BEEHIVE CH-2 (THE SOUND OF MUSIC)

 THE SOUND OF MUSIC

SUMMARY:=

The Sound of Music Summary Part 1 Characters

Evelyn Glennie

Evelyn Glennie, the internationally renowned percussionist, comes across as an embodiment of unflinching determination, strong self-belief, dedication and courage. Although challenged by a severe hearing impairment, she was able to follow a career in music and achieve extraordinary success in the field. Despite her deafness, Evelyn gives solo performances and has command over a large number of percussion instruments.

Despite losing her hearing faculty at the very young age of eleven, Evelyn did not give up. She faced the challenge bravely and with strong determination. Though the headmistress of her school advised her to join a school for the deaf, she decided to lead her life normally. Not only that, she was unshaken in her resolve to follow a career in music. She was encouraged in her resolve to study music by percussionist, Ron Forbes. Under his guidance, Evelyn learnt how to develop sensitivity to musical sounds through different parts of her body. She managed to sense musical notes through her skin, her hair, her fingers, and even her bare feet.

Her hard work and self-confidence enabled Evelyn to get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London, the most prestigious institution for music. Here, too, she worked hard to receive the highest awards in percussion music. Such is her contribution to the field that it has earned percussion instruments a special place in the orchestra.

A compassionate and benevolent person, Evelyn performs in prisons and hospitals. She She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. Evelyn has, thus, revealed to the world that disabilities disappear before dedication and determination. Her achievements are a source of inspiration for those who suffer from handicaps.

The Sound of Music Summary Part 1 Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What was wrong with Evelyn Glennie?
Answer: She was profoundly deaf.

2. When was her deafness first noticed?
Answer: Her deafness was first noticed at the age of eight.

3. At what age did Evelyn go to the Royal Academy of music in London?
Answer: She went there at the age of seventeen.

4. What was Evelyn’s special field of interest?
Answer: She was interested in music.

5. At what age was Evelyn’s deafness confirmed?
Answer: Her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven.

6. Who was Ron Forbes?
Answer: He was the music instructor in Evelyn’s school.

7. At what age did Evelyn visit the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra?
Answer: At the age of sixteen years.

8. What was her performance in the audition for the Royal Academy of music?
Answer: She scored the highest marks in the history of the academy.

9. What award did Evelyn win in 1991?
Answer: In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Prestigious Soloist of the Year Award.

10. How did Ron Forbes ask Evelyn to hear music?
Answer: Ile asked Evelyn to hear music not through her cars but other parts of her body.

11. Who did Evelyn give a big inspiration too?
Answer: She gave a big inspiration to the handicapped people.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.

What were Evelyn’s feelings as she stood on the platform waiting for the London underground?
Answer:
As she stood on the platform Evelyn felt both nervous and excited because she was waiting for a train in London to take her to her dream destination – to join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music. She was apprehensive as she was a young, seventeen-year-old from Scotland going to join such a prestigious music institute. Moreover, she was profoundly deaf and despite her disability, she had made it to the Music Academy.

Question 2.
How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Why was she nervous on her way to the academy?
Answer:
Evelyn was only seventeen years of age when she was selected to the Royal Academy of Music, London. She had come straight from a farmland in Scotland, she had not experienced much of the world. In addition, she was profoundly deaf and was going to a big institute like The Royal Academy of Music. Her nervousness was the result of her young age, her lack of exposure and her hearing disability

Question 3.
Why was Evelyn “nervous yet excited” as she waited for the train?
Answer:
While leaving for the Royal Academy of Music, Evelyn was excited despite her nervousness as going to the Royal Academy of Music, London was a dream come true for her. She was going to join a three-year course in an institute she had dreamed of joining. It excited her to think that despite her hearing impairment she had made her way to such a prestigious institute.

Question 4.
Why was Evelyn Glennie going to face a bigger challenge at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London?
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie was passionate about music, and would not let anything stand in her way, but studying music at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London was a challenge for her for two reasons: in the first place she was deaf and in the second, she was brought up on a Scottish farm. It was a challenge for a deaf village girl to compete with other singers who had perfect hearing

Question 5.
When and how was Evelyn’s hearing problem noticed?
Answer:
Evelyn was only eight-year-old when her hearing problem was noticed by her mother when she was eight years old and she did not respond to a call for a performance on piano. However, her loss of hearing was gradual and her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven when her poor academic performance forced her parents to consult a specialist.

Question 6.
Who advised Evelyn’s parents to take her to a specialist? Why?
Answer:
Evelyn managed to hide her growing deafness from students and teachers for some time. However, by the time she was eleven years old, her performance in school deteriorated and her marks began to fall. It was then that the headmistress advised her parents to consul a specialist.

