Teen passes Piano exam using only one hand

July 19, 2026

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A seventeen-year-old from Northern Ireland became the first known pianist to pass a Grade 8 piano exam playing music written entirely for the left hand. Freya had to relearn how to play after an injury and surgery meant she could no longer use her right hand.

While waiting for her hand to heal, Freya began exploring music composed just for the left hand with her piano teacher. After about two years of practice, she realised her right hand might never fully recover, so she contacted the exam board to ask whether she could take her Grade 8 exam using modified pieces.

Freya admitted the process was sometimes frustrating, as she felt she was only playing the music because she could no longer play what she used to. However, she did not give up, and after anxiously waiting for months, she discovered she had passed her exam with distinction. The exam board told her that her determination had earned her a special place in music history.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research and writing.

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

At Hauraki Intermediate, students use tablets in some lessons and notebooks in others. In science, they research facts quickly and record results in digital tables. In English, however, many still prefer to plan ideas by hand before typing them up. Teachers say technology is useful when it helps students learn more clearly, but it should not replace thinking or discussion. The school has found that the best lessons are those where students use the right tool for the task. In other words, tablets are helpful, but learning works best when they are part of a balanced approach.

What is the main idea of this passage?

Students at Hauraki Intermediate use tablets in science lessons. Notebooks are better than tablets in English lessons. Technology is useful at school when it is used as part of a balanced approach to learning. Teachers prefer students to type all of their work.