About the Author
This chapter tells the real-life stories of two amazing musicians who turned their love for music into something big. The first part is written by Deborah Cowley and is about Evelyn Glennie, a brave girl from Scotland who couldn't hear but felt music in her whole body. The second part is about Ustad Bismillah Khan, a great shehnai player from India, whose life was full of joy and sounds from his hometown. Both stories show how music can change lives, and they come from the NCERT book to inspire young readers like you.
What’s the Story About?
This chapter is like two exciting tales in one, both about people who let music guide their lives no matter what came their way. It's divided into two parts, and each one feels like a friend's chat about chasing dreams.
In the first part, we meet Evelyn Glennie, a girl from Scotland. When she was just eight, she started losing her hearing because of a sickness no one could name. By the time she was eleven, she couldn't hear at all—not even a whisper or a loud drum. At school, kids teased her, and her marks fell because she couldn't follow classes well. But Evelyn didn't give up. She loved music, especially drums and things you hit to make sounds. One day, a kind music teacher named Ron Forbes saw her talent. He told her a secret: "Don't listen with your ears—listen with your body!" Evelyn tried it. She felt the beat of the xylophone (a wooden instrument like a piano you hit with sticks) through her skin and feet. It was like the music danced inside her!
With hard work, Evelyn got into London's Royal Academy of Music, where she scored super high in her test. She learned to play over a thousand instruments, all by feeling their shake and hum. Now, she's a world-famous player who travels everywhere, from big halls to schools, teaching kids that you can do anything if you try. She even won big prizes, like the best solo player award in 1991. Evelyn's story shows that when one door closes, like hearing, another opens wide—like feeling the world's rhythm.
The second part takes us to India, to a boy named Bismillah Khan from a small town called Dumraon in Bihar. He was born in 1916 into a family of musicians who played old instruments at temples and weddings. The shehnai, a long pipe that makes sweet, wavy sounds, was his favorite. Legend says it started long ago in the Mughal king's court, when a clever barber made holes in a pipe to play tunes while cutting hair! Bismillah moved to Varanasi (we call it Benaras) as a kid and fell in love with the Ganga River's calm flow—it matched the shehnai's gentle voice.
His uncle taught him to play at temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Balaji. Bismillah practiced day and night, making the shehnai sing like a bird. In 1938, he got his big break when All India Radio started in Lucknow—he played live on air! Then, on India's freedom day in 1947, he blew the shehnai to welcome the new nation. People loved it so much, they called him to play all over the world—in America, Japan, even at fancy places like the Lincoln Centre. He won India's top awards, like the Bharat Ratna, but he never left his heart in Benaras. Friends from other countries begged him to move, but he said no—his music belonged to the Ganga and the temples. Bismillah lived till 2006, always saying music is like the river: it flows free and brings everyone together.
In simple words, the chapter is a happy reminder that music isn't just for ears—it's for the heart and soul. Whether you're deaf like Evelyn or from a far-off village like Bismillah, if you love something, it can carry you far.
Who’s Who in the Story
- Evelyn Glennie: The main hero of the first part—a strong Scottish girl who went deaf young but became a top drum and percussion player by feeling sounds in her body. She's like a superhero who turns quiet into music.
- Ron Forbes: Evelyn's wise music teacher who showed her how to "hear" with her skin and bones. He's the kind guide who spots talent and pushes you forward.
- Ustad Bismillah Khan: The star of the second part—a loving shehnai master from Bihar who made India's traditional music famous around the world. He treated his instrument like a family member and stayed true to his roots.
- Bismillah's Uncle (Rashid Khan): His teacher and family member who took him to Varanasi and taught him the shehnai's secrets, like an elder brother sharing old family recipes.
- The Mughal Barber: Not a real person in the story, but a fun old tale about the man who first made the shehnai by poking holes in a pipe—think of him as the clever inventor grandpa.
Themes and Moral
Themes (main ideas):
- Beating Tough Times with Guts: Both Evelyn and Bismillah faced big hurdles—like losing hearing or coming from a simple background—but they kept going, showing us problems are just steps to climb.
- Music Joins Everyone: Music doesn't care about ears, countries, or rich-poor. It's a friend that brings the world close, like how Evelyn plays globally and Bismillah shares Indian tunes abroad.
- Love for Home and Roots: Bismillah's story teaches staying connected to where you come from, like the Ganga that never leaves Benaras, even with fancy offers elsewhere.
- Finding Your Special Way: Evelyn learned to feel music, not just hear it—it's about using what you have to make magic happen.
Moral (the lesson):
Chase what you love with all your heart, and no wall is too high. Like Evelyn and Bismillah, turn your weaknesses into wins, stay true to yourself, and let your passion make the world a brighter place. Remember, music (or any dream) speaks to the soul—listen with your whole self!
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key words and phrases from the chapter. I explain them in easy, everyday words, like chatting with a classmate, so you can picture them right away:
- Percussionist: Someone who plays instruments you hit or shake, like drums or bells—like the beat-keeper in a school band who makes everyone dance.
- Xylophone: A fun row of wooden bars you strike with sticks to get twinkly sounds, like a toy piano from a cartoon.
- Vibrations: The tiny shakes or wiggles you feel, like when a truck rumbles past and your feet tingle—Evelyn "hears" music this way.
- Audition: A try-out test where you show your skills, like singing in front of a judge to join the school choir.
- Shehnai: A thin, wooden pipe with holes that makes long, happy wedding tunes—like a flute's cousin that's extra sweet for festivals.
- Ragas: Special patterns of notes in Indian music that match moods, like a happy song for mornings or a sad one for rain—Bismillah made new ones.
- Inauguration: The big starting event, like cutting a ribbon to open a new shop with cheers and claps.
- Laurels: Fancy praises or prizes for doing great, like getting a gold star on your report card that makes parents smile.
- Secular: Treating all religions the same, without picking sides—like a fair game where everyone plays together, no matter their beliefs.
Key Phrases:
- Listen to sound without hearing it: Feel music inside your body, not with ears—like closing your eyes and letting a drum's thump hug your tummy.
- Beaming inspiration: A bright, smiling push to do better, like a teacher's thumbs-up that lights up your day.
- Soulful renditions: Playing music with deep feelings, like telling a story through notes that touch your heart softly.
- Ganga's flow: The calm, endless river movement that inspired Bismillah—like a quiet friend who whispers peace all day.
- Refused to leave the country: Said no to moving abroad for money, because home is where the heart sings—like skipping a trip to stay with family during Diwali.