The Sound Of Music

Evelyn Glennie was seventeen years old when she went to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London.

Evelyn’s loss of hearing was a gradual process which was first noticed by her mother when she was eight years old. Although she managed to conceal it from her friends and teachers for a while, by the time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated and her parents were compelled to visit a specialist. It was then confirmed that her hearing was severely impaired due to gradual nerve damage.

Ron Forbes, the percussionist was the one who spotted Evelyn’s potential while most of the teachers discouraged her. Initially, he began to teach her by tuning two large drums to different notes and asked her to feel the music and sense it. Gradually, she began to feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down. Due to a continuous repetition of this exercise, Evelyn could feel certain notes in different parts of her body which eventually resulted in opening up her mind and body to the sounds and vibrations of music.

Apart from her performances at the regular concerts, she also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. In addition to this, Evelyn also gives high priority to the classes she conducts to teach the young and budding musicians.

Evelyn Glennie, a gifted percussionist, had begun to lose her ability to hear at a very early age of 12. But with a strong mind, coupled with sheer determination and hard work, she has been able to touch the peaks of success worldwide.

As she shares her experience of music, she says that she could hear the music by sensing notes in different parts of her body. When Ron Forbes, her percussionist, tuned two large drums to different notes, Evelyn could hear and feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down and in this way, she learnt to open up her entire mind and body to the sounds and vibrations of music.

As she further describes her experience with the xylophone, she is able to sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips and often by leaning against the drums; she is able to feel the resonances flowing into her body. In addition to this, she always removed her shoes on a wooden platform so that the vibrations could pass through her bare feet and up her legs. This extraordinary exquisiteness within Evelyn, thus, helped music pour in through every part of her body and she could even feel the tingles in her skin, cheekbones and hair.

The right answers are underlined:

1. The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

2. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.

4. Bismillah khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the musical instrument, pungi in the Royal residence because it had a very shrill unpleasant sound. It became the generic name for reeded noisemakers.

A shehnai is different from a pungi as the former has a better tone quality than the latter. It is a pipe with a natural hollow stem with seven holes on the body of the pipe which is much longer and broader than the pungi. The shehnai was thus an advancement of the existing musical instrument of pungi.

The shehnai was traditionally played in temples, weddings and royal courts. However, Ustad Bismillah Khan was the epitome who brought the essence of the shehnai onto the classical stage.

The opening up of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came to Bismillah Khan as a big break as he gradually became an often-heard shehnai player on the radio. He was thus successful in spreading the soft melodious music of his shehnai on a national platform.

Bismillah Khan poured his heart out as he played the Raag Kaafi on his shehnai on 15 August 1947 from the Red Fort to an audience which also included Jawaharlal Nehru. It was a historic event as India gained independence from the British Rule and Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai.

Bismillah Khan refused one of his student’s request to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. due to his inextricable attachment with Hindustan. He felt that the exquisite aura of Benaras, the river Ganga and Dumraon could not be found so many miles away.

Bismillah Khan was very fond of both India and Benaras. He often yearned to go back to India whenever he was in a foreign country. Also, while in Mumbai, he only thought of Varanasi and the holy Ganga.

The two instances where this love could be seen were –

1. When he turned down one of his student’s request to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.

2. When he completely rejected the idea of shifting to Pakistan, leaving Benaras by Shekhar Gupta.

1. The school sports team hopes to win the match.

2. We all want to live happily.

3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to consult a specialist.

4. The authorities permitted us to construct the tower.

5. A musician decided to take part in the concert.

1. the home of royal people – the royal residence

2. the state of being alone – solitude

3. a part which is absolutely necessary – indispensible

4. to do something not done before – improvise

5. without much effort – effortlessly

6. quickly and in large quantities – thick and fast

1. When something is revived, it lives again.

2. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.

3. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.

4. When we take to something, we find it interesting.

5. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.

6. When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.

7. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.

1. Evelyn Glennie:

Evelyn Glennie was a determined as well as strong willed girl who worked hard to reach the peaks of success. Although she became deaf at a very early stage, and her teachers discouraged her yet she did not lose hope and with the help of Ron Forbes, the percussionist, she was able to experience the sounds of music through the different parts of her body and which eventually was the turning point in her life. The journey of climbing the ladder began as she got involved in orchestral work followed by solo performances. These not only helped her gain experience as a percussionist, it also brought her laurels at every stage. Setting an example worldwide, she continues to be a great epitome of inspiration across the globe.

2. Ustad Bismillah Khan:

Ustad Bismillah Khan, a hardworking individual with an unwavering desire of playing shehnai was introduced to this genre of music in his early days of childhood by his uncle, Ali Bux. As he began practicing, he used to sit captivated for hours on end. Gradually, the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya became his favourite haunts where he could practice in solitude. The flowing water of the Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent ‘raagas’ that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai. In this way, Bismillah Khan’s love for shehnai went on flourishing and in turn helping him in climbing the ladder of success which brought him many national awards. Khansaab is not only known for his immense contribution to classical music in India but he has also earned significant amount of recognition abroad.

In the first stanza, the wind seems to be a trouble maker. It breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers all around, throws down the books on the shelf and tears the pages of the books. The destruction caused by the strong blows of the wind ultimately result in bringing about an intense spell of downpour.

Yes, people can often be seen winnowing grains in a paddy field. The word ‘winnowing’ is known as ‘soop’ in the Hindi language.

Winnowing is an ancient agricultural method used for separating grains from the chaff. People use a winnowing fan or a winnowing fork (also known as shovel) in this process.

The poet describes the plight of the weak, affected by the strong blows of the wind in relation to the process of winnowing. He describes the situation by stating that the wind god winnows the delicate crumbling houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives and hearts which eventually results in their complete destruction.

According to the poet, we should adopt certain measures to become friends with the wind. He suggests for building strong homes coupled with firm and tough doors along with a physically and mentally strong body and a steadfast heart.

In the last four lines of the poem, the poet compares the strong blows of the wind with the adversities of human lives. He attempts at giving a deeper insight of the word ‘wind’ by inspiring the readers to face the difficulties in the path of life with utmost courage and tenacity. The lines “The wind blows out weak fires. He makes strong fires roar and flourish.” reveal a very thought provoking message in which the poet throws light on the fact that the hardships intimidate the weak and feeble while they make the strongly will powered much more firm and bold. Thus, he suggests of embracing the wind or the hardships of life and becoming friends with them.

The poet speaks to the wind in anger. It is certainly true that wind symbolizes intense devastation of life and property, destroying houses, means of livelihood, trees and causing immense damage to human lives. Yet, I do not agree with poet whole-heartedly as every situation has its pros and cons. If the wind is the cause of damage and destruction on one hand, it is also the creator of the cool breeze and the soothing effect in the weather.

NOTE- The last part of this question is the reader’s response which can be different from the one given in this answer. Students can express their opinions accordingly.

Indispensable: Her skills have made her indispensable for the department.

Impressed : The girl impressed her interviewer due to her proficiency in English language.

Afraid : Do not be afraid to ask a question.

Outdoor : I am not really the outdoor type.

Countless : I have warned her countless times.

Priceless : Books are our priceless possession.