The Sound of Music - Evelyn Glennie

Name of Evelyn’s Music School

Royal Academy of Music in Lodon

Her native place

Scotland

First incidence of not hearing

Eight year old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano , they called her name but she didn’t move. Her mother realised that she had not heard

What happend at age 8

She did not hear her name being called at the piano class

What happend at age 11

Her marks deteriorated and headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist. There she was diagnosed and advised to have hearing aids and be sent to a school for the deaf

Why did she have hearing loss

Due to gradual nerve damage

What age was Evelyn diagnosed.

11

How did Evelyn describe being diagnosed?

Suddenly everything looked black

Which instrument did she wish to play first? How did other respond to it

She saw a girl playing the xylophone and wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers discouraged her.

Who is Ron Forbes? What did he do?

Ron Forbes was a percussionist. He tuned two large drums to different notes and asked her to sense certain notes with different parts of her body.

What happend at age 16?

She toured the UK with a youth orchestra

What was were achievements at the Royal Academy?

She scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She moved from orchestra to solo performances. At the end of her 3 year course she captured most of the top awards.

How did Evelyn react to her success

She did not accept any hint of heroic achievement. She says that if you work hard enough and know where you are going you will get there. She did exactly that she was the best multi percussionist with a mastery of some thousand instruments and a hectic international schedule.

Whose speech was hardest for her to understand?

Men with bushy beards

How did Evelyn understand speech

She observes not just the lips but the whole face

and especially the eyes.

How is Evelyn’s speech clear

That is because she was able to hear till she was eleven , yet that could not explain how she could master french and basic japanese.

Which languages did Evelyn learn?

French and basic japanese

How did evelyn hear music

It poured through every part of her body. It tingles her skin , cheekbones and even her hai. When she plays a xylophone she can sense the sound passing up her fingertips. By leaning against drums she can feel the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform she removes her shoes so that the vibration pass through her bare feet and up her legs

Which award did Evelyn win in 1991

The Royal Philharmonic Society’s Soloist of Year Award

Who was James Blade? What did he say?

James Blade was a master percussionist. He said that god may have taken away her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. That Evelyn feels what we hear far more deeply than any of us.

Who was Ann Richlin? What did she say?

Member of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children. She says that Evelyn is a shining example for deaf children to see that there is no where they cannot go.

Explain Evelyn’s relationship with work.

She is something of a workaholic. She often works harder than classical musicians but for her it is worth it.

Where does she gives her priority and free concerts

She gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She gives priority to the classes for you musicians.

Author of Sound of Music Part I

Deborah Cowley