The Sound of Music Part 1 Evelyn Glennie Class 9 Summary, Question Answers and Notes

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Chapter at a Glance

Summary of Part 1

Evelyn Glennie's hearing loss was gradual. Her mother, Isabel, first noticed the problem when Evelyn was about eight, because the little girl did not respond when her name was called at school. By the age of eleven she was profoundly deaf, and her school marks fell. Doctors suggested that she should move to a school for the deaf, but Evelyn did not want to give up her normal life. She later said that everything suddenly looked black, yet she refused to lose hope.

Evelyn loved music and wanted to continue. The turning point came when a percussionist named Ron Forbes agreed to teach her. He understood that she could not hear with her ears, so he tuned two large drums to different notes and asked her not to listen but to feel. Evelyn placed her hands on the wall and sensed the vibrations of each drum. She discovered that she could feel one note in the upper part of her body and the other in the lower part. From then on she learned to sense sounds through her whole body.

Evelyn worked very hard and later joined the Royal Academy of Music in London when she was not yet seventeen. She became a skilled multi-percussionist who can play around a thousand instruments. She performs across the world, and she plays barefoot so that she can feel the vibrations through the floor. She says that music "pours in through every part of my body". She believes that if you work hard and know where you are going, you will get there. The text ends by saying that she has already achieved more than most people twice her age.

Evelyn's Journey at a Glance

NCERT Textbook Questions with Answers

Thinking about the Text (Part I)

Q1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Ans. Evelyn was a little under seventeen when she joined the Royal Academy of Music in London. By then she had already learned to feel music instead of hearing it.

Q2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed? Ans. Her mother first noticed Evelyn's loss of hearing when she was around eight years old. By the time she was eleven, her deafness had been confirmed medically.

Q3. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say? Ans. The percussionist Ron Forbes helped her. Ron Forbes spotted her potential. He tuned two large drums to different notes and told her not to listen with her ears but to sense the sound in some other way. Her mother also supported her by keeping her in an ordinary school.

Q4. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs. Ans. Apart from regular concerts around the world, Evelyn performs free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also takes classes for young musicians.

Q5. How does Evelyn hear music? Ans. Evelyn hears music by sensing the vibrations in different parts of her body. She says that music pours in through every part of her body. Low notes are felt in the lower part of her body and higher notes in the upper part, and she plays barefoot to feel the floor's vibrations.

Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type (1 Mark)

Q1. Who is Evelyn Glennie? Ans. She is a Scottish multi-percussionist who is deaf.

Q2. At what age did Evelyn lose her hearing completely? Ans. By the age of eleven.

Q3. What is the name of Evelyn's mother? Ans. Isabel Glennie.

Q4. Who taught Evelyn to feel sound? Ans. Ron Forbes.

Q5. Which famous academy did Evelyn join? Ans. The Royal Academy of Music in London.

Q6. How does Evelyn describe the sound of music? Ans. She says that it pours in through every part of her body.

Short Answer Type (30 to 40 Words)

Q1. How did Evelyn's mother come to know about her deafness? Ans. Isabel noticed it when Evelyn did not respond after her name was called at school. This made her realise that her daughter had not heard, and later tests confirmed the hearing loss.

Q2. How did Ron Forbes teach Evelyn to sense sound? Ans. He tuned two big drums to different notes and asked her to place her hands on the wall and feel each drum's vibration. This helped her notice the notes in different parts of her body.

Q3. Why does Evelyn perform barefoot? Ans. Evelyn plays barefoot so that the vibrations of the instruments travel through the floor to her feet. This helps her sense every note even though she cannot hear it.

Q4. What does Evelyn say about success? Ans. She says that if you work hard and know where you are going, you will get there. She proved this by reaching the top despite being deaf.

Q5. Why is Evelyn called a workaholic? Ans. She admits that she loves her work so much that she keeps practising and performing with very little rest, and her international schedule is always busy.

Long Answer Type (100 to 120 Words)

Q1. Describe how Evelyn Glennie overcame her disability and became a successful musician. Ans. Evelyn's hearing loss began gradually, and by eleven she was deaf. Instead of giving up, she decided to continue music. Ron Forbes taught her to feel the vibrations of drums in different parts of her body, which gave her a new way to experience sound. She practised with great determination and entered the Royal Academy of Music before turning seventeen. She became a world-famous multi-percussionist who plays around a thousand instruments and performs barefoot to feel the music. Her mother's support, her teacher's guidance and her own courage helped her succeed. She proves that disability cannot stop a determined person.

Q2. What lesson do you learn from Evelyn Glennie's life? Ans. Evelyn's life teaches us that a physical limitation is not the end of our dreams. She lost her hearing, yet she found another way to enjoy music and share it with others. Her success shows the value of hard work, a positive attitude, family support and a good teacher. She also teaches us to look for new solutions when old ones fail. Her words, that anyone who works hard and knows where they are going will get there, encourage every student to stay focused and never give up in the face of difficulties.

Important Words and Meanings

Themes and Quick Revision

Themes: The chapter is about courage, determination and a positive attitude in the face of disability. It also shows the importance of a supportive family and a good mentor, and it teaches us that music can be felt as well as heard.

Conclusion: Evelyn Glennie's story shows that talent, effort and belief matter more than limitations. For exams, remember the three ages, Ron Forbes's role, how she feels sound and the lesson of perseverance.