The Sound of Music Part-1

1.0About the Author

Deborah Cowley was born in India, grew up in Toronto, Canada graduated in English from the University of Western Ontario and moved to Ottawa for a job with the Unitarian Service Committee. He is a writer and broadcaster. She has travelled the worldwide & written more than 100 articles for different editions of the Reader's Digest, many of which have been translated into dozens of languages.

Central Idea: In this lesson the author reveals the achievements of the multi percussionist, Evelyn Glennie who overcame her handicap of hearing impairment with great determination and confidence.

The feature describes how, under the guidance of Ron Forbes Evelyn Glennie, found a way out of her problem by developing an ability to sense music through different parts of her body. Despite her inability, Evelyn was determined to live a normal life.

2.0Efforts and Able Guidance

Evelyn Glennie is a multi-percussionist. She can play about 1000 instruments with perfection. She listens to sound without hearing it. Evelyn fought against a physical disability and became a source of inspiration for thousands of disabled persons. She was profoundly deaf. She was 11 years old when it was discovered that she had the hearing disability. She wanted to pursue her career in music but her teachers discouraged her. It was Ron Forbes who recognized her potential and supported her in achieving her goal. He advised her not to listen through her ears but try to sense and feel it in some other way. Soon she was excited. She felt the vibrations of higher drum from the waist above and the lower drum from the waist down. Later she realized that she could feel the vibrations in every part of her body. These tingle in her skin, her cheekbones and even in hair. She had learnt to open her body and mind to the sounds and vibrations. After that she never looked back.

3.0Endeavours and Achievement

She did not feel proud of her achievements; instead, she said that if one knew one's goal then one could achieve that. She became the world's topmost multi-percussionist and mastered over one thousand instruments. Music poured through every part of Evelyn's body. She always felt the sound of the xylophone passing up the stick into her fingertips. She felt the beat of the drums by leaning on them. She removed her shoes on a wooden platform to feel the vibrations in her body. She was awarded the most famous award of the Royal Philharmonic Society, the Soloist Award in 1991. She worked harder than a workaholic and she performed at many concerts. She also performed in prisons and hospitals. She was an inspiration for many disabled people.

4.0Recall

• Evelyn Glennie was 8, when first time her hearing disability was noticed by her mother.
• At the age of 11 , her disability was discovered at school.
• She wants to do career in music & fortunately she met Ron Forbes, the percussionist, who supported in achieving her goal.
• He trained Evelyn to sense the music through different parts of her body.
• Evelyn followed him like an obedient student & learnt to open her body and mind to sounds and vibrations.
• She joined the famous Royal Academy of Music & scored the highest marks in the history of the Academy.
• After this she never looked back.
• She toured round the world for her concerts and became a kind of workaholic.
• Apart from this, she gives concerts in prisons and hospitals.
• She achieved more than twice her age.
• She has earned great name in Orchestra.
• She has inspired those who are handicapped & made them believe that if Evelyn could do that, why not they.

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