The Thief's Story

Preface to the chapter

● This chapter is about two music maestros and

their lives.

● The chapter is in two parts, the first part

discusses about the multi-percussionist, Evelyn

Glennie and the second part is about the

Shehnai player, Bismillah Khan

● This chapter provides insight into the struggles

and hard work that both of these musicians had

to face to achieve greatness in their lives.

● ‘Sound of Music’ gives us a message that hard

work and determination can serve us well.

Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

By

DEBORAH COWLEY

1 PARTst

Evelyn Glennie

● Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie,

is a Scottish multi-percussionist born in

1965.

● She performs internationally with a wide

variety of orchestras and contemporary

musicians.

● She has won many prestigious awards

for her work, including the polar music

prize of 2015

Helen Keller and Anne

Sullivan

● Evelyn Glennie is a multi –

percussionist. She has attained

mastery over almost a thousand

musical instruments despite being

hearing – impaired.

● She learnt to feel music through the

body instead of hearing it through

the ears.

● When Evelyn was eleven years old, it

was discovered that she had lost her

hearing power due to nerve damage.

● The specialist advised that she wear

hearing aids and be sent to a school

for the deaf.

● On the contrary, Evelyn was

determined to lead a normal life and

follow her interest in music.

● Although she was discouraged by

her teachers, her potential was

noticed by master percussionist, Ron

Forbes.

● He guided Evelyn to feel music some

other way than to hear it through her

ears.

● This worked well for Evelyn and she

realized that she could sense

different sounds through different

parts of her body.

● Once she had overcome this hurdle,

Evelyn began her career in music.

● She got admission in the Royal

Academy of Music, London and

scored the highest marks in the

history of the academy.

● Evelyn says that 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 who are

motivated to fulfil their dreams like

she did.

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The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

2 PARTnd

Bismillah Khan

● Ustad Qamruddin "Bismillah"

Khan was an indian musician

born in i916,

● Often referred to by the title Ustad, he was the one

who popularised the shehnai.

● While the shehnai had long held importance as a

folk instrument played primarily in traditional

ceremonies, Khan is credited with elevating its

status and bringing it to the concert stage.

● This lesson is an effort to understand Indian classical musicians and instruments especially the origin of shehnai and Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

● Shehnai replaced pungi which had an unpleasant sound.

● Pungi’s tonal quality was improved by a nai (barbar) of sah (emperor Aurangzeb); hence it was named as shehnai.

Pungi

Shahnai

● The lesson beautifully deals with theearly life of Bismillah khan inDumraon in Bihar.

● His grandfather was a shehnai-Nawaz of the bhojpur king’s court.

● Bismillah Khan took to music early inlife when he was 3 years old in thecompany of his maternal uncle.

● His life is a source of simplicity andcommunal harmony from the verybeginning when he used to sing ‘Chiata’ in Bihariji temple andpracticing shehnai in Vishnu templeand Mangala Maiya temple ofVaranasi.

● Bismillah khan got his big break

with the opening of All India Radio

in Lucknow in 1938.

● He also played shehnai on 15

August 1947 from Red Fort in

presence of Pandit Nehru.

● Bismillah khan gave many

memorable performances both in

India and abroad where he was

honored with so many awards.

● He also gave music in two movies

‘Gunj Uthi shehnai’ and ‘Sanadhi

Apanna”.

● He was so fond of his motherland

India, Benaras, and the holy Ganga

that he refused an offer to be the

Head of Shehnai school in the USA.

● In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was

awarded India’s highest civilian

award, the Bharat Ratna.

● In the end, his life is a perfect

example of the rich, cultural

heritage of India, one that

effortlessly accepts that a devout

Muslim like him can very naturally

play the shehnai at the Kashi

Vishwanath Temple.

Q1.Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

As for music, she explains “it pours in through

every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my

cheekbones and even in my hair”. When she

plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound

passing up the stick into her finger tips. By

leaning against the drums, she can feel the

resonances flowing into her body. On a

wooden platform, she removes her shoes so

that the vibrations pass through her bare feet

and up her legs.

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through her ears.

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through her fingertips.

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through the gadget that she uses for hearing.

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(a) How does Evelyn hear the sound of xylophone ?

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through her ears.

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through her fingertips.

Evelyn hear the sound of Xylophone through the gadget that she uses for hearing.

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(a) How does Evelyn hear the sound of xylophone ?

She removes her shoes so that she can feel the vibrations of music through her feets to legs.

She removes her shoes because she thinks it is a matter of reverence.

She removes her shoes so that she can be comfortable while playing.

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(b) Why does she remove her shoes on a wooden platform during her performance ?

She removes her shoes so that she can feel the vibrations of music through her feets to legs.

She removes her shoes because she thinks it is a matter of reverence.

She removes her shoes so that she can be comfortable while playing.

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(b) Why does she remove her shoes on a wooden platform during her performance ?

Removes

Pour

Passing up

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(c) Find a word from the passage that means “‘take off”.

Removes

Pour

Passing up

None of the above

A

B

C

D

(c) Find a word from the passage that means “‘take off”.

Q. Who had brought shehnai to the classical Stage ? What was he honoured with ?

● Shehnai was brought to the classical stage by Ustad

Bismillah Khan.

● He started picking up the finger nuances of Shehnai under

the guidance of his maternal uncle Ali Bux.

● He had been honoured with Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri

and Padma Vibhushan.

Q.What is the difference between a Pungi and a Shehnai ?

● 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.

Q. In spite of her towering success Evelyn Glennie does not

accept any hint of heroic achievement.Explain

● 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.

HOMEWORK QUESTIONQ.“There is always a teacher to bring out the latent potential of a pupil/’ Justify with reference to the role played by Ron Forbes

and Ustad Faiyaz Khan in the lives of Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan.

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