The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Notes

The Sound of Music

Extra Questions and Notes

INTRODUCTION

This is a lesson, giving inspiration to those who are physically handicapped. In this lesson, the author has shown how handicapped persons are to face trouble and difficulties in their life. Most of them make a compromise with their destiny. They accept their handicapped life and take to begging or some other lawless activities but some persons being handicapped do not give to it. They struggle hard. They fight it hard and rise themselves to a high position in life. To them, handicapped life is not a curse but a boon. A small girl of eleven Evelyn Glennie gets her hearing capacity totally killed. But she does not give to it. She struggles hard activities and learns the music. She becomes the most sensational music star in the world. She becomes a figure of inspiration for disabled people.

(यह अध्याय शारीरिक रूप से अपंग लोगो को प्रेरणा प्रदान करता है । इस अध्याय में लेखक दिखाता है कि अपाहित लोगों को अपने जीवन में किस प्रकार से कष्टों और कठिनाइयों का सामना करना पड़ता है । उनमें से अघिकतर लोग तो अपने भाग्य‘ के साथ समझौता कर लेते हैं । वे अपनी अपंगता को स्वीकार कर लते हैं और भीख माँगने या कई अन्य आपराधिक गतिविधियों मे शामिल हो जाते हैं । लेकिन कई व्यक्ति अपाहिज होते हुए भी हिम्मत नहीं हारते हैं । वे कठिन संघर्ष करते है । वे इसके खिलाफ मजबूती से लड़ते हैं और जीवन में उच्च स्थान को प्राप्त करते हैं । उनके लिए अंगहीँनता एक अभिशाप नहीं, वल्कि एक वरदान है । एक ग्यारह वर्ष की छोटी बच्ची झ्वलिन ग्लेनि की सुनने की शक्ति पूर्ण रूप से नष्ट हो जाती है । लेकिन वह हिम्मत नहीं हारती है । वह कठोर परिश्रम करती हैं और संगीत सीखती है । यह संसार की सबसे प्रसिद्ध संगीत स्टार बन जाना ह । वह अपंग लोगों के लिए एक प्रेरणापुंज बन जाती है ।

Plot/ Theme

THEME

The first part of the feature is based on the theme that earnest efforts and able guidance pave one’s way to success. The aspirations, endeavours and achievements of the eminent Scottish percussion musician Evelyn Glennie were made possible by her unfaltering determination. She overcame the challenge of her impaired hearing through her firm belief in herself and great confidence in her will.

The significance of the Title

TITLE

The title “The Sound of Music” is quite appropriate as the feature briefly relates the inspiring success story of the talented musician Evelyn Glennie. The subtitle “Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing It” suggests what the readers are going to discover. It leaves them curious about how Glennie must have developed sensitivity to the sounds of music despite her deafness. She could sense the sounds and vibrations of music through her skin, her hair, her cheekbones, her feet – in fact, through every part of her physical frame. The title also alludes to the famous movie with the same name. Thus both the main title and the subtitle are apt.

MESSAGE

Evelyn’s Glennie’s bio-sketch gives us the message that handicaps may be countered, problems may be overcome, and aspirations can be realized if one is firmly resolute and confident. Those who do learn to overcome hardships certainly achieve the highest goals. There is always a way out of the challenges of life; only one has to trace the way and adhere to it with unstaggering faith in one’s abilities.

CHARACTERS

Evelyn Glennie

Evelyn Glennie, the internationally renowned percussionist, emerges as an embodiment of unflinching determination, strong self-belief, dedication and courage. Although challenged by severe hearing impairment, this young girl is able to make her way to an enviable position in life. Evelyn was found to have lost her hearing faculty at a very young age of eight years but her strong determination enabled her to encounter the challenge very bravely. Instead of joining the school for the deaf, as suggested by the headmistress of her school, she decided firmly to lead the life as a normal girl. She wanted to play the xylophone but was discouraged by her teachers. However, her resolution was strengthened by the encouragement she got from the percussionist, Ron Forbes. Under his able guidance, Evelyn learnt how to develop sensitivity to musical sounds through different parts of her body. She managed to sense musical notes through her skin, her hair, her fingers, and even her bare feet. Endowed with great confidence, Evelyn was able to get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London, the most prestigious institution for music. Her confidence and devotion enabled her to receive the highest awards in percussion music. Such is her contribution to the percussion music that it has earned a special place in the orchestra. Despite her deafness, Evelyn gives solo performances and has command over a large number of percussion instruments. A person with a humanitarian spirit, Evelyn even performs in prisons and hospitals. Thus, with her confidence and resolute decision, Evelyn has revealed to the world that disabilities disappear before dedication and determination. Her achievements are a source of inspiration for those who suffer from handicaps.

