The Neff Brothers’ musical journey began at ages eight and six. Flaithrí was attracted to the sound of the pipes and the complexities of the instrument itself. Eoghan was attracted to the sound of the fiddle and to the physical performance of the instrument. Muireann and Éibhear, parents, put funds together to buy the best instruments available, it may have been hard but the talent shown by two young boys made it well deserved.

A young Flaithrí recalled in a radio interview by Elmarie Mawe for 96 FM's Artshouse programme, “when ever I would hear Irish music I was always attracted to the sound of the pipes. I was also taken by the complexities of the instrument itself, I thought it looked incredible. After finding out some info about them I went to classes with Tomás Ó Canainn in the Cork School of Music.”

At the same interview Eoghan remembered, “I was both attracted to the sound of the fiddle and the method of performance of the instrument in a visual context, watching the fiddle being played was exciting.  I went to traditional fiddle lessons then with Gary Cronin in the Cork School of Music.”

Both instruments were taught at Ceol-Scoil Chorcaí (the Cork School of Music), these classes had a traditional emphasis in that the teaching was mainly aural. At the age of eight Flaithrí took lessons with Tomás Ó Canainn; and at the age of six Eoghan went for fiddle lessons with Gary Cronin. However, besides these classes and music in the home they also travelled around to master classes, Fleadh Cheoils and summer schools.