THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Beehive)

Part I - Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

By Deborah Cowley


1.How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.


2.When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Her deafness was first noticed by her Mother when she was eight years old. But it was confirmed when she was eleven. By the time she was eleven her marks at school 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.


Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
1. Who helped her to continue with music?

One day she noticed a girl playing a 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.

2. What did he do and say?

He encouraged Evelyn to sense the music in some other way rather than through his ears.

3. How does Evelyn hear music?

Gradually she learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations. The rest was sheer determination and hard work. She decided to make music her life.


3.Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

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. Music pours in through every part of her body she says. It tingles in the skin, her cheekbones and even in her hair, when she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. Not surprisingly, Evelyn delights her audiences. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year. Evelyn confesses that she is something of a workaholic. But the rewards are enormous. Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. She is a source of inspiration to handicapped.

Part II The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Aurangzeb banned the playing of musical instrument pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound.


2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Shehnai is an improved version of pungi as it has a better tonal quality than pungi. It is a natural hollow stem pipe that is longer and broader than a pungi. It has seven holes on the body of the pipe.


3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
The shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah khan changed the tradition by bringing this instrument onto the classical stage.


4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Bismillah khan got his big break in 1938 when he played shehnai on radio on the occasion of the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow. Soon he became an often heard player on radio.


5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played shehnai at the Red Fort. The event was historical because India got Independence from the British rule on that day.


6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he did not want to stay away from India. He was really fond of Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.


7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
The two instances that show Bismillah Khans's love for India and Banaras are:

(i) Bismillah Khan refused one of his student's offer to start a shehnai school in U.S.A. because of his immense love for Benares, River Ganga and Dumraon.
(ii) The second instance is when Khansaab was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to Pakistan during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.


8. Bismillah khan’s life itself is an example of India’s cultural heritage-explain
Ustad Bismillah Khan’s life is a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India, one that effortlessly accepts that a devout Muslim like him can very naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Click for the Poem included in Unit 2 of Beehive