The Sound of Music - 230715 - 185507
The Sound of Music - 230715 - 185507
The Sound of Music - 230715 - 185507
By Deborah Cowley
Summary
QUESTION
BANK
Question 2:When and how did Evelyn loose her power of hearing ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-
014)
Answer:
Evelyn lost her power of hearing due to gradual nerve damage. At the age of 8 it was noticed
and then at the age of 11 it was confirmed that Evelyn had lost her hearing ability.
Question 3:Why was Evelyn nervous while going to Royal Academy of Music ?(Board Term
1,2012, ELI-018)
Answer:
Evelyn was nervous while going to the Royal Academy of Music as she was just 16 years old
and was fresh from the Scottish farms, to add to her nervousness.
Question 4:How did Evelyn’s deafness come to light ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-019)
OR
When did Evelyn’s mother notice that something was wrong with her hearing ?(Board Term
1,2012, ELI-041)
Answer:
At the age of 8 when her name was announced to play on piano, she did not respond. At the
age of 11, her marks deteriorated. The headmistress urged her parents to take her to a
specialist and her hearing impairment was discovered.
Question 5:Who helped Evelyn to continue with music ? What did he do and say ?(Board
Term 1,2012, ELI-024)
Answer:
When Evelyn wanted to pursue her career in music, everyone discouraged her. It was a
Percussionist Ron Forbes who helped and encouraged her to listen to the music and feel the
music through her body.
Question 6:How did Evelyn hear music despite being deaf ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-030)
Answer:
Evelyn could sense music through her body. While playing on the xylophone, she could
sense music through her fingertips and would learn against drums to sense. On the wooden
floors, she used to remove her shoes and sense music through her feet moving of the legs.
Question 2:In spite of her towering success Evelyn Glennie does not accept any hint of
heroic achievement.Explain.(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-017)
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie had a hearing loss and was discouraged by most of the teachers but she did
not give up. Ron Forbes guided her to listen through her body not ears. Eventually, Evelyn
learnt to open her body and mind to sound and vibrations. She scored the highest marks in
the history of Royal Academy of Music. She also captured many top awards and brought
percussion to the front of the orchestra. She has given pleasure to millions and in spite of
this towering success she does ,
not accept any hint of heroic achievement and is a very simple person.
Question 3:Evelyn’s determination to overcome her disability has made her source of
inspiration for deaf children. Comment. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-029)
Answer:When Evelyn became deaf, she was determined to lead a normal life. She was
encouraged by her percussion teacher. She learned to sense music through different parts
of the body and opened her mind and body to vibrations. She could feel higher drum from
waist up and xylophone music through fingertips. She used to remove her shoes on the
wooden floors. She was the master of a thousand instruments and most sought after as a
multi – percussionist
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PART 2
THE SHEHNAI OF BISMILLAH KHAN
Summary
• This chapter throws light on the origin of Shehnai and the life of all time
great Shehnai Vadak – Bismillah Khan. The winner of Bharat Ratna, the
highest civilian award of India, his dedication to music and his love for
India.
• “Pungi” a musical instrument, was banned by Emperor Aurangzeb,
because of its shrill and unpleasant sound. In fact, it was regarded more
as a noise maker rather than a musical instrument. It was modified and
perfected by a barber who belonged to a family of professional
musicians. He played it in the chamber of the king. Its sound was so
appreciated by the emperor that it was made a part of Naubat. Since it
was played for the first time in Shah’s chamber by a Nai, it came to be
known as Shehnai.
• Traditionally, it was played in the temples and on every auspicious
domestic occasions also. Its sound was regarded as auspicious. But
it was treated as an incomplete musical instrument, not capable of
creating independent pages. But Bismillah Khan broke this myth.
• Bismillah belongs to the Benares Gharana. He was bom in 1916 at
Dumraon, in Bihar. As a 5 year old, he used to visit the Bihariji Temple
and sing Bhojpuri “Chaitya” there. For his melodious singing he used to
earn a big Laddu from the local Bhojpuri King. At the age of 6, he moved
to Benares. There under the guidance and training of his maternal uncle,
Ali Bux, he started picking up the finer nuances of shehnai. He used to
spend most of his time practicing on the banks of the River Ganges. The
themes of his music were deeply affected by the sounds of flowing
water of the Ganga.
• He got the best performer award at All India Music Conference in
Allahabad in 1930. In 2001, he
won 3 awards’the Padma Bhushan, Padmashree and Padma Vibhushan.
He was invited to play the shehnai from the ramparts of the Red Fort in
194?, becoming the first to greet the independent India. He won many
international awards also. He became the first Indian to perform at titje
Lincoln Central Hall, in USA. An auditorium in Tehran was named after
him-Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
• Bismillah was very fond of Benares and Dumraon. He declined an offer
from one of his students to settle in the USA, as he was not willing to
stay away for long from Benaras and its holy river Ganga. He ventured
into film world also. He gave his music in 2 movies. His composition “Dil
ka khillona
hai ” for movie “Goonj Uthi Shehnai”, was a chartbuster. But he could not
associate himself
with the artificial glamour of die film world. For him, music was his soul,
his life.
Question 2:Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. ?
(Board Term, Sept, 1,2013,9KK73AP)
Answer:Bismillah Khan refused to start a Shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not
live outside India. He was in love with Benares and Dumraon and missed it whenever he was
in abroad.
Question 3:Why did emperor Aurangazeb ban the playing of Pungi in the royal residence?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-013)
Answer:Aurangazeb banned the playing of the Pungi in the royal residence because of its
shrill unpleasant sound. It was regarded more as a noise maker than a musical instrument.
–
Question 4:What is the difference between a Pungi and a Shehnai ? (Board Term 1,2012,
ELI-015)
Answer:The difference between a Pungi and Shehnai can be noticed by the difference in
their shapes and the sound produced by them. A Shehnai is longer than a Pungi. The
latter has a shrill, unpleasant sound whereas, the former has a soft, melodious sound
Question 9:How did “Pungi” get its new name ? What was it ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-031)
Answer:
Pungi was modified and perfected by a barber which was very much appreciated by the
emperor.
Since, it was played for the first time in Shah’s chamber by a Nai, it came to be known as
‘Shehnai.’