Teachers craft us to become better individuals both personally and professionally. Ron Forbes understood Evelyn’s passion for music. He taught Evelyn the nuances of hearing music not through her ears but through her body. He taught her to feel the vibrations in her hands and parts of legs to get the pitch. So, he crafted her to be more musical and confident. Bismillah Khan’s teacher and mentor was his maternal uncle Ali Bux. Bismillah used to be transfixed when Ali Bux used to play Shehnai.
As a child, Bismillah used to accompany his maternal uncle to Vishnu Temple of Benaras where Ali Bux was employed to play Shehnai. Bismillah picked up the nuances of Shehnai and practised for hours on the banks of river Ganga. He attained perfection only because of his uncle and mentor.
