The Sound of Music
by Deborah Cowley
Part 1
The story is about a 17-year-old Scottish girl named Evelyne Glennie who, in order to pursue her passion for music, successfully battled with her creeping loss of hearing capacity. Eventually, she become a highly acclaimed musician, winning many laurels. She reached the zenith of success, but her ascent to the peak in the face of total deafness remains inexplicable to everyone. The Royal Academy of Music made this deaf girl a musician par excellence. How did Glennie accomplish these feat intrigues everyone.
Glennie’s deafness didn’t deter her in any way. Instead, it drove her farther in her difficult learning journey. Her teachers were baffled to see her long strides in music. Obviously, she used her body and brain to learn the art. It was a unique achievement.
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Explanation …
- Glennie stood in the railway platform among the crowd. As the train steamed in, the whole space shook with vibrations. For the Scottish student heading for the Royal Society of Music, it was an exciting She had long cherished the opportunity to be a student here. So, the hustle and bustle of the platform didn’t disturb her much.
- Everline Glennie’s hearing impairment had set in when she was eight. The problem worsened gradually, but she consciously tried to conceal her difficulty. Her mother, Isabele Glennie, however, had noticed the hearing problem of her daughter quite early. Finally, at the age of 11, her school discovered it and asked the mother to take her for a medical check-up. The doctor diagnosed the deafness of the girl to be due to a malfunctioning nerve. Glennie was advised to wear hearing aids. The revelations made by the doctor saddened her as much as his suggestions to use a hearing aid. The meeting left her thoroughly shaken.
- Glennie’s desire to learn music was too strong for her to be deterred by the upsetting medical advice. She remained stubbornly rooted to music learning. On one occasion, Glennie saw a musician playing their xylophone. She was enchanted by the show. Her teachers, however, dissuaded her from getting into the world of music as she was totally deaf. Glennie found it hard to reconcile to the suggestion of staying away from her favorite pastime. A percussionist named Run Forbes spotted her talent and gave her a unique advice. He asked Glennie to hear the music not through her ears, but through her limbs. She had to tune her body to be receptive to the visuals and vibrations of a musician’s playing instruments like drums of different sizes. She learned to tune her body to absorb music. Her deep bond with music helped her in this unusual learning journey.
- Glennie’s three-year stint in The Royal Society of Music was marked with remarkable accomplishments. She toured England with an orchestra group and received umpteen accolades. Academically, she scored record marks in The Royal Society of Music. By the end of her three-year study, she had made a name for herself in the world of music. Her inner voice told her to be solo drum player instead of being the part of an orchestra group.
- Despite her staggering success, Glennie remained modest and low-key. She said that single-minded dedication to music was at the root of her success. She urged other young learners to pursue this path to achieve success. Soon, Glennie’s fame spread worldwide, and invitations poured in from everywhere. Music lovers yearned to see her perform as a multi-percussionist with mastery over more than thousands of musical instruments.
- In the author’s two-hour interview, the music maestro explained how she watched the performer’s facial expressions, especially their eyes to draw hints. She knew French and Japanese too. She said that she could speak clearly because till eleven, she was able to hear others. She learned the art of speaking then.
- She proceeded to explain how each and every part of her body including her chick bones became receptors of musical sounds. She said even her hair helped her in her learning journey. The vibrations of the incoming sound resonated through all her body parts. Even her feet felt the vibrations to provide clue to her brain.
- Glennie was bestowed the ‘Soloist of the Year’ award in 1991 by the Royal Philharmonic Society. It’s clear that God had deprived her of the ability to hear sounds but had showered His enormous blessings on her to make her a music icon.
- Evelyn Glennie is a benign person. She gives free concerts in hospitals and prisons. She is particularly keen to help young aspiring learners to acquire this skill. Students with physical handicaps get special empathy from her.
- Glennie’s epochal contribution to music has received universal acclaim. Bereft of listening ability, she could make spectacular progress in music, especially in popularizing the role of percussion instruments. For those with handicapped bodies she has become a source of inspiration, and a guru to emulate.
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Thinking about the text …
- How old was Evelyn …. Evelyn was seventeen.
