and is devoted to creative expression and cultivating a unique sound with each project he takes on.
Niall has and continues to play in numerous bands and projects. He has played shows in all the major Dublin area venues over the last five years and has experience in performing at Electric Picnic and Body and Soul festivals. Niall’s experience of playing and sharing original ideas with other like-minded musicians has been a major factor in developing his personal teaching philosophy.
Niall completed a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Modern Music in 2018. Since then Niall has developed his skills as a teacher at Everest School of Music in Bray. He has spent two and a half years growing a trustworthy relationship with his clients. The common principles behind his teaching process are to encourage creative expression, self-motivational learning by encouraging his students to find their own path when learning their instrument. Students will have the ability to grow their understanding of the language of music through a non-pressurized fun and supportive environment.
"Too often we see people trying to pick up an instrument, they take a few lessons, and then it lies collecting dust for years. I want to try and ignite your passion for music. I want to help you understand how music works so that you can find your own way, play your favorite songs, and write your own music. Having music in your life is a true gift and I think everyone has the ability within them to develop a true passion and love for playing an instrument".
Aaron Egginton
Co Founder & TeacherÂ
Specialising in Guitar, Piano, Music Theory, Ukulele, Bass, Songwriting and Production.
About Aaron
Aaron Egginton is a Dublin based musician with many musical interests spanning a variety of genres. He is an instrumentalist, producer, composer, arranger, and DJ who graduated from Newpark Music Center (now based in DCU) with a Bachelor's degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance. As a guitarist, Aaron is well versed in many styles from jazz to pop, and has performed with a variety of different groups.
Aarons's musical journey began at a young age when he took classical piano lessons. In his teen years, he discovered a love for rock music and soon picked up the guitar. In his twenties he expanded his musical palette with many different styles, such as electronic music, bossa nova, blues, and jazz.
Since his graduation, he has gone on to lead the nine-piece, jazz-funk outfit Expansions who have gigged extensively around Ireland. As well as his background in jazz Aaron has a keen interest in composition and production. He has had electronic pieces commissioned, most notably by Irish artist Elaine Hoey. He was also involved with writing an original piece for the mini-series Call It A Day. This song, ‘So Cool’ won an honorable mention at the New York Movie Awards. In addition to this Aaron is also experienced with the club scene, DJing in Dublin and many festivals across the country.
Whether you are interested in learning jazz, rock, pop, or even exploring electronic composition Aaron Egginton will be glad to share his knowledge and experience with you.
"Music is such a multifaceted art form that learning to play can be a scary and confusing experience for some. Everyone has their own personal journey in music that is unique to them. In my lessons, I aim to create a stress-free environment that will help the student find their own voice on their chosen instrument so that they can enjoy their musical path to the fullest."
Sinead McConville
Singing • Vocal Coaching • Guitar • Ukulele • Songwriting • Piano
About Sinéad
Sinead McConville is a singer, songwriter, session musician and producer from Bray, Ireland. She’s been performing and writing original compositions for 12+ years. She studied music in secondary school for six years, and then decided to further her passion for music in Dublin Institute of Technology. She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Commercial Modern Music (majoring in advanced arrangement & composition, songwriting and music business) in 2017.
Sinead has always been obsessed with the voice and loves to sing, hearing others sing and learning about the new daily discoveries in vocal science. She completed the BAST Singer Teacher Training course alongside also becoming a Vocal Health First Aider with Vocal Health Education (accredited by NCFE and CACHE). She is currently working hard at improving her music production skills and is studying Post-Production and Sound Design Skills for Audio Visual with Pulse Music College.
One of her biggest passions is writing and releasing original music. Sinead started releasing music officially in 2020. She released Running from You which successfully featured on the RTE Radio 1 playlist for three weeks, premiered on Hot Press, IMRO and played on RTE 2FM. Her most recent single Break my Heart was self-produced has been on Hot Press Track of the Day, IMRO, East Coast FM and RTE Entertainment Behind the Music. Furthermore, she has performed as a session musician on The Late Late Show with D. Cullen, Irish Music Week & The X Collective Showcase with ELKAE and TiLT in The Button Factory with Munky. Radio performances include RTE Radio 1 (Today with Sean O’Rourke and The Ray D’Arcy Show), BBC Radio Ulster (Gerry Kelly), SPIN 1038 (Plan B with Sarina Bellissimo) and East Coast FM (The Morning Show with Declan Meehan).
“Since I’ve started teaching music, I’ve been privileged to see so many students discover their natural skills, abilities and reach results they never thought were possible.”
Matilde Lotti
Cello • Piano • Songwriting • Music Theory
About Matilde
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Matilde Lotti is a young Italian cellist who arrived in Ireland to discover new music languages.
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She studied at Venice Conservatory with Angelo Zanin, receiving masterclasses from Xandi van Dijk, Florian Donderer, and Christian Eliott with face-to-face lessons and with chamber music ensembles, studying at RIAM with Martin Johnson.
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Matilde is now working as a coach for chamber music groups, and private lessons and as an active freelancer with Irish National Opera and Glasshouse Music in Dublin.
Laura
Specialising in Singing, Vocal coaching, Piano, Songwriting and Production.
Laura Keane is a singer, songwriter, producer, session musician and musical director from Dublin.
She has been studying piano and singing since the age of 4 and grew up performing in musicals
and shows in theatres all around Dublin. She then went on to study Commercial Modern Music
(majoring in advanced arrangement & composition, songwriting and music business) in BIMM, DIT
and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 2017.
Laura releases and performs her own original material under her artist name ELKAE and has had
her songs featured in various shows globally including Love Island, Home and Away, Hollyoaks,
MTVs Ex on the Beach, Hallmark commercial, Netflix series Lidia Poet, Love is Blind and Too Hot
to Handle and more.
She’s been featured on national and international radio and has toured
Ireland and the UK. Laura has performed at Irish festivals including Electric Picnic, Other Voices
and Indiependence and recently performed on the Six o’clock show.
Laura also produces for various other artists as well as herself, and has composed for TV and web series, being
nominated for Best original score/soundtrack in the New Jersey Web Fest in 2021.
In her approach to teaching, Laura prioritises the heart of musical expression and creativity. She
believes that music education should be a canvas for creativity and enjoyment. Guided by this
philosophy, she tailors each lesson to cater to the unique learning styles of her students, ensuring
a personalised and fulfilling musical journey.
Our Projects
Raven's Den Records
Niall is a co-founder of an independent record label that operates under the name Raven's Den Records. We see our music school as a perfect opportunity to grow and progress your talents as a young musician. You will have the opportunity to make friends with other students in our group lessons, form bands, and write original music together. We can then offer recording, management, and guidance to develop you as an artist and provide a viable platform to start a music career from as early as possible. See more on our music production page.