Huge props to this heroic music teacher for taking nine musical instrument exams in four hours, and passing every single one.
A music teacher has broken records to take nine musical instrument exams in one day.
After weeks of cramming, Estelle Jackson took exams in guitar, trombone, cello, xylophone, singing, bassoon, piano and soprano saxophone – all in the space of four hours.
Incredibly, Jackson deliberately settled on instruments she was not already adept at playing.
The visiting music teacher at Queen’s College in Taunton, Somerset has been told her valiant efforts have never been done before.
“Colleagues, and people I don’t even know, have been saying ‘That’s crazy, that’s absolutely amazing’. But to me, it just feels normal because I’ve been working on it for ages,” she told ITV.
On 28 June, Jackson found out that she had passed all nine exams, comprising Initial Grade Trumpet, Grade 1 Classical Guitar, Grade 2 Trombone, Grade 3 Cello, Grade 4 Xylophone, Grade 5 Singing, Grade 6 Bassoon, Grade 7 Piano and Grade 8 Soprano Saxophone.
In the process, she has raised £2,100 for Stand Against Violence and The Sidney Lawton Music Trust, giving students the chance to practise and develop their musical abilities with the latter.
“It’s been brilliant,” she added. “The amount that people have donated has blown my mind... that’s the most I’ve ever managed to raise, though obviously I couldn’t have done it on my own because my colleagues have been so supportive.”
The music teacher of 25 years said that taking one exam after the other was tricky, as it didn’t allow time for disappointments to settle.
She explains: “I had a really difficult time in the bassoon exam – I was a bit disappointed, and then I didn’t play the piano as well as I could have. I said to the examiner, ‘I’m messing up scales that I shouldn’t have and it’s because I’m upset’.
“I came out of the piano thinking, ‘I hope that’s enough’, and then I thought, ‘I’m actually really cross and I’m going to go in there and show her what I can really do’.
“And I think I did, with my saxophone exam, which went well.”
In the end, Jackson received five distinctions, three merits and a pass. Brava.
