Almost 40 years after dropping out of London's Royal Academy of Music, Elton returned to the school in 1997 to pick up an honorary doctorate. He was congratulated by his old piano teacher, Helen Piena. At 11, he had won a scholarship to attend the Academy on Saturdays for four years, where he developed the ability to reproduce even the most complex pieces of music after just one listen, a skill praised by Piena, prompting the school principal to refer to John as "some sort of a child prodigy." According to the organization, he has been the most generous alum donor, enabling students from 12 conservatoires worldwide to participate in educational exchanges with the Academy.