Showing posts with label The Sound of Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Sound of Music. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2020

The Sound of Music - I Question and Answers



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?

Evelyn was seventeen years old when she got admission in the Royal Academy of Music, London.

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

When Evelyn was eight years old, her mother, Isabelle Glennie noticed that Evelyn did not respond to her name being called out at the piano class. It was found that she could not hear properly. Evelyn’s loss of hearing was gradual. Initially, she hid the fact from her teachers and friends. When she was eleven, her parents took her to a doctor as she was getting less marks. Then, it was discovered that Evelyn was profoundly deaf.

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?

Evelyn was discouraged by her teachers. Master-percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her talent and potential. He guided Evelyn to feel music some other way rather than hearing it. He got two large drums and tuned them to different notes. When he played the drums, Evelyn reacted to the distinct notes differently. She realized that she could feel the higher notes produced by one of the drums through the upper part of her body, above the waist and the lower notes of the other drum through the lower part of her body, below the waist. This worked well for Evelyn and gradually, she found that she could sense different sounds and vibrations through different parts of her body.

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

Evelyn made her first tour at the age of sixteen, when she performed with a youth orchestra. She toured the United Kingdom and after that tour she decided that she would make a career in music. She started giving solo performances. She has made her name in the field of music. Evelyn is a popular musician with a busy international schedule. Apart from the regular concerts, she also does charity and performs for hospitals and prisons. Evelyn also holds classes for young musicians.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Evelyn Glennie was passionate about music. Unfortunately, she lost her sense of hearing by the age of eleven.  Evelyn was discouraged by her teachers. Master-percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her talent and potential. He guided Evelyn to feel music some other way rather than hearing it. He got two large drums and tuned them to different notes. When he played the drums, Evelyn reacted to the distinct notes differently.

Evelyn can feel music penetrate her body though various parts. She removes her footwear as she performs on a wooden floor so that she can feel the vibrations produced by different instruments pass through her feet up her legs. Thus, Evelyn has trained her body to listen to the music.


The Sound of Music - I



Meanings:

jostle= push roughly

slight= small and thin

daunting= frightening, Scary

teenager= a person who is in his teens

aspiring musician= a person who wants to be a musician

Profoundly deaf= absolutely deaf.

gradual= in phases

conceal= to hide

Specialist= a doctor specializing in a particular part of the body.

Deteriorated= worsened, reduces

Urged= requested

impaired= weakened

pursue= to follow

xylophone= a musical instrument with a row of wooden bars of different lengths

percussionist= a person who plays the drum, the tabla, etc., a person who play different musical instruments

potential= quality or ability that can be developed

youth= Young people, people like who are in college or high school

orchestra= group of musicians

auditioned= gave a short performance so that the director could decide whether she was good enough

orchestral work= group performance, performing in a group of musicians

Solo= to perform single, alone.

most sought after= most popular, in demand

intriguing= fascinating and curious

flawlessly= without a fault or mistake

lilt= a way of speaking like we say accent

tingles= causes a slight prickling or stinging sensation

resonances= echoes of sounds

workaholic (informal)= a person who finds it difficult to stop working

enormous= big

accomplished= achieved

Summary:

Evelyn Glennie is a multi-percussionist. She mastered over a thousand musical instruments despite being completely deaf. She could do this because she had learned to feel the music through her body instead of ears.

Evelyn was interested in music. She was taking piano lessons. When Evelyn was eleven years old she had lost her hearing ability because of nerve damage. The specialist advised her to wear hearing aids and join in a school for the deaf. But, she was determined to lead a normal life and continue with her music lessons. She was discouraged by her teachers. The master percussionist, Ron Forbes discovered her potential. He guided Evelyn to feel the music through vibrations. Evelyn found that she could sense different sounds through different parts of her body.

Evelyn got admitted to the Royal Academy of Music, London, and scored the highest marks in the history of the academy. According to Evelyn hard work and dedication towards her goal helped her achieve success. Evelyn gives solo performances and even gives free concerts for hospitals and schools. In the year 1991, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious ‘Soloist of the Year’ Award. Evelyn’s story is an inspiration for the differently-abled people. Her achievement is a motivation for the people who want to fulfill their dreams.