DETAILED SUMMARY

This chapter tells about the life story of a Scottish girl named Evelyn Glennie. When she was eight years old, it was noticed for the first time that she had lost her hearing capacity to some extent. She managed to conceal it from her friends and teachers in the school. But when she was of eleven, the case of her deals got confirmed. She had lost her hearing capacity totally. It happened as a result of gradual nerve damage. Everything had turned black for her.

But she did not give up to it. She was determined to lead a normal life. She learnt music. A famous percussionist Ron Forbes helped her a lot in the learning of music. He encouraged her. Ile told her not to hear music through her ears but through some other way. She practised hard and got success in listening to music through other organs of her body. She had learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations

She never looked behind from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra. At the age of sixteen, she decided to make music her life. She gave an audition for the Royal Academy of music. She scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She had got a mastery of some 1000 instruments of music.

She could listen and understand even the minutes’ point. It seems impossible that a deaf person like her can respond to the things so fluently. She spoke flawlessly with a Scottish lilt. She says that music pours in through every part of her body. It tingles in the skin, her cheekbones and even her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she can listen to its music through the finger tops. By leaning against the drums, she can listen to the echoes in her heart. She performs barefooted on a wooden platform so that music may reach to her heart through her feet and legs.

In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award. She calls her a workaholic. Apart from the regular concerts, she gives free performances in prisons and in hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. She is a shining inspiration for deaf children.

SUMMARY IN HINDI

यह अध्याय इवलिन ग्लेनि नाम की एक स्कॉटिश लड़की के जीवन के बारे में वर्णन करता है । जव वह आठ वर्ष की थी तो पहली बार इस बात का आभास हुआ कि उसने किसी स्तर तक अपनी सुनने की शक्ति को खो दिया था । वह स्कूल में अपने मित्रों और अध्यापकों से इस बात को छिपाए रखने में सफल रही । लेकिन जब यह ग्यारह बर्ष की हुई तो उसके बहरेपन का केस पक्का हो गया । अब उसकी सुनाई देने की क्षमता पूर्ण रूप से नष्ट हो चुकी थी । यह सब कुछ एक धीमी प्रक्रिया के अंतर्गत नाडी के नष्ट हो जाने के कारण हुआ था । उसके लिए तो सब कुछ अंधेरा हो चुका था ।

लेकिन उसने हिम्मत नहीं हारी । वह एक सामान्य जीवन जीने के लिए दृढ निश्चयी थी । उसने संगीत सीखा । एक प्रसिद्ध तबलावादक रोन फोर्बज़ ने संगीत सीखने में उसकी वहुत अधिक मदद की । उसने उसे प्रोत्साहित क्रिया । उसने उसे बताया कि यह कानों के माध्यम से संगीत न सुनकर किसी अन्य माध्यम से संगीन सुनने का प्रयास करे । उसने कठोर परिश्रम किया । और अपने शरीर के अन्य अंगों के माध्यम से संगीत सुनने में सफल रही । उसने आवाजों और स्पदनों के प्रति अपने शरीर और मन को खोलना शुरु कर दिया ।

इस स्थान से उसने कभी भी पीछे मुड़कर नहीं देखा । उसने एक युवा आर्केस्टा के साथ यूनाइटिड किंगडम (इंग्लैंड) का भ्रमण किया ।

16 वर्ष की आयु में, उसने संगीत को अपना जीवन बनाने का निर्णय ले लिया । उसने संगीत की रॉयल अकैडमी के लिए परीक्षा दी । उसने अकैडमी के आ ज तक के इतिहास में सबसे अधिक अंक प्राप्त किए । उसने संगीत के लगभग 100 वाद्य यंत्रों में विशिष्टता हासिल कर ली ।

