1) At the onset of the text, where do you find Evelyn going? Why
is her journey said to be very difficult?
= At the onset of
the text, we find Evelyn approaching the train. It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of
Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish
farm.
This journey was extremely
challenging for the aspiring musician as she was profoundly deaf. At the age of
eight, her mother found out about her deafness and concealed her growing
deafness from family and friends. By the time she was eleven, it was then discovered that her hearing was
severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve damage. They were advised that
she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf. But
she wasn’t someone who’d give up. With perfect encouragement, sheer
determination and hard work, she faced her challenges, auditioned and took a
train to Royal Academy.
2) How was the deafness of Evelyn spotted at first? How did
Evelyn deal with her deafness?
= Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing
had been gradual. Her mother remembers noticing something was wrong when the
eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano. When called out her name,
she remained quiet. It was then Isabel Glennie realised that she was deaf. For
quite a while Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and
teachers. But by the time she was eleven her marks had deteriorated and her
headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist. It was then
discovered that her hearing was severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve
damage. They were advised that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent
to a school for the deaf.
She looked into the void and found
nothing but darkness. But she was a girl of strength and power and not someone
who would give up easily. She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue
her interest in music. She was discouraged many times but with the right
encouragement by Ron Forbes, she realised her potential and started to feel the music through other parts of her body. She learned to open her mind and body to
sounds and vibrations. The rest was sheer determination and hard work.
3) What had been the effects of her deafness in her personal
life?
= Evelyn is a girl of strength, power
and determination. She was not someone who would give up. With the
encouragement of percussionist Ron Forbes, she took the correct yet difficult
road. She loved music and her hard work talked about that. She incorporated
music in her mind, skin, hair and body. She was deaf but her soul was alive.
When she plays the xylophone, she could sense the sound passing up the stick
into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances
flowing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removed her shoes so that the
vibrations passed through her bare feet and up her legs. She toured the United
Kingdom with a youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided
to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and
scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually
moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year
course, she had captured most of the top awards. Evelyn Glennie has already
accomplished more than most people twice.
4) How with the help of Ron Forbes, Evelyn opened a new way to
hearing?
= With the percussionist Ron Forbes’s
assistance, Evelyn Glennie accomplished more than most people twice her age.
With sheer determination and hard work, she toured the United Kingdom with a
youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music
her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the
highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from
orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she
had captured most of the top awards. She had brought percussion to the front of the orchestra and
demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given inspiration to those who
are handicapped. For music, it poured in through every part of her body. It
tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. She could sense the sound
passing up the stick into her fingertips when she played the xylophone. By
leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances flowing into her body.
On a wooden platform, she removed her shoes so that the vibrations pass-through
her bare feet and up her legs.
5) How did the journey of her music continue with her
extraordinary ability from orchestra to solo?
= At the age of eight, Evelyn was
perceived with a disability in hearing. Ever since then, everything looked
black to her. But she wasn’t a girl who would give up so easily. With the percussionist
Ron Forbes’s assistance, Evelyn Glennie accomplished more than most people
twice her age. For music, it poured in through every part of her body. It
tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. She could sense the sound
passing up the stick into her fingertips when she played the xylophone. With
sheer determination and hard work, she toured the United Kingdom with a youth
orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her
life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the
highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from
orchestral work to solo performances.
6) Why didn’t Evelyn consider her achievement to be heroic? What
did she indicate as her key to success?
= Evelyn was a very capable girl.
According to her, if someone is focussed and determined about what they are
doing, one can get there easily with immense hard work. She never considered
her achievement to be heroic. She got right to the top, the world’s most sought-after
multi-percussionist with a mastery of some thousand instruments, and hectic
international schedule.
According to her, only sheer
determination, perseverance and hard work can lead you to the top. She put
sweat and blood into music and worked hard all day and accomplished more than
most people twice her age. She brought percussion to the front of the
orchestra and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She was an inspiration
to the rest and gave enormous pleasure to millions.
7) How did Evelyn prove her genius in the royal academy of
music?
= It is intriguing to watch Evelyn
function so effortlessly without hearing. With the percussionist Ron Forbes’s
assistance, Evelyn Glennie accomplished more than most people twice her age.
With sheer determination and hard work, she toured the United Kingdom with a
youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music
her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the
highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from
orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she
had captured most of the top awards. Thus, she proved to be a genius in the
royal academy of music.
8) How does Evelyn converse with people? How men with bushy beard
is trouble to hear?