- When was her deafness …. Evelyn’s deafness came to light when she was eight, and the debility was confirmed when she was 11.
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3o 40 Word Questions …
1, Who helped her to ………….
Answer .. A percussionist named Ron Forbes persuaded her not to give up her quest to explore the world of music and continue her music learning journey. He told her to ‘feel’ the music through her limbs ignoring her deafness.
2.Name the various places ..
Evelyn toured England during her stint at the Royal Society of Music. She visited jails and orphanages too to give free demos. Later, she visited many other parts of the world to perform.
100–150 words Questions
How does Evelyn hear music ..
Evelyn tunes her limbs, eyes, skin, and even her hairs to feel the vibrations emanating from the musician’s instruments at her front. She even takes off her shoes to make the vibrations impinge on her body allowing her brain to register it. She defies the difficulty caused by her deafness. Overall, her extreme focus and zeal to learn music, especially the percussion instruments, helped her to master this art and come out on top.
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Part 2
The Shehnai of Bishmillah Khan
- The evolution of the musical instrument ‘Shehanai’. … It all started in Emperor Aurangjeb’s time. An instrument named ‘pungi’ was played by performers as a royal court practice. For the Emperor, ‘pungi’ made from a reed produced shrill, unpleasant sound. The instrument was banned by Aurangzeb.
Later, the pungi went through a process of revival and innovation. A barber from a family of musicians applied his mind to redesign the pungi, so that its sound quality improved. He chose the stem of a plant that was hollow inside. It was longer and broader than the pungi. He made seven holes in it. He blew the pipe from one end, closing and opening the holes with his finger rhythmically. Quite unexpectedly, a very sweet sound emanated from the device. The barber worked with renewed zeal to improve the new device to make its sound more pleasant for the ears. He succeeded in his efforts. Later, he played the instrument in the royal court, and everyone liked its sound. The ‘pungi’ was reborn in its new Avtar. It was named ‘Shehnai’. The name was a combination of two words –‘Shah’ for the royalty and ‘nai’ for its barber origin.
- Those listening to Shehnai felt its sound was auspicious. So, it became a standard musical instrument to be played in temples and during marriage ceremonies. Out of the nine instruments played in royal courts, Shahnai became one. It was a well-deserved recognition of the instrument. The credit for bringing the Shehnai to limelight goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.
- Bismillzah Khan was a five-year-old boy when he took his first step to the world of music. He used to play the gilli-danda game with his friends near a pond in Dumraon in Bihar. He was a regular visitor to the Biharji temple where he sang the Bhojpuri Chaita. His performance earned him a large 1.25kg Laddoo as reward from the local Maharaja, who was the patron of his singing. Some eight decades have gone by since then. From this humble reward, Bismillah Khan rose to receive the Bharat Ratna award in recognition of his astounding talent in playing the Shehnai.
4, Bismillah Khan was born in 1916 in Bihar. Both his grandfather and father were well-known names in the world of music. Rasool Bux Khan, his grandfather, was the Shehnai-Nawaj of Bhojpur King’s court. His father, Paigamber Bux, along with his other relations, had won high recognition for their musical acumen.
- Bismillah Khan’s fascination for music had become evident when he was just three in age. In his maternal uncle’s home in Benaras, Bismillah khan listened to his uncle’s Shehnai performance with rapt attention. Ali Bux, his maternal uncle, was employed to play Shehnai in the Vishnu Temple. Bismillah Khan accompanied his uncle to the temple whenever the latter went there to perform. During the hours-long performance, Bismillah used to sit still listening keenly to his uncle’s renderings. Bismillah used to visit the temples of Mangal Maiya and Balaji, and the banks of Ganga to play the Shehnai. The quiet nature of the venues attracted him there. Ganga’s water flow instilled enthusiasm and zeal in Bismillah to drown himself in Shehnai practice.
- Bismillah Khan, then 14, got an opportunity to attend the Allahabad Music Conference. He performed there. Ustad Faij Ali Khan, the well-known music maestro sensed great talent in Bismillah and patted him in the back as encouragement. When All India Radio opened its branch in Lucknow in 1938, Bismillah Khan got regular invites to perform there. Thus, he could reach a far larger audience for showcasing his talent.
