AN eight-year-old Malvern girl has become Britain's youngest ever person to pass the highest level of music examination for drumming.

Roseanna Gray astonished her assessor when she sailed through her Grade 8 Trinity College (Rock and Pop Syllabus) exam, earning a distinction- previously, the youngest ever successful candidate had been 14 years old.

She has always been around drumming as her father, David, was a successful drummer in his own right, and talented Roseanna first picked up drumming sticks when she was just a baby, before starting to play regularly at two years old.

Roseanna now often bashes away to hits from Guns n Roses and Queen, taking inspiration from Steven Adler and Roger Meddows Taylor themselves.

Her mother, Emily Gray, of Great Malvern, says she and David are proud of her achievements.

"We are all very proud of how hard she has worked to achieve this incredible result. It’s all down to her tenacity and natural talent, along with some expert guidance from her father, of course.

"She loves drumming, and plays a couple of times a week with her dad to practice. A lot of practice has gone into this result.

"She's always tapping out rhythms with anything she can get her hands on. She will be doing her homework but at the same time will be tapping away with her pens, or saucepans, to Queen and Guns n Roses.

"I don't think she even realises she's doing it half the time, it's just comes naturally” she said.

Trinity College music exams are recognised as the gold standard for assessing musical prowess. To pass Grade 8 drums, students not only have to play to the very highest technical standards, but also demonstrate performance skills, capability to improvise and compositional ability.

Roseanna, a Malvern St James' Girls' School pupil, said: "I was really nervous about the exam. When I was told I had passed with a distinction I just couldn’t believe it and jumped up and down with excitement."

Her headteacher says she is breaking the stereotype that drums are for boys.

Mrs Patricia Woodhouse, headteacher of Malvern St James, said: "This is a fantastic achievement — and even better that she is trouncing the stereotype that drums are for boys.

"As a musician myself, I know just how hard it is to gain Grade 8 — let alone at the age of eight. We will watch with interest as Roseanna’s musical career unfolds."

Mrs Gray says Roseanna may well follow in her father's footsteps, who toured the country performing in stage and theatre productions, but in the immediate future she is focused on passing Tuned Percussion exams and enjoying the summer holidays.

She took the exam at Elgar school of music in Deansway, Worcester.