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.