- On the occasion of India’s Independence Day on August 15, 1947, Bismillah Kahan performed from inside the Red Fort. He played the Raaga Karfi there. It was followed by Nehru’s famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech.
- Bismillah Khan’s reputation as a Shenai maestro spread well beyond India’s borders. He went to Afghanistan to perform in the court of King Zahir Shah. The King was very impressed with the performance and gave some prized Persian carpets and other valuables to the artist from India as gift. In the film making world Bollywood, Vijay Bhatt made the legendary film ‘Gunj Uthe Shehnai’ with active collaboration of Bismillah Khan. Later, Vikram Srinivas roped in Bismillah Khan to produce the Kannada film ‘Sanadhi Apnna’. Despite such highly successful forays, Bismillah Khan shunned film world, because its glamour miffed him.
- Bismillah Khan won accolades from different international forums. He was the first Indian to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Center Hall in the United States. He also participated in World Exposition in Montreal, Cannes Art Festival, and the Osaka Trade Fair. An auditorium in Teheran is named after him.
- National awards like Padmashree, Padma Bibhusan were bestowed on him.
- India’s most coveted civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ was bestowed on him in 2011. Notwithstanding such a flurry of appreciation, Khan remained humble and thoroughly rooted to his Shehnai.
- Bismillah Khan, fondly called Khan Shahab, remained hooked to Banaras and Dumraon. No other place could enchant him as much as these two. These two places were etched deep in his heart. He spurned offers to relocate to the United States, saying that Ganga river’s bond was unbreakable for him.
- Bismillah Khan was a devout Muslim. Yet he felt no inhibition to perform in Hindu temples. For him, music transcended religious boundaries. Kashi Viswanath Temple attracted him every morning round the year.
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Thinking about the text ..
A. Tick the right answer.
- The pungi was a reeded noise-maker.
- Ali Bux, a barber, transformed the ….
- Bismillah Khan’s ancestors were musicians.
- Bismillah Khan learned to play the Shehnai from Ali Bux.
- Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan
B. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings ………………..
Bismillah Khan’s feelings about ——–
- teaching children music was positive
- about the film world was negative
- migrating to the U.S. was neutral
- playing at temples was positive
- getting the Bharat Ratna was positive
- Leaving Banaras and Dumraon was negative
C. Answer these questions in 30-40 words.
- Why did Aurangjeb ……..
Answer .. For Aurangzeb’s ears the sound of pungi was shrill, unpleasant and piercing. Rather than entertaining him, its sounds irritated him. So, he banned this instrument from his court.
- How is the Shehnai different from the pungi?
Answer .. Shehnai’s hollow pipe is longer than the pungi’s. Shehnai’s pipe has a bigger diameter than that of the pungi. Shehnai has seven holes on it. Its sound is soft, melodious and pleasing compared to Pungi’s sound.
- Where was the Shehnai played traditionally? How did …………………………………?
Answer .. Shehnai was one of the nine instruments that were played in the Moghul emperor’s courts. Ustad Bismillah Khan made it a very sought-after instrument for temples and auspicious occasions like marriage ceremonies.
- When and how did Bismillah Khan get this break?
Answer .. The opening of the All India Radio’s Luckhnow in 1938 gave the break to the Shehnai artist. Through his broadcasts, he could reach a far bigger audience.
- Where did Bismillah Khan play the music ……………………………..? Why was ………………historic?
Answer .. Red Fort was the venue from which Bismillah Khan played his Shehnai in Raaga Karfi. A little later, Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech on this historic event.
- Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to …………………….?
Answer . The proposed venue held no appeal to Bismillah Khan’s mind. The scenic beauty of Benaras and the Ganga River that had spurred the musical creativity in the artist were not there. So, he refused to start a school there.
- Find at least two instances ……………… Banaras.
Answer .. Bismillah Khan declined the American offer because he cherished Banaras and India in his heart. He also refused to visit Pakistan because there was no Benaras or Ganga there. These two acts show how the city and the river had gripped his soul.
Thinking about the Language ..
A. Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.