वह छोटी-से-छोटी बात को भी सुन और समझ सकती थी । यह बात बिल्कुल असंभव -सी दिखाई जान पड़ती है कि उस जैसी बहरी इतने धारा प्रवाह रूप से चीजों के उत्तर देती है । वह बिना किसी गलती के स्कॉटिश लहजे के साथ बोलती थी । वह कहती है कि उसके शरीर के प्रत्येक अंग के माध्यम से उसके अंदर संगीत का प्रवाह होता है । संगीत उसकी त्वचा, गालों की हड्डियों तथा यहाँ तक कि बालों में से भी झुनझुनाता रहता है । जव यह जायलोफोन बजाती है तो उसकी उगंलियों के सिरों के माध्यम से उसके शरीर के अंदर संगीत का प्रवाह होता है । ढोलक के ऊपर झुककर उसकी गूंज को यह अपने ह्रदय से सुनती है । लकड़ी से बने मंच पर यह संगे पांव संगीत बजाती है ताकि संगीत उसके पांवों तथा उसकी टांगों के माध्यम से उसके हदय तक पहुंच सके ।

1991 में उसे रॉयल फिलहारमीनिक सोसायटी के ख्याति प्राप्त ‘सोलोइस्ट आँफ दी ईयर अवार्ड ‘ से सम्मानित किया गया ।

वह अपने आपको एक बहुत ही मेहनती मानती है । नियमित संगीत संगोष्ठियों में गाने के साथ-साथ वह जेलों तथा अस्पतालों में नि:शुल्क रूप से भी गाती है । वह युवा संगीतकारों को प्रशिक्षण देने के लिए भी कक्षाएं लगाने को प्राथमिकता देती है । वह बधिक बच्चों के लिए एक चमकदार प्रेरणापुंज है।

IMPQRTANT EXTRACT FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following EXTRACT and answer the questions:

EXTRACT

Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing had been gradual. Her mother remembers noticing something was wrong when the eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano. ‘They called her name and she didn’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn’t heard,’ says Isabel Glennie. For quite a while Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers. But by the time she was eleven her marks had deteriorated and her headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist. It was then discovered that her hearing was severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve damage. They were advised that she should be fitted with hearing aids.

Questions :

(I) At what age was her deafness sighted first?

(ii) For what her name was called?

(iii): What was Evelyn’s response when her name was called?

(iv) When was her deafness confirmed?

(v) From whom did she try to conceal her deafness?

Answers :

(i) At the age of eight years.

(ii) Her name was called to play the piano.

(iii) She did not move at the call of her name.

(iv) Her deafness was confirmed when she was eleven years old.

(v) From her teachers and friends.

EXTRACT

But Evelyn was not going to give up. She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. One day she noticed a girl playing the xylophone and decided that she wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. ‘Don’t listen through your ears,’ he would say, ‘try to sense it some other way.’ Says Evelyn, ‘Suddenly I realised I could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down.’ Forbes repeated the exercise, and soon Evelyn discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. had learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations.’ The rest was sheer determination and hard work.

Questions :

(i) What had happened to Evelyn?

(ii) What was she determined to?

(iii) Who was Ron Forbes?

(iv) What did he inspire Evelyn for?

(v) How did he ask Evelyn to hear music?

Answers :

(I) Her hearing capacity had gone completely.

(ii) She was determined to lead the normal life.

(iii) He was a famous percussionist of Evelyn’S school.

(iv) He inspired Evelyn to pursue her music.

(v) He asked Evelyn to hear music not through her ears but other pans of her body.

EXTRACT

She never looked back from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards.

Questions :

(1) Why did she tour the United Kingdom?

(i) With a young orchestra for giving music performances.

(ii) What did she decide to make her life?

(ii) Music.

(iii) What was her performance in the audition for the Royal Academy of Music?

(iii) She scored the highest marks in them. history of the academy.

(iv) From orchestra what did she decide to move?

(iv) She decided to move to solo:

(v) What was her performance during the course in the Royal Academy of Music

(v) She had captured most of the top awards.

EXTRACT

Not surprisingly, Evelyn delights her audiences. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award.”Says master percussionist James Blades, ‘God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels—far more deeply than any of us. That is why she expresses music so beautifully.’

Questions :

(I) How do Evelyn’s audiences feel?

(i) Her audiences feel delighted.

(ii) What award did she win in 1991?

