YOUNG PEOPLE can achieve anything they want if they but try.

That's the belief of 13-year-old Aisha Phillips, one of Barbados' young top pianists.

Aisha, daughter of Edsil and Yolande Phillips, started playing the piano from the age of six.

She has always maintained good grades, with passes averaging 140 per cent out of 150. Last year she had the distinct pleasure while sitting her Grade 5 music examination, of scoring 143. By so doing at age 12, she became one of the youngest people ever to achieve such a high grade in music.

She has achieved other distinctions throughout the years, and her examiner from the British Royal Society of Music has labelled her "an exceptional, remarkable student".

Aisha, the youngest of four children, is also described by her mother as "a master" of this God-given talent.

The teenager owes her discovery to Andrea Beckles, her primary school teacher, who noticed her musical ability and asked the music teacher Mr Morgan to take her under his wings.

After two years with Mr Morgan, Aisha continued learning to play the piano under the watchful eye of Dr Lois Phillips, who has her own piano school. Aisha described Phillips as "kind, firm", and one who allows her to be herself.

Aisha, who co-anchored a television programme to mark Child Month last May, gave up her opportunity to attend Harrison College almost three years ago. She opted rather to move from the primary school level of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) School, to the Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School. Her reason for doing so, was to benefit from the spiritual experiences the SDA afforded; experiences she felt she would not have at Harrison College.

Preaching The Word has also become part of Aisha's spiritual journey. She has been preaching at various SDA churches across the island for the past four years.

She is an avid reader, and reads practically anything she gets her hands on.

"I just cannot buy enough books for her," her mum stressed.

Surfing the Internet, generally working on the computer and listening to all types of music are two of Aisha's hobbies. Her favourite musical group is the rock band Tokio Hotel.

"Aisha is simply a normal 13-year-old," Phillips says of her daughter.

When it comes to eating, Aisha is not at all "picky".

Among her favourite foods are pizza, ice-cream, chocolate, brownies, chicken and especially fried flying fish.

Although she is uncertain about which career path she wants to follow, Aisha believes she will be successful no matter what her choice.

As much as she loves playing the piano, she is not always bent on spending an hour each day - 30 minutes in the morning, and 30 minutes during the evening - just practising. At this stage, she does not see her musical talent leading to a career in music. She knows however, that she must continue to practise to perfect her musical skills.

And so, Aisha plays on!