Overcoming physical disabilities (Evelyn Glennie) and the life of Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan

Evelyn succeeded in music despite deafness. In exams focus on her courage and practice.

Ron Forbes helped Evelyn understand sound vibrations. In exams note the important role of the teacher.

Evelyn was profoundly deaf by the age of twelve. Keep age related facts clear for exams.

Evelyn got very high marks in the audition. In exams mention both her talent and preparation.

Evelyn Glennie is internationally known as a percussionist. Despite profound hearing loss, she achieved remarkable success by playing percussion instruments such as drums and the xylophone. A tabla player performs on one specific percussion instrument, whereas a percussionist is a broader term for a musician who plays percussion instruments. Exam tip: remember Evelyn Glennie as the deaf percussionist who became a celebrated musician.

Evelyn turned her physical limitation into strength. This inspiring change is a key idea for exams.

Constant practice made Evelyn an excellent artist. In exams write hard work as the base of success.

Evelyn did not lose courage despite her obstacle. Understand her as an inspiring personality for exams.

For Evelyn Glennie, listening to music is not limited to hearing through the ears. Despite her hearing impairment, she senses the vibrations of sound through her whole body; therefore, feeling sound with the whole body is correct. Hearing only with the ears is the closest distractor, but it is incomplete. Exam tip: In Evelyn’s account, remember the key ideas of vibrations and the whole body.

Despite her hearing impairment, Evelyn Glennie did not give up learning music. She learned to feel sound vibrations through different parts of her body and became a world-famous percussionist. Therefore, determination is the quality shown most strongly by her character. Despair is incorrect because she did not surrender to her difficulty. Exam tip: Mention her hearing disability and her continued effort to learn music.

Evelyn Glennie stood barefoot on the stage so that she could feel vibrations passing through the floor and stage with her feet. These vibrations helped her understand the rhythm and sound of music. Thick shoes would reduce the vibrations, so option B is incorrect. Exam tip: Remember the key word “vibrations” for Evelyn’s way of experiencing music.

Evelyn proved that hard work can make the impossible possible. In exams connect inspiration and struggle.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was a world-famous Indian musician known for playing the shehnai. He helped establish the shehnai as an instrument respected on classical music stages, beyond its usual association with weddings and religious occasions. The sitar is also an important Indian instrument, but it is not associated with Bismillah Khan. Exam tip: Remember the pair Bismillah Khan—shehnai.

He practised on the Ganga banks and in temples. Remember the connection of Banaras and the Ganga for exams.

His shehnai highlighted the cultural identity of Varanasi. For exams connect Varanasi with his musical devotion.

Banaras was connected with his music and emotions. In exams write about his deep attachment to the city.

For Ustad Bismillah Khan, music was not merely a profession or entertainment; it was a lifelong spiritual practice and an expression of devotion. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A is a close distractor because he earned recognition and money, but his central attitude to music was dedication. Exam tip: Remember the link between his music, Banaras, and spiritual devotion.

His success came from constant practice and dedication. Remember the word practice especially for exams.

Both refined their art through dedication and hard work. If asked about similarity write dedication.

Evelyn Glennie’s achievement is special because she became a highly successful musician despite profound hearing difficulty. Her deafness could have been treated as an insurmountable barrier, yet she learned to perceive music through vibrations and developed extraordinary control as a percussionist. The contrast between the physical obstacle and the height of her achievement makes her story inspiring. Option B states this connection accurately. Option A is false because her success required intense practice and determination. Option C reverses the facts, since she pursued music passionately, and option D is irrelevant because public performance was part of her career. Her example demonstrates that disability need not cancel talent, ambition, or artistic excellence.