(ii) ‘Soloist of the Year Award’ by Philharmonic Society.

(iii) Who was James Blades?

(iii) He was a master percussionist.

(iv) The things what we hear, what does Evelyn do with them?

(iv) She feels them.

(v) How does she express her music?

(v) She expresses her music beautifully.

EXTRACT

Evelyn Glennie has already accomplished more than most people twice her age. She has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped, people who look to her and say, ‘If she can do it, I can.’ And, not least, she has given enormous pleasure to millions.

Questions :

(i) What has Evelyn Clennie achieved?

(i) Evelyn Glennie has achieved more than most people twice her age.

(ii) What has he done for percussion?

(ii) She has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra.

(iii) To whom has she given inspiration?

(iii) She has given inspiration to disabled,

(iv) What has she done for millions?

(iv) She has given pleasure to millions.

(v) Name the chapter and the author.

(v) The name of the chapter is ‘The Sound of Music’ and its author is ‘Deborah Cowley’

Value Points

Evelyn Glennie was a seventeen-year-old girl, she had decided to make music her life. But she was completely deaf.

This aspiring musician, feels the vibration of an approaching train, has been selected for training at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London.

Glennie started losing her hearing power gradually from the age of eight due to nerve damage.

She was advised to be sent to school for the deaf. But Evelyn was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music.

Most of the people discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes noticed her potential and motivated her to feel music in different parts of her body.

Evelyn immediately realized higher drum from the waist up and lower drum from the waist down.

During her 3 years course in Royal Academy of Music, Evelyn scored highest marks in the history of Academy, she got most of the top awards and started giving solo-performances.

According to her, “If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there”.

It is fascinating to watch Evelyn working without much effort. She speaks clearly as she could listen till the age of eleven. During the conversation, she watches lip movement, face and especially eyes.

She had learnt French and basic Japanese.

While playing instruments, she remained barefoot on a wooden platform, so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. She could feel music through every part of her body.

She has been a workaholic and has been rewarded enormously.

Besides regular concerts, she has given free concerts in prisons and hospitals. Teaching young musicians is her top priority. Her life is an inspiration for all differently abled people.

EXTRACTS

Read the following extracts and answer the questions

(I)

It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most:

(a) Who is referred to as the ‘aspiring musician’?

Evelyn Glennie is referred to as the aspiring musician.

(b) What was likely to daunt teenager?

The first day in a great and renowned institute like The Royal Academy of Music, London was likely to daunt any teenager.

Fresh from a Scottish farm” implies that the girl belonged to the family of farmers in Scotland and had not yet attained much experience or exposure in the world.

(d)What bigger challenge did she have to face?

The ‘bigger challenge’ that she had to face was to rise in spite of her total hearing impairment.

(II)

They called her name and she didn’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn’t heard.”

(a) Who is ‘she’ in these lines?

In these lines, ‘she’ refers to Evelyn Glennie when she was a young girl of eight years.

(b) Who is the speaker in these lines?

The speaker in these lines is Evelyn’s mother, Isabel Glennie.

They’ were the announcers. They had called Evelyn’s name to invite her to the stage to give her performance on the piano. However, Evelyn did not respond to their call because she didn’t hear it.

(d) What did the speaker realize?

The speaker, Isabel Glennie, realized that Evelyn had a serious hearing problem.

(III)

They were advised that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.

(a) Who are ‘they’? By whom were they advised?

‘They’ are the parents of Evelyn Glennie. They were advised by the headmistress of the school.

(b) Who is ‘she’ and what recommendation was made for her?

‘She’ is Evelyn Glennie and it was recommended that she should be provided with hearing aids in order to be able to hear.

The headmistress made another proposal that Evelyn should be sent to a school for the deaf.

(d) Why was this proposal considered appropriate?

Evelyn suffered from hearing impairment. Therefore, the proposal to send her to a school for the deaf was considered appropriate as she would be taught by specialist teachers in a special environment.

(IV)

Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential.

(a) Who is ‘her’ in the above extract?

‘Her’ here refers to Evelyn Glennie.

(b) What did she want to do?

She wanted to learn to play the xylophone.

Her teachers discouraged her because they felt that being deaf she would not be able to learn to play the xylophone.

(d) What was the difference between the attitude of the teachers and that of Ron Forbes?