1. The school sports team hopes to win the Inter-school Sports Competition. (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want to earn name and fame. (What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to seek advice from an ENT surgeon. (What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to go and distribute relief in the flood-affected areas. (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to perform in a charity show dedicated to a local orphanage. (What did the musician decide to do?)
B. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
1. the home of royal people — royal residence (1)
2. the state of being alone … solitude (5)
3. a part which is absolutely necessary –indispensable (2)
4. to do something not done before –improvise and invent (5)
5. without much effort– effortlessly (13)
6. quickly and in large quantities — thick and fast (9)
C. Tick the right answer.
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).
D. Dictionary work
Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been
done for you.
adjective only before noun not before noun both before and
after the verb be
indispensable …………………. Both before and after
impressed … Not before noun
afraid .. Not before noun
outdoor.. Both before and after
paternal.. Before the noun
countless .. Before the noun.
priceless .. Both before and after
Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.
E. Speaking
- Read the passage and make notes of the main points about:
• her parentage
• the school of music she belongs to
• her achievements
• her inspiration
• awards
Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest female vocalist of her generation, was born in 1931, daughter of another great artist, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and repertoire of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style developed, however, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘Jaipur Atrauli gharana’ style in some respects, and as a mature artist her approach is usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model. Kishori Amonkar is a thinker, besotted by what she calls the mysterious world of her raagas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge. She is very much inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages, written at a time when vocal music was highly devotional in character. This soul-searching quality of her music, coupled with a very intellectual approach to raaga performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to revive the study of khayal. Significant awards bestowed on this artist include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.
Answers …
- Her parentage .. She was born to Smt. Mangubai Kardikar, a very renowned musical artist.
- The school of music she belongs to .. She belongs to Jaipur Atrauli Gharana.
- Her achievements .. She was a pathbreaker in music. Using her unique talent, she devised a slightly innovative variant of the music she learned early in her career.
- Her inspiration .. The vocal music of the ancient Vedic sages inspired her to plunge into the sea of music.
- Her awards … She won a slew of awards such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.
2. Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to an imaginary audience. You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a guest:
I am honoured to introduce Srimati Kishori Amonkar, whose contribution to vocal music has made her an idol for Indian music lovers, young and old. Her deep involvement in music has been visibly inspired by her renowned mother, Smt. Mongulbai Kurdikar and her very thoughtful approach to exploring new vistas in music. We all adore our guest Smt. Kishori Aolkar. I am sure, after today’s visit by her, we all will treasure her memory in our hearts till our death. I now welcome Kishoriji to the stage.
F. Writing
“If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” says Evelyn Glennie.
You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they want to ‘go’ ?
Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of the two musicians.
Answers..
Eveline Glennie .. Eveline Glennie, a girl of Scottish origin, set out her journey to the world of instrumental music with a crippling infirmity. She suffered a nerve malfunction that progressively robbed her of the ability to hear. The progress she made later in her life defying her deafness left everyone flummoxed. She made giant strides in playing of percussion instruments and won recognition from around the world.
She rose to fame in a very fast pace. Yet, she remained humble and modest. Compassion for the under-privileged was ingrained in her nature. Instead of patting herself in the back, she maintained that passion to lear music accompanied by readiness to work hard had brought her the glory and acclaim. She urged all young learners to dive into the ocean of music with all the energy at their command. She remains a role model for musicians across boundaries and cultures.
Ustad Bismillah Khan … God had implanted the love for musical creativity in Bismillah Khan’s brain. This explains why he took to listening music when he was just a kid. Apparently, he inherited the musical talent of his father and grandfather. His masterly playing of the Shehnai won the hearts and minds of all listeners. For him, true music has no religious or cultural barriers. This explains why he performed almost daily in Hindu temples. He was a passionate lover of Shehnai and devoted long hours to perfect his skill.
Ustad Bismillah Khan abhored luxury, showmanship, and undeserved publicity. This explains why he spurned the film world offers. The city of Banaras and Ganga river were his timeless beacons. Life was meaningless for the maestro without these two attractions. He was unpretentious and very humble. He urged all young learners of Shehnai to work hard to excel in their pursuit.
——————To be continued——————-