Craig Eastman
Artist, Composer, Musician
Craig Eastman first asked for a violin when he was three years old. After years of making musical instruments out of rubber bands and wood scraps, he finally got his hands on a fiddle when he was six.
Craig was trained on classical violin, but and at a young age was also introduced to fiddle music. His family moved to Northern Vermont, where he started playing with elder French Canadian fiddlers, learning to play by ear. He also started making and playing his own stringed instruments, teaching himself guitar, mandolin, banjo, and slide guitar.
At age eleven Craig stared playing for square dances, joined several bands, and started teaching fiddle music to other kids. At thirteen he won the New England Fiddle Championship, before an audience of 60,000 - in the division open to professional fiddlers of all ages.
Over the next years he taught hundreds of students of all ages and abilities how to play whatever musical style spoke to them. His students ranging from professional symphony players to kids with learning disabilities. He was a frequent guest instructor for Suzuki Violin seminars.
Craig then moved to Los Angeles where he became a studio musician, recording and performing with artists including:
Elton John, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Rickie Lee Jones, T Bone Burnett, Beck, Taj Mahal, Hugh Laurie, Lucinda Williams, Bryan Adams, Randy Travis, Brian Setzer, Keb Mo, Linda Ronstadt, Nigel Olsson, Chris Hillman, Albert Lee, Adrian Belew, Rodney Crowell, John Doe, John McEuen, Dr. John, Marcus Miller, John Hiatt, Iris Dement, Martina McBride, Steve Martin, Daniel Lanois, Billy Bob Thorton, Dennis Quaid, Jessica Simpson, Victoria Williams, Van Dyke Parks, Tim Armstrong, Jeni and Billy, and with producers including Glyn Johns, Joe Henry, John Shanks, Jimmy Jam.
Craig was introduced to the world of film music when he started working with composer Hans Zimmer, contributing not only his multi-instrumental playing, but also his compositions to films such as:
“Black Hawk Down”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, "Rango", and “Brokeback Mountain,” working with directors and producers including Ridley Scott, Sean Penn, Michael Mann, Gore Verbinski, Barry Levinson, Michael Bay, Jerry Brukheimer, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Craig and Hans Zimmer.
In 2007 Craig built his own recording studio, where he composes, records, and collaborates on many film scores and musical albums.
To see Craig's film credits on IMDB click here.