Hamish Brodie (14) had just four face-to-face piano lessons with teacher Claire Harvey at the Jersey Academy of Music before lockdown, forcing him to move his studies online.
Then, around five weeks ago, following a discussion with his teacher and his father about his aims for the next few months,
he decided to enter for Grade 8 piano – something for which most students spend around a year preparing.
Hamish, who also sings, writes and produces his own music, had never sat a music exam before but spent up to eight hours a day in the final week preparing for the occasion on 14 August.
‘I just thought, why not? I have got nothing to lose,’ said Hamish, who has now left Grainville School and is due to start at Hautlieu next month. Hamish – who has been playing the piano for just two years and three months but joined the academy only this year – passed the exam with distinction and received full marks for a piece he composed himself.
Mrs Harvey said the Grade-8 syllabus was around A-level standard and described Hamish’s achievement as ‘bonkers’.
‘It is an absolutely staggering achievement,’ she said.
‘We have certainly not had anyone here I have ever known achieve something like this. Not only did he learn the whole syllabus off by heart but he submitted his own composition and got full marks for it.’
She added: ‘When it comes to music, the world is his oyster.
‘It has probably happened to me twice in 20 years of doing this job when you get someone who you think, “My goodness, this person is special”.’
Hamish is currently keeping his options open about his future, but hopes to perhaps be able to attend music college at 16 and study musical production or popular music.
‘I like a lot of electronic music and would like to be able to combine it with classical, which is my roots,’ he said. ‘I think it will take quite a while to develop my style but it is almost like a playground of ideas at the moment.’
He also thanked the Paul Brown Memorial Fund for their support with his musical studies.
