You’re Never Too Old

Well done to Jack Skelland, the 86-year-old who recently passed his grade 1 piano exam (as featured in yesterday’s Warrington Guardian).

Jack scored 115 which is exactly the same mark as I achieved in my own grade 1 exam … when I was 10 years old. Jack said he was: “rather jittery and nervous” when he took his exam – exactly how I felt at the time.

It just shows that age doesn’t have to be a barrier to achievement … and that exam candidates can suffer from nerves no matter how old they may be.

Jack’s teacher, Ralph Wheatley, describes teaching Jack as a ‘pleasure’. I would definitely say the same of my own elderly student who is 82. She’s unlikely to ever take any exams but seems to really enjoy her lessons – and teaching her is the highlight of my working week.