Chapter 2: The Sound of Music

Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.

Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old, but it was confirmed by the time she was eleven.

Ron Forbes, a percussionist, helped her. He advised her not to listen through her ears but to try and sense the music some other way. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes and asked her to feel the vibrations.

Evelyn performs regularly at concerts, but also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians, dedicating herself to spreading music and inspiration.

Evelyn Glennie hears music not through her ears, but through her body. She explains that she feels the music in every part of her being. When playing the xylophone, she can sense the notes flowing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against drum sets, she can feel the resonances passing into her body. She also removes her shoes on a wooden platform so that the vibrations from instruments can pass through her bare feet and up her legs. Her sensitivity to these vibrations, cultivated through immense dedication and guidance from her teacher Ron Forbes, allows her to understand, interpret, and perform music with extraordinary skill, demonstrating that hearing is not just about the ears, but about the entire sensory experience.

Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because it had a shrill, unpleasant sound.

A shehnai is a natural hollow stem pipe with a longer and broader body than a pungi, and it has seven holes on its body, producing a melodious sound, unlike the pungi's harsh sound.

Traditionally, the shehnai was played in royal courts, temples, and on auspicious occasions like weddings. Bismillah Khan brought it to the classical stage and earned it international recognition.

Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938.

Bismillah Khan played the shehnai at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947. The event was historic because it was India's Independence Day, and he played before Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was given the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2001.

The shehnai is a refined wind instrument with a natural hollow stem. It was invented by a barber, who was a professional musician, by improving the pungi's tonal quality and body, creating a more melodious instrument.

Bismillah Khan practiced rigorously and brought the shehnai out of the traditional court and temple setting onto the concert stage. He played it at various national and international platforms, making it famous globally.

Ustad Bismillah Khan played a monumental role in popularizing the shehnai, transforming it from a mere ceremonial instrument to a highly respected classical one. Born into a family of musicians, he began his training early, honing his skills for hours at the Vishnu temple and on the banks of the Ganga. His big break came with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow, making the shehnai famous across India. He performed at significant national events, notably at the Red Fort on India's first Independence Day, addressing the nation with his music. Beyond India, he took the shehnai to global stages, performing at the Cannes Art Festival, the Osaka Trade Fair, and even a hall in Tehran named after him (Tahar Mosique Ustaad Bismillah Khan). His unwavering dedication and masterly performances earned him numerous accolades, including the Bharat Ratna, solidifying the shehnai's place in the world of classical music and inspiring countless others.