= Evelyn was a very extraordinary
girl with remarkable capabilities. Her deafness never came as a hurdle on her
way to success. In a group discussion, she never missed a word. According to
her, it’s not just watching the lips, it’s the whole face, especially the eyes.
She could also speak flawlessly with a Scottish lilt. She had a clear speech
because she could hear clearly. Though that could never explain how she majored
in French and Japanese.
Men with bushy bears were a trouble
for her to hear. Because it is not just about watching the movement of the lips
but also the facial expressions and eyes. Eyes talk.
9) How according to Evelyn music pours in through her every part
of the body?
= It is intriguing to watch Evelyn
function so effortlessly without hearing. She accomplished more than most
people twice her age. For music, it poured in through every part of her body.
It tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. She could sense the
sound passing up the stick into her fingertips when she played the xylophone.
By leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances flowing into her
body. On a wooden platform, she removed her shoes so that the vibrations passed
through her bare feet and up her legs.
10) How successful was Evelyn as a musician?
= Evelyn put blood and sweat into
music and succeeded with flying colours. With sheer
determination and hard work, she toured the United Kingdom with a youth
orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her
life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the
highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from
orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she
had captured most of the top awards. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal
Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award. James Blades
acclaimed because of her astonishing musical capabilities. Everyone perceived
that she felt more deeply than others and that’s what made her understand music
so magically.
11) Evaluate Evelyn as a workaholic. How Evelyn in spite of tight
international schedule manages to go for free concerts?
= Evelyn is a girl of strength, power
and determination. She was not someone who would give up. With the
encouragement of percussionist Ron Forbes, she took the correct yet difficult
road. She loved music and her hard work talked about that. She incorporated
music in her mind, skin, hair and body. She was deaf but her soul was alive.
When she plays the xylophone, she could sense the sound passing up the stick
into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she could feel the
resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removed her shoes so
that the vibrations passed through her bare feet and up her legs. She toured
the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she
had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of
Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She
gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her
three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards. Evelyn Glennie has
already accomplished more than most people twice.
In spite of a very tight schedule,
Evelyn somehow managed to go for free concerts as she liked to work and loved
to teach. She gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gave high
priority to classes for young musicians. Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for
Deaf Children said, “She is a shining inspiration for deaf children. They see
that there is nowhere that they cannot go.” Apart from the hall these, the love she
received was enormous and priceless.
12) What is the view of Ann Richlin about Evelyn?
= At the age of eight, Evelyn was
perceived with a disability in hearing. Ever since then, everything looked
black to her. But she wasn’t a girl who would give up so easily. With the
percussionist Ron Forbes’s assistance, Evelyn Glennie accomplished more than
most people twice her age. For music, it poured in through every part of her
body. It tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. She could sense
the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips when she played the
xylophone. In spite of a very tight schedule, Evelyn somehow managed to go for
free concerts as she liked to work and loved to teach. She gave free concerts
in prisons and hospitals. She also gave high priority to classes for young
musicians. Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children said, “She is a
shining inspiration for deaf children. They see that there is nowhere that they
cannot go.” Apart from all these, the love she received was enormous and
priceless. Evelyn Glennie had already accomplished
more than most people twice her age. She brought percussion to the front of the
orchestra and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given
inspiration to those who are handicapped, people who look at her and say, ‘If
she can do it, I can.’ And, not least, she had given enormous pleasure to
millions.
13) How is life and character of Evelyn is a NO to impossible?
= Evelyn lost the ability to hear at
the very age of eleven. She was placed in a “special” school when discovered
deaf. Everything turned dark to her. But she didn’t let her disability stand on
her way to success. She ducked all the difficulties and discouragement and
paced toward the brighter side. With the right people by her side, cheering and
encouraging, she pursued her interest in music. With the help of Ron Forbes,
she realised she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one
from the waist down. Forbes repeated the exercise, and soon Evelyn discovered
that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. She never looked
back from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth
orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her
life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the
highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from
orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she
had captured most of the top awards She got right to the top, the world’s most
sought-after multi-percussionist with a mastery of some thousand instruments,
and hectic international schedule. For music, it poured in through every part of her body. It
tingled in her skin, cheekbones and even in her hair. She could sense the sound
passing up the stick into her fingertips when she played the xylophone. Evelyn
Glennie had already accomplished more than most people twice her age. She
brought percussion to the front of the orchestra and demonstrated that it can
be very moving. She had given inspiration to those who are handicapped. Ann
Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children said, “She is a shining
inspiration for deaf children. They see that there is nowhere that they cannot
go.” She was delighted with the love and respect she received. No wonder she
proved Nothing is impossible If you are determined to reach the goal.