WHEN Shona Kipling broke her arm eight years ago, her father bought her an accordion to help exercise her injured limb.

The unusual physiotherapy not only strengthened her arm but sparked an interest in Shona for the instrument that led this week to her winning a £37,500 BBC Fame Academy educational bursary.

A student at Durham High School for Girls, Shona, 18, who lives with her father, Dr David Kipling and mother, Joan, at Hawthorn, in east Durham, is one of five talented young people in the country to receive the top BBC award.

The sixth former, who is studying music, geography and business studies, will be putting the money towards establishing a career in folk music.

Shona already has an excellent grounding in music having obtained a Grade 5 in flute and Grade 4 in piano, but it is her accordion that has first place in her musical ambitions.

Heavily influenced by accordionist Karen Tweed and Northumbrian piper Catherine Tickell, Shona has played at a wide range of events, including performances with the Northern Symphonia, Folkestra North, and took lessons at the Royal Academy of Music.

She was also a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards, Scottish regional champion on piano and accordion three times, and the All Britain Champion on the piano/accordion.

Along with Damien O'Kane, she has also recently released a CD, called Pure Chance, which will soon be available in music stores in the region or can be ordered on-line, at shonakipling.aol.com

And while her ultimate ambition is to become a professional folk musician, the next step to achieving her aim will be to hopefully win a place at Newcastle University to study folk and traditional music.