A BASINGSTOKE teenager who taught herself to learn guitar and piano during lockdown is now going to study music at her dream college, founded by Paul McCartney, after securing outstanding grades.
Anna Palmer, a student at Queen Mary’s College (QMC) in Basingstoke, said the fantastic BTEC and A-level results have come as a bonus after securing a place in Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) months ago.
The 18-year-old, who was also the winner of the Young Role Model award at the recently held Place to be Proud of Awards, got a distinction star in music course (BTEC), B in English literature and D for psychology (both A-levels).
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“My university let me in after an audition a few months ago. That was like a dream for me. So these grades are just like a bonus really,” Anna said.
She will move to Liverpool soon to study song writing and vocal performance at LIPA, a performing arts higher education institution founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty.
The course only has 30 spaces and interviews and auditions are held across the globe. Anna was selected from among thousands of applications from LA, New York, Norway and South Korea.
Anna had to submit an extensive application with recordings of performances and her own songs as part of her application. She was then invited for an audition where she also had to perform additional songs that she had written.
“I always wanted to go to a performing arts college, but I really didn’t know which one,” Anna said. “For a while I wanted to go to America. But my mind completely changed a year ago and decided to go to LIPA.
“I’m a massive Beatles fan. I’m excited to know that I’m actually going to have a lesson with Paul McCartney. It totally sold me.”
Anna decided to learn guitar by herself when music performances stopped during the pandemic.
After learning to play to a basic level by the time she started at QMC, Anna worked incredibly hard to become a solo artist.
Then she went on to learn to play piano and developed the ability to record and produce songs herself using industry standard software.
She also makes a huge contribution to the community by performing at college to raise funds for events. Recently, she gave up her time on an inset day and perform a concert at the college for a group of young refugee guests.
Anna was nominated for the Place to be Proud of Awards by her music teacher Simon Barnard.
She added:“I feel lucky to have benefitted from the wisdom and experience of my music teacher, who was also my tutor. He genuinely wanted to help and was always easy to go to for advice and support. Lessons were such good fun and I enjoyed developing my skills and gaining experience through the many incredible opportunities he gave me to perform.
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"My singing teacher has incredible knowledge of the subject and is a wonderful teacher. It was a privilege to have been taught by her at QMC and I can’t believe the progress I’ve made as a result of her expert tuition.
"The facilities for music and performing arts at QMC are fantastic, but it is the great advice and the belief my teachers had in me that I am most grateful for. They convinced me I was good enough to audition for LIPA. I’m so excited to have secured one of just 30 spaces to study song writing and vocal performance there.”
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