Bebington violin prodigy's exam success

Aug 26 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Bromborough and Bebington News

A YOUNG boy’s passion for the violin has seen him earn a distinction in four music exams in less than two years.

Alex Stead, 9, from Bebington, suffers from autism and is so small that he had to have a special string instrument made for him in America so that he could learn how to play.

His love of the violin began as a toddler when he watched his uncle, Graham Taylor, playing.

When Alex finally got his own instrument three years ago he began practising classical tunes for hours every day.

And over the past 18 months he has passed four Associated Board of the Royal School of Music exams, which usually take more than a year each to pass.

Alex’s grandmother Lesley said: “He’s so into the violin, he amazes everybody.

“After he took his grade four, the examiner actually came out of the room because she wanted to tell us how impressed she was with him.

“We’re so proud of him because he’s always ill and has had loads of tummy operations.

“He’s such a delicate little lad and was born weighing eight ounces at 27 weeks.

“But the violin has become his life.

“He loves every minute of it and teaches himself the music as soon as he’s given a new score.”

At first the Stead family found it hard to get the young musician, who is home-schooled, a violin teacher because of his illness.

But eventually they found Rosemary Sims.

Lesley said: “She didn’t think he would play for more than ten minutes at first but he wanted to go on and on.

“He plays all day and has joined the John Paxton Orchestra in Claughton.

“His feet don’t even touch the floor when he sits on the seat.”

Alex loves music so much he often asks his family to take him to the Liverpool Philharmonic to watch the great musicians play.

And over the next few weeks he will be working towards his grade five violin exam, which he hopes to pass with distinction in November.

Lesley added: “It’s just so joyful to watch him play.

“He’s got such passion and determination to do well.”