The teachers, with their negative attitude, saw only the handicap of Evelyn whereas Ron Forbes, with his optimistic and positive attitude, could see her potential and capabilities.

(V)

“I had learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations.” The rest was sheer determination and hard work.

(a) Who is the speaker in the first line?

In the first line, the speaker is Evelyn Glennie, the famous multi-percussionist.

(b)How was she able to hear sounds and vibrations?

She was able to hear sounds and vibrations by sensing them through her body and her mind. Being deaf, she could not hear with her ears so she had trained and sensitized her body and mind.

(c)What does ‘the rest’ stand for? How could she achieve it?

The rest’ stands for the greatest heights that Evelyn scaled in the sphere of percussion music. Her firm determination and dedicated work enabled her to achieve those heights.

(VI)

She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards.

(a) Who is ‘she’ in these lines? How did she advance in her career?

‘She’ refers to Evelyn Glennie, an eminent percussionist. Initially, she performed in a group of the orchestra. Gradually, she started giving solo performances.

(b) Where did she pursue her three-year course?

She pursued her three-year course in the most prestigious institute of music in England, The Royal Academy for Music, London.

At the end of her course, she had bagged the biggest awards in her field.

(d) What made her achievements so great?

The fact that she had won the awards despite her hearing disability made her achievements so great.

(VII)

“It pours in through every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even in my hair.”

(a) Who is the speaker of these words?

Evelyn Glennie is the speaker of these words.

(b) What does ‘it’ stand for?

It stands for music or musical sounds and vibrations.

Evelyn Glennie had to sense music through different parts of her body because her hearing ability was totally lost.

(d) How did the different parts of her body sense ‘it’?

The sound waves and vibrations of music tingled her skin, cheekbones, hair, torso and legs. From these sensations, she picked up the music.

(e) What does this statement show the speaker’s character?

This statement shows that Evelyn was very sensitive to even the smallest of the sensations. She was determined to achieve her goal in spite of her handicap.

Main Characters

CHARACTERS

Bismillah Khan In “The Sound of Music” (Part II), Bismillah Khan has been portrayed as a great musician, a devout patriot, and a liberal human being. Bismillah Khan has been one of the most eminent musicians of India who honoured rich, cultural heritage of Indian music. Born and brought up in the family of musicians, he inherited and learnt a lot from his paternal and maternal families. But he further enriched the shehnai music by his improvised raagas which he harmonised with the waves of the Ganga. His passion for music started at the early age of three and continued up to his death at ninety.

Starting with playing music in temples and on the banks of the Ganga, Bismillah Khan rose to fame with international conferences and concerts. Such was his fame that he was invited to play shehnai at the Red Fort on the occasion of the independence of India on August 15, 1947. Many awards like the Padamshri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan were conferred on him. He has also been honoured with the Bharat Ratan, the greatest civilian award in India. He played shehnai in Afghanistan before King Zahir Shah; was invited to perform at Lincoln Central Hall, USA; participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, in the Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair. Such is his international fame that in Teheran, an auditorium has been named after him.

Bismillah Khan was a great patriot who declined the offer of his student to settle down in the USA. He had a profound love for the Ganga in Benaras and his birthplace, the estate in Dumraon, Bihar. Such high regard does he have for the rich heritage of India, that he was not allured by the glamour of the film world.

Bismillah Khan was a liberal human being who had respect for all religions. Though a devout Muslim, he played shehnai every day in the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Benaras. Thus, a great musician and a great human being, Bismillah Khan earned international repute for himself.

Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions

What was wrong with Evelyn Glennie?

Ans. She was profoundly deaf.

2. When was her deafness first noticed?

Ans. Her deafness was first noticed at the age of eight

3. At what age did Evelyn go to the Royal Academy of music in London?

Ans. She went there at the age of seventeen.

4. What was Evelyn’s special field of interest?

Ans. She was interested in music.

5. At what age was Evelyn’s deafness confirmed?

Ans. Her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven.

6. Who was Ron Forbes?

Ans. He was the music instructor in Evelyn’s school.

7. At what age did Evelyn visit the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra?

Ans. At the age of sixteen years.

8. What was her performance in the audition for the Royal Academy of music?

Ans. She scored the highest marks in the history of the academy.

9. What award did Evelyn win in 1991?

Ans. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Prestigious Soloist of the Year Award.