Question 7.
When was Evelyn’s deafness confirmed? What advice was given to her?
Answer:
Evelyn’s deafness was gradual. By the time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated. Her teachers advised her parents to take her to a specialist. The specialist discovered that her hearing was badly impaired because of gradual nerve damage. He advised her parents that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.

Question 8.
“Everything suddenly looked black”. Why did Evelyn feel this way?
Answer:
When Evelyn was advised to use hearing aids and join a school for the deaf, she felt that her future was bleak and dark. She was depressed, as she felt she would not be able to lead a normal life nor pursue her interest in music

Question 9.
How did Evelyn Glennie respond to the discovery of her deafness?
Answer:
On learning about her deafness due to gradual nerve damage, Evelyn Glennie, felt at first that her future was dark and bleak. However, instead of giving up, she decided to lead a normal life like other children and pursue her dream of learning music.

Question 10.
How did Evelyn’s teachers respond when she expressed her desire to play a xylophone?
Answer:
Evelyn had always loved music and despite her deafness, she expressed a desire to play the xylophone when she saw another girl playing it. However her teachers felt that she would not be able to play it because of her impaired hearing and they discouraged her from doing so.

Question 11.What is the moral of the story The Sound of Music Part 1?

Answer:

The moral of the story The sound of Music is that we can acquire success in whatever conditions we are in. God has created many of us in healthy forms but we are always lazy to do things, finding excuses each time.

Question12. Which train was Evelyn waiting for on the underground train platform? How did she feel when she sensed the train approaching?

Answer: On the underground train platform, Evelyn was waiting for a train to London where she was to join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music. As she sensed the train approaching, she felt both nervous and excited.

Question 13. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Why was she nervous on her way to the academy?

Answer: Evelyn was only seventeen years of age when she went to the Royal Academy of Music, London. Her nervousness was the result of her young age and lack of exposure. Coming from a farmland in Scotland, she had not experienced much of the world. In addition, going to a big institute like The Royal Academy of Music with her hearing disability made her uneasy.

Question 14. While leaving for the Royal Academy of Music, why was Evelyn excited despite her nervousness?

Answer: For Evelyn, going to the Royal Academy of Music, London was a dream come true. She was going to join a three-year course in an institute she had cherished to join. It excited her to think that despite her impaired hearing she had made her way to such a prestigious institute.

Question 15. When was Evelyn’s deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Or
How did Evelyn’s parents come to discover her deafness?

Answer: Evelyn’s deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old. In fact, her mother had noticed it when Evelyn had not responded to a call for a performance on the piano. Her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven when her poor academic performance forced her parents to consult a specialist, who discovered that her hearing was badly impaired because of gradual nerve damage.

Question 16. Why had Evelyn’s headmistress advised her parents to take her to a specialist?

Answer: Evelyn managed to hide her growing deafness from students and teachers for some time. However, by the time she was eleven years old, her performance in school deteriorated and her marks decreased. It was then that the headmistress advised her parents to consult a specialist.

Question 17. What advice were the parents of Evelyn given once her deafness was confirmed?

Answer: When the deafness of Evelyn was confirmed by a specialist, Evelyn’s parents were advised to get hearing aids for their daughter. They were also advised to send her to a special school where only deaf children were taught.

Question18. “Everything suddenly looked black”. Why does Evelyn say so?

Answer: When Evelyn was advised to use hearing aids and join the school for the deaf, she felt that her future was bleak and dark. She was depressed, as all hope for great achievements seemed to have vanished. She had now become a disabled child who could not have easy access to normal life.

11. How did Evelyn open her mind and body to musical sounds and vibrations?

Answer: As the guide I by Ron Forbes, Evelyn learnt to listen through different parts of the body other than her ears. Her mind and body were sensitized to notice and differentiate various sounds and vibrations of music. She compensated for the loss of hearing with this awakened and sharpened sense in other parts of her body.

12. Why does Evelyn say that men with bushy beards give her trouble?

Answer: Evelyn says that men with bushy beards give her trouble because she has to watch their whole face, especially their eyes in order to grasp what they say just watching their lips did not help as the lips remained partially hidden in the beards.

13. Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life?

Answer: Unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life without looking back. Instead of yielding before her handicap, she decided to overcome it and lead the life of a normal person. Being a workaholic, she put in her earnest efforts and kept advancing further and further.

14. How did Evelyn get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Answer: Evelyn gave audition for admission to Royal Academy of Music, London. Her score in the audition was one of the highest in the history of the academy. Therefore, she got selected for a three-year course.

15. What were Evelyn’s achievements after she joined the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Answer: At the Royal Academy of Music, London, Evelyn began as one of the performers in an orchestra. But gradually she moved on to give solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had bagged the biggest awards in the Academy.

