Writer and musician Andrew Peggie continues his series of case studies, meeting young people across the UK to find out just what making music means to them.
Meet 14-year-old Lisa, who loves the buzz of performing and says that music 'makes people feel alive'.
* Fourteen-year-old Lisa plays keyboard and flute and sings
* She has lived in Grantham all her life with her parents and brother
* Lisa feels 'strong, dedicated and happy' about music
Special and typical at the same time - that's what seems to describe Lisa's involvement with music. She can reel off her weekly timetable: Monday, singing club; Tuesday keyboard and flute lessons; Thursday and Saturday, dancing. There's also a gospel choir and a wind band, and practising - throughout the week.
Lisa takes advantage of all the opportunities on offer in her home town of Grantham, where she lives with her parents and brother - school music ensembles, private lessons and music agency projects.
"When I was listening to music I realised I wanted to be able to play it, so I just asked for lessons," she explains. "There's something inside of it that keeps me going - also, just the enjoyment of it." Lisa is big on enjoyment. "My kind of music's uplifting, fun. It's for everyone who can listen to it. For me, the most exciting thing is performing. "
Maybe it runs in the family. Her dad, an IT manager by day, plays guitar and bass and creates his own music tracks. Her brother plays guitar and keyboard.
Lisa practises hard for her grades but is still daunted by exams. "It was the hardest thing I've had to do. It made me feel nervous and excited." This combination of hard work and enjoyment is a recurring theme.
Lisa is happy to talk about what music does for her. "[It] can make me feel different emotions, depending on what instruments are being used or what the lyrics are about. When I am sad I play or listen to something happy. Usually it makes me feel better. And if a certain piece of music shows a strong view about something - or an emotive view - I would think about it afterwards."
She's currently attracted to hip hop and 60s music, as well as Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Carlton, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Fabulous, Will Smith... the list goes on. What's the point of music? "To make people feel alive. To help people feel the energy and emotion that music gives to us," she says.
It seems to be no big deal for a 14-year-old to be aware of the way music activities combine the physical, emotional and intellectual. How does music manage this? From what Lisa says, she is willing to commit to the daily grind ("practising for my grades"), knowing that there are future pay-offs which affect her both physically and emotionally. And during the course of that process, she also engages intellectually - she thinks about music, about herself and about the process itself ("at first I can like something, then realise that there are certain parts which can be changed").
So perhaps it's no surprise to learn that Lisa feels "strong, dedicated and happy" in her musical life.