A MARIMBA maestro who has a penchant for percussion is becoming a big noise on the music scene.

Inverclyde Academy pupil Becky Smith had never played an instrument seriously until two years ago.

Yet she clinched two major awards at this year’s Inverclyde Music Festival and is now starring in school orchestras.

Her next goal is to win a place at university to study music.

Becky, 16, from John Street in Greenock, said: “I had never played an instrument before until I started learning the marimba.

“My music teachers asked me if I wanted to learn.

“I just loved the sound it makes.

“I started to put in lots of practice and now play in the Inverclyde Schools Orchestra and the Wind Orchestra.

“I have to work very hard, listening to people play and picking up the notes.”

At this year’s festival Becky scooped a prestigious prize for best junior solo performance as well as the Alasdair Rankin Trophy for best performance in percussion.

She said: “At the festival everyone else had been playing instruments for years.

“I still get really scared before a performance, but once I am out there it is fine.

“I practise for hours every day.”

Becky has now ditched her plans to study accountancy and is hoping to win a place at Napier University to read music.

She added: “I would like to go on to teach it — I love music.

“I am trying to learn as much as I possibly can and I am trying the timpani, snare drum and taking piano lessons.”

Becky credits her music teachers Kristin Wilkes and Angela Crawford for giving her the opportunity to play.

She said: “The music department here really care about the pupils and will do absolutely anything they can to help you.”