THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Part-1

Evelyn Glennie to Sound Without Hearing It

I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

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

Answer: Evelyn was seventeen years old when she joined the Royal Academy of Music in London.

2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

Answer: Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old and didn’t respond to her name.

It was confirmed when she was eleven. Her marks started dropping, and the headmistress advised her parents to visit a specialist. After a check-up, the doctor said her hearing was badly affected due to gradual nerve damage, and she needed hearing aids.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30-40 words).

1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?

Answer: Percussionist Ron Forbes helped Evelyn Glennie to continue with music.

He tuned two large drums to different notes and told her not to listen through her ears but to try sensing the sound in other ways. She realised she could feel the music in different parts of her body and began learning through vibrations.

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

Answer: Evelyn performs in regular concerts around the world. She also gives free performances in prisons and hospitals. Besides this, she gives high priority to classes for young musicians. She believes in sharing music with everyone and works hard to inspire children, especially those who are deaf or physically challenged.

III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words).

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Answer: Evelyn Glennie hears music not through her ears, but through different parts of her body. When she plays the xylophone, she feels the vibrations pass through the sticks into her fingertips. She leans against the drums and senses the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and legs. She says music pours in through every part of her body. It tingles in her skin, her cheekbones, and even her hair. She has learnt to open her mind and body to the sounds and vibrations. Because of this, she can feel music deeply and express it in a very beautiful way.

PART 2

The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Thinking about the Text

1. Tick the right answer.

1) The (shehnai, pungi) was a 'reeded noisemaker.'

Answer: Pungi.

2) (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

Answer: A barber.

3) Bismillah Khan's paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).

Answer: Professional musicians.

4) Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).

Answer: Ali Bux.

5) Bismillah Khan's first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Answer: Afghanistan.

2. Answer these questions in 50 words.

1) Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Answer: Aurangzeb banned the pungi in his royal residence because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. It was considered a reeded noisemaker and was not suitable for refined musical performances in the royal court. As a result, it was not used in classical music for a long time.

2) How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Answer: The shehnai is different from the pungi in both sound and design. While the pungi had a shrill and unpleasant sound, the shehnai produces soft and melodious music. It is made from a longer, broader pipe with seven holes, and it was improved by a barber from a family of professional musicians.

3) Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?

Answer: Traditionally, the shehnai was played in temples and at weddings.

Bismillah Khan changed this by bringing the shehnai onto the classical stage. He showed that the shehnai could be used in classical music performances and made it popular all over the world.

4) When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?362

Answer: Bismillah Khan got his big break in the year 1938.

This happened when All India Radio opened in Lucknow. He soon became a regular shehnai player on the radio. His music reached people across the country, and he gained a lot of fame through his radio performances.

5) Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

Answer: Bismillah Khan played the shehnai at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947.

The event was historic because it was the day India got independence. He was the first Indian to greet the nation with his music. His performance was followed by Pandit Nehru’s famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

Answer: Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he had a deep emotional attachment to India, especially to Benaras and the River Ganga. Though a student offered to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras abroad, he replied, “Can you transport the Ganga too?” This clearly shows his love for his homeland and why he could never leave it permanently.

7. Find at least two instances in the text that tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.

Answer: Two clear instances from the text show Bismillah Khan’s deep love for India and Benaras. First, he refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not live without Benaras and the River Ganga. Second, he stated that whenever he was in a foreign country, he always missed Hindustan, especially the holy city of Benaras.

3. Tick the right answer.

1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).

Answer: Lives again.

2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).

Answer: Stopped.

3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome/avoid it).

Answer: Welcome it. (Auspicious means bringing good luck or being a sign of success and positivity.)

4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).

Answer: Interesting.

5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).

Answer: Find it good and useful.

6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).

Answer: For the second time.

7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Answer: No longer upsetting.

NOTE: "No longer upsetting" means accepting a situation and not feeling sad or disturbed about it anymore.

"Still upsetting" means something continues to cause sadness, distress, or discomfort and has not been accepted yet.

"When we come to terms with something, it means we have accepted a difficult situation and are no longer upset by it."