A PIANIST is planning to celebrate the achievements of her pupils past and present during a nostalgic evening of music.

Julie Johnson-Little, 62, is holding an Inaugural Piano Pupils’ Certificate Presentation Concert next month where she will showcase her students’ talent.

The mother-of-three, who grew up in Cornwall and moved to Swindon with her husband, passed grades one to seven on the piano with flying colours – but grade eight proved a little trickier.

Twenty-seven years later in 2006 she finally passed the elusive grade, and found that although it was more than 20 years later, two of the pieces on the syllabus had not changed.

Upon completing her final grade she gained her ABRSM certificate, allowing her to teach others.

She began in Wallis Drive before moving to new premises in Tuscan Road.

And she loves teaching people of all ages – her first pupil to pass their grade one theory exam with distinction was 66 years old.

She is no stranger to the Adver, having appeared in its pages in 2006 when she first set up shop teaching piano in North Swindon.

“I won all sorts of trophies for my music as a youngster but now it is so great to be able to teach,” she said.

“And it doesn’t matter whether my pupils are young and old.

“But it’s so much better for young people learning to play the piano these days.

“There are super books and other aids which were not available when I was learning. There was one book and it could be quite boring.”

She paid tribute to local teacher Alan Wicker who she went to when she decided to polish up her own skills.

“He was extremely good and he helped me enormously, “ she said.

Now Julie wants to celebrate how far she and her pupils have come since she started teaching in Swindon, and is hosting a nostalgic evening of musical through the years.

Current pupils will be performing pieces at the concert, including two who have been learning with her since 2003.

ABRSM examiners Dr Julian Hellaby and Andrew Hansford will play duets, as well as present certificates to students.

The concert will take place from 6pm to 9pm on Saturday, December 9, at Redhouse Community Centre.