Blind pupil at top end of the scale with a grade A two years early

A TEENAGER who lost both his eyes at the age of two has passed his Advanced Higher music exam with a grade A despite sitting it two years earlier than other students.

Musical prodigy Saad Attieh, a pupil at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, sailed through the challenging exam at the age of only 15. Saad, who has already written and performed his own composition on the piano, has learned to listen to music and reproduce sounds perfectly.

He lost his sight at the age of two when he had his eyes surgically removed after being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, cancerous tumours in both eyes. He cannot remember what it was like to see, and says that being blind has made no difference to his music.

Saad had already passed Higher music two years early with a grade A - and Advanced Higher Music was the first exam result he received this year, by text message. "I was delighted to find I had got an A - that told me all the hard work I did was worth it," he said.

Saad also gained two Grade As at Intermediate 2 level in Maths and Business Management and three Credit awards at Standard Grade in French, Physics and History. He is now considering his future, with a career in sound recording and production a strong possibility.

Julie Shylan, principal of the Royal Blind School, said: "Saad should be very proud of his wonderful achievements in the exams. He is a very intelligent and talented young man who conscientiously applies himself to his studies. We are confident that he will continue to achieve his goals, benefiting from the specialised education and care he receives at the Royal Blind School."

Saad's family realised he had a gift for music when he was five and he sat down at the piano in his home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after his older brothers had finished their lessons. When his brothers became bored, Saad became increasingly enthralled.

The teenager has turned into a brilliant pianist and composer - although he can't see the notes on the piano or read music. At a very young age, he could hear the sounds and reproduce them fluently - now he can memorise what he hears and play it, faultlessly, on the piano.

"I cannot read music and play it at the same time, so that's the way I do it," he said. "I can read Braille music too but that's like a totally different language."

At Scotland's first ever Royal Variety Performance last year, organised by the Royal Blind, Saad stole the show with a hauntingly beautiful piece he composed himself, called The Passing Waves.

It was the first piece of music that Saad has written on the piano. His other compositions have begun life on his laptop.

"I really enjoy just messing about on my laptop making up different pieces, but I hardly ever finish them, I get bored and move on," he said.

Saad is happy that he stands out for his musical achievements and not for the fact that he is blind. "When I came to the Royal Blind, it was the first time I had met anyone else who was either blind or partially sighted and it was great to make friends who were the same as me," he said.