Pianist Rachel Is Going All the Way to the Top! Echo IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE 2 Being Blind Has Not Stopped Schoolgirl Rachel Starritt Becoming One of Wales' Finest Young Musicians. ABBIE WIGHTWICK Finds out How the Teenager Has Become So Good She Rivals the Talents of Degree Students at the Royal Welsh Music of College & Drama in Cardiff

Byline: ABBIE WIGHTWICK

GETTING to the top examgrade on the piano is an achievement for any teenager, but for Rachel Starritt being blind makes it even moremomentous.

The talented teenager was just nine when she passed her Grade 5 examand, now13, she is preparing for the top grade, Grade 8.

Rachel's first brush with music was when she was three and would tap out nursery rhymes on her toy keyboard at her home in Brackla, Bridgend.

And now she is so good her Grade 7 exam was passed with distinction.

And teachers at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where she has music lessons every Saturday, describe her as an outstanding talent who is as good as their degree students.

Rachel, a Pencoed Comprehensive pupil, likes to play everything from Lily Allen to Mozart and spends most of her time either listening to or playing music.

And being unable to read music has never been an obstacle.

Although Rachel …

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Publication information: Article title: Pianist Rachel Is Going All the Way to the Top! Echo IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE 2 Being Blind Has Not Stopped Schoolgirl Rachel Starritt Becoming One of Wales' Finest Young Musicians. ABBIE WIGHTWICK Finds out How the Teenager Has Become So Good She Rivals the Talents of Degree Students at the Royal Welsh Music of College & Drama in Cardiff. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales). Publication date: May 13, 2008. Page number: 28. © 2009 MGN Ltd. COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale Group.

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