Part I 

     Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

Thinking about the Text

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?

Ans. Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.

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

Ans. Evelyn’s deafness at its primary level was noticed by her mother when she was eight years old waiting to play the piano.

It was confirmed by a specialist when she was eleven.

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?

Ans. Ron Forbes (a percussionist) assisted her in continuing with music.

         He tuned two drums to higher and lower notes. He then advised her not to listen through ears but try to sense the vibrations. Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher notes waist up, and the lower ones waist down.

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

Ans. Evelyn performs internationally in various concerts and provides pleasure to music lovers around the world. Apart from regular concerts she gives free performances in prisons and hospitals to make them happy. She holds classes for young musicians. She also performs and teaches in deaf schools to inspire and motivate deaf children to become successful.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Ans.  Evelyn feels music through her whole body. When she lost her sense of hearing and still wanted to learn xylophone, master percussionist Ron Forbes saw her potential and made her sense musical notes through her body. He tuned two drums to higher and lower notes and told her to feel the music. She began to realize that she could differentiate between higher notes which she could feel waist up, and the lower ones which she could feel waist down.

 She says that she feels music tingling in her skin, her cheekbones and even her hair. While playing the xylophone, she senses the vibrations passing up the sticks to her fingertips. By leaning against the drums she feels the resonances flowing through her body. She performs barefoot on wooden platforms so that she can sense the vibrations pass through her bare feet up her legs. Therefore, although she has lost her hearing she feels music through her entire being which makes her music so profound.

“God has taken her hearing but has given her something extraordinary in return.”

Q.  Who is she in the given line?

Ans. ‘She “ in the line is Evelyn Glennie.

Q. What is the extraordinary gift given to her?

Ans. She was gifted with the extraordinary gift of the ability to feel music without hearing it. According to her she feels music through every pore of her body. It tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. When she played the xylophone she could feel the sound passing up her stick through her fingertips. By leaning against the drums she could feel the resonance flow through her body.

Q.  Write the character sketch of Evelyn Glennie.

Ans. Evelyn Glennie is a musician famous for her soulful music despite being deaf. She plays the xylophone, the piano, the clarinet, drums and a host of other instruments. She recently played twenty six instruments for a charity. She was born on 19^th July, 1965 in Scotland. Her deafness at the primary level was noticed by her mother when she was eight and was confirmed when she was eleven. In spite of her deafness, her speech is flawless with a Scottish tilt as she was not deaf as a child. She has also mastered French and Japanese. By the time she was seventeen she was qualified enough for the Royal Academy of Music. She has slight build and a generous nature, always willing to help the deaf and to play for charity. She received inspiration and tutelage from percussionist Ron Forbes. She now travels across the world performing and helping others in similar situations; providing inspiration and receiving admiration in return.