Eli Howard

Eli Howard is teaching a few classes at AlgomaTrad this year as part of our ongoing program to create opportunities for talented young people to learn more about instruction and performance. Eli is a 15-year old tin whistle player from Toronto. He started playing sometime around his 6th birthday at elementary school. He took lessons with Karen Light for many years and now studies with Loretto Reid. Through music camps and workshops Eli has also learned from Mary Bergin, Joannie Madden, Pat O’Gorman, John Skelton, Mark Roberts and Denise Levac. In 2008, when he was 12, Eli placed second in the Mid-West North American Fleadh qualifying for the All Ireland Championships, the most esteemed Irish music competition in the world. He placed 4th at the Fleadh in 2010. Eli has also placed first twice in the Canadian Feis. In fourth grade Eli took 3 weeks off school and visited Ireland with his dad and was immersed in music the whole time. Eli is most familiar with Celtic music but has been introduced to varied styles by attending AlgomaTrad for 6 years, by working with Klezmer musician Martin Van de Ven and by being exposed to folk, old time and Bluegrass music from an early age. Eli plays a style very influenced by his teacher, Loretto Reid: twisting a traditional Sligo-like style with inventive ornaments and improvisation. A year and a half ago Eli started playing the Irish button accordion. Eli will be living in Ireland with his mom and dad from March to July in 2012. He hopes to play as much music as possible when he gets there!