16. What is Evelyn’s view of her achievements?

Answer: Evelyn is so modest that she does not consider her achievements to be heroic deeds. She feels that if one has the clarity of the goat and puts in hard work, one is sure to achieve the aim. She believes that it is through hard work only that she has been able to achieve success.

17. What reveals that Evelyn has succeeded immensely in her career?

Question 19. How did Evelyn Glennie respond to the discovery of her deafness?

Answer: On learning about her deafness due to gradual nerve damage, Evelyn Glennie, instead of giving up, decided to lead a normal life like other children, and pursue her dream of learning music.

Question 20. How did Evelyn’s teachers respond when she expressed her desire to play the xylophone?

Answer: Evelyn always loved music and despite her deafness, she expressed a desire to play the xylophone when she saw another girl playing it. But her teachers felt that she would not be able to play it because of her impaired hearing and they discouraged her.

Question 21.Who wiped Evelyn to continue with music? What did he do and say?

Answer: It was Ron Forbes, the percussionist, who encouraged and helped. Evelyn to continue with music. While her teachers discouraged her, he noticed her potential and decided to develop it. He told Evelyn to train different parts of her body to sense musical notes. He turned two drums with different notes to make her sense the higher ones through the upper part of her body and the lower ones through down her waist

11. How did Evelyn open her mind and body to musical sounds and vibrations?

Answer: As the guide I by Ron Forbes, Evelyn learnt to listen through different parts of the body other than her ears. Her mind and body were sensitized to notice and differentiate various sounds and vibrations of music. She compensated for the loss of hearing with this awakened and sharpened sense in other parts of her body.

12. Why does Evelyn say that men with bushy beards give her trouble?

Answer: Evelyn says that men with bushy beards give her trouble because she has to watch their whole face, especially their eyes in order to grasp what they say just watching their lips did not help as the lips remained partially hidden in the beards.

13. Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life?

Answer: Unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life without looking back. Instead of yielding before her handicap, she decided to overcome it and lead the life of a normal person. Being a workaholic, she put in her earnest efforts and kept advancing further and further.

14. How did Evelyn get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Answer: Evelyn gave audition for admission to Royal Academy of Music, London. Her score in the audition was one of the highest in the history of the academy. Therefore, she got selected for a three-year course.

15. What were Evelyn’s achievements after she joined the Royal Academy of Music, London?

Answer: At the Royal Academy of Music, London, Evelyn began as one of the performers in an orchestra. But gradually she moved on to give solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had bagged the biggest awards in the Academy.

16. What is Evelyn’s view of her achievements?

Answer: Evelyn is so modest that she does not consider her achievements to be heroic deeds. She feels that if one has the clarity of the goat and puts in hard work, one is sure to achieve the aim. She believes that it is through hard work only that she has been able to achieve success.

17. What reveals that Evelyn has succeeded immensely in her career?

Answer: Evelyn’s success in her career is revealed by the fact that she has command over about a thousand musical instruments. As a percussionist, she is the most admired one at the international level. In 1991, the Royal Philharmonic Society conferred on her the most prestigious “Soloist of the Year Award”.

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

Answer: Evelyn performs in regular concerts on the global level. But she also gives concerts free of charge in prisons and hospitals. In addition, she holds classes for young musicians.

19. Who is James Blades? What is his opinion about Evelyn’s talent

Answer: James Blades is a master percussionist. He believes that God might have taken Evelyn’s hearing but has given her back something extraordinary. The audience hears what she feels, which is far deeper than what any of the other percussionists feel. It is due to this talent that she expresses music so beautifully.

20. How is Evelyn an inspiration for the handicapped people?

Answer: Evelyn’s achievements, gained through determination and hard work, set an example before other handicapped people. They gain confidence from her example and believe that they too can achieve their goals in life by overcoming their handicaps with firm determination.

21. What is Evelyn’s contribution to percussion?

Answer: Evelyn has contributed to percussion by securing for it a front place in the orchestra. She has shown how the music of the percussion instruments is deeply moving and touches the hearts and emotions of people.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Or
Evelyn Glennie’s deafness was more than compensated by other parts of her body so far as the music was concerned. Discuss.

Answer: Evelyn Glennie had a deep passion for music but unfortunately, she lost her hearing completely at the age of eleven years. She wanted to lead a normal life and play the xylophone, but her teachers discouraged her considering her deafness to be an obstruction. However, Ron Forbes, a great percussionist, trained her to listen to the musical sounds and vibrations not through ears, but through other parts of her body. He created two drums with different sounds to make her hear the higher beats from the upper part of her body and the lower beats from the parts lower than her waist. The experiment was so effective that Evelyn opened her mind and body to the fine sounds of music