10. How did Ron Forbes ask Evelyn to hear music?

Ans. Ile asked Evelyn to hear music not through her cars but other parts of her body.

11. Who did Evelyn give a big inspiration too?

Ans. She gave a big inspiration to the handicapped people.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Which train was Evelyn waiting for on the underground train platform? How did she feel when she sensed the train approaching?

Ans. On the underground train platform, Evelyn was waiting for a train to London where she was to join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music. As she sensed the train approaching, she felt both nervous and excited.

Q2. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Why was she nervous on her way to the academy?

Ans. Evelyn was only seventeen years of age when she went to the Royal Academy of Music, London. Her nervousness was the result of her young age and lack of exposure. Coming from a farmland in Scotland, she had not experienced much of the world. In addition, going to a big institute like The Royal Academy of Music with her hearing disability made her uneasy.

Q3. While leaving for the Royal Academy of Music, why was Evelyn excited despite her nervousness?

Ans. For Evelyn, going to the Royal Academy of Music, London was a dream come true. She was going to join a three-year course in an institute she had cherished to join. It excited her to think that despite her impaired hearing she had made her way to such a prestigious institute.

Q4. When was Evelyn’s deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

How did Evelyn’s parents come to discover her deafness?

Ans.Evelyn’s deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old. In fact, her mother had noticed it when Evelyn had not responded to a call for a performance on the piano. Her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven when her poor academic performance forced her parents to consult a specialist, who discovered that her hearing was badly impaired because of gradual nerve damage. Q5. Why had Evelyn’s headmistress advised her parents to take her to a specialist? Evelyn managed to hide her growing deafness from students and teachers for some time. However, by the time she was eleven years old, her performance in school deteriorated and her marks decreased. It was then that the headmistress advised her parents to consult a specialist.

Q6. What advice were the parents of Evelyn given once her deafness was confirmed?

Ans. When the deafness of Evelyn was confirmed by a specialist, Evelyn’s parents were advised to get hearing aids for their daughter. They were also advised to send her to a special school where only deaf children were taught.

Q7. “Everything suddenly looked black”. Why does Evelyn say so?

Ans. When Evelyn was advised to use hearing aids and join the school for the deaf, she felt that her future was bleak and dark. She was depressed, as all hope for great achievements seemed to have vanished. She had now become a disabled child who could not have easy access to normal life.

Q8. How did Evelyn Glennie respond to the discovery of her deafness?

Ans. On learning about her deafness due to gradual nerve damage, Evelyn Glennie, instead of giving up, decided to lead a normal life like other children, and pursue her dream of learning music.

Q9. How did Evelyn’s teachers respond when she expressed her desire to play the xylophone?

Ans. Evelyn always loved music and despite her deafness, she expressed a desire to play the xylophone when she saw another girl playing it. But her teachers felt that she would not be able to play Q1 it because of her impaired hearing and they discouraged her.

Q10. Who wiped Evelyn to continue with music? What did he do and say? (Textual)

Ans. It was Ron Forbes, the percussionist, who encouraged and helped. Evelyn to continue with music. While her teachers discouraged her, he noticed her potential and decided to develop it. He told Evelyn to train different parts of her body to sense musical notes. He turned two drums with different notes to make her sense the higher ones through the upper part of her body and the lower ones through down her waist.

Q11. How did Evelyn open her mind and body to musical sounds and vibration s?

Ans. As the guide I by Ron Forbes, Evelyn learnt to listen through different parts of the body other than her ears. Her mind and body were sensitized to notice and differentiate various sounds and vibrations of music. She compensated for the loss of hearing with this awakened and sharpened sense in other parts of her body.

Q12. Why does Evelyn say that men with bushy beards give her trouble?

Ans. Evelyn says that men with bushy beards give her trouble because she has to watch their whole face, especially their eyes, d in order to grasp what they say. just watching their lips did not help as the lips remained partially hidden in the beards.

Q13. Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life?

Ans. Unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life without looking back. Instead of yielding .r before her handicap, she decided to overcome it and lead the life of a normal person. Being a workaholic, she put in her earnest efforts and kept advancing further and further.

Q14. How did Evelyn get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Ans. Evelyn gave audition for admission to Royal Academy of Music, London. Her score in the audition was one of the highest in the history of the academy. Therefore, she got selected for a three-year course.

Q15. What were Evelyn’s achievements after she joined the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Ans. At the Royal Academy of Music, London, Evelyn began as one of the performers in an orchestra. But gradually she moved on to give solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had bagged the biggest awards in the Academy.

Q16. What is Evelyn’s view of her achievements?

Ans. Evelyn is so modest that she does not consider her achievements to be heroic deeds. She feels that if one has the clarity of the goat and puts in hard work, one is sure to achieve the aim. She believes that it is through hard work only that she has been able to achieve success.

Q17. What reveals that Evelyn has succeeded immensely in her career?

Ans.Evelyn’s success in her career is revealed by the fact that she has command over about a thousand musical instruments. As a percussionist, she is the most admired one at the international level. In 1991, the Royal Philharmonic Society conferred on her the most prestigious “Soloist of the Year Award”.

Q18. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs. (Textual)

Ans. Evelyn performs in regular concerts on the global level. But she also gives concerts free of charge in prisons and hospitals. In addition, she holds classes for young musicians.

Q19. Who is James Blades? What is his opinion about Evelyn’s talent?

Ans. James Blades is a master percussionist. He believes that God might have taken Evelyn’s hearing but has given her back something extraordinary. The audience hears what she feels, which is far deeper than what any of the other percussionists feel. It is due to this talent that she expresses music so beautifully.

Q20. How is Evelyn an inspiration for the handicapped people?

Ans.Evelyn’s achievements, gained through determination and hard work, set an example before other handicapped people. They gain confidence from her example and believe that they too can achieve their goals in life by overcoming their handicaps with firm determination.

Q21. What is Evelyn’s contribution to percussion?

Ans. Evelyn has contributed to percussion by securing for it a front place in the orchestra. She has shown how the music of the percussion instruments is deeply moving and touches the hearts and emotions of people.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1.How does Evelyn hear music? (Textual)

Evelyn Glennie’s deafness was more than compensated by other parts of her body so far as music was concerned. Discuss.

Evelyn Glennie had a deep passion for music but unfortunately, she lost her hearing completely at the age of eleven years. She wanted to lead a normal life and play the xylophone, but her teachers discouraged her considering her deafness to be an obstruction. However, Ron Forbes, a great percussionist, trained her to listen to the musical sounds and vibrations not through ears, but through other parts of her body. He created two drums with different sounds to make her hear the higher beats from the upper part of her body and the lower beats from the parts lower than her waist. The experiment was so effective that Evelyn opened her mind and body to the fine sounds of music.

Evelyn now believes that music penetrates into her through every part – through her skin, cheekbones and even her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she feels that the sounds move from the stick into the tips of her fingers. When the drums are played, she can feel the resonant sounds pouring into her body. She takes off her footwear on a wooden stage and the vibrations of the instruments pass from her bare feet into her legs. Thus, Evelyn has sensitized the different parts of her body to the different sounds of music.

Q2. If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there,” remarks Evelyn Glennie. What does it reveal about her character?

Which traits of Evelyn’s personality enabled her to overcome the challenge of deafness?

Which values of life strengthened Evelyn against the handicap of her deafness? What does her career teach to the handicapped people?

Evelyn’s firm determination, her industrious nature and her clarity of aim are well revealed in her statement. These values of her character have enabled her to overcome her handicap of deafness very bravely. Although she developed hearing impairment at a young age of eight only, she has never let it become a stumbling block in her way to success.

Firmly determined to lead the life of a normal person, Evelyn never gave up her passion for music. The encouragement and training provided by Ron Forbes paved the way for her advancement and she stuck to the path with unstaggering confidence. It was this confidence and faith in herself that made her dare to audition for the Royal Academy of Music, London where she received the topmost awards.

Evelyn is a workaholic. This helped her to toil hard, in fact much harder than the classical musicians to bring percussion to the front stage in the orchestra. She believes that no goal is unachievable for those who work hard and are focused on the goal. With her earnest efforts, she moved from orchestra to solo performances and eventually became an internationally renowned percussionist owing to her command over a large number of instruments. She had the courage and confidence to trample down her disability and move on without looking back.

Her firm decisions, her sincere efforts, her passionate labour, and her untiring devotion to music are a source of inspiration for the people with challenges.