NCERT Solutions for Chapter 2 The Sound of Music Class 9 English Beehive
There are two parts of The Sound of Music. The story focuses on two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan. The first part was written by Deborah Cowley. This first part describes Evelyn's struggles to become a successful musician despite of losing her ability to hear. She is a multi-percussionist, which students will learn about. She is capable of playing hundreds of instruments perfectly. The story tells how she became internationally recognized. After that, we learn about Bismillah Khan and how shehnai became a popular instrument. Bismillah Khan, coming from a musician family, popularized this instrument. He broke the myth of shehnai not being capable to create independent tunes. In both parts, we learn how music unifies us and is known as a universal language, since it unites.
Chapter Name | The Sound of Music NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 9 |
Textbook Name | Beehive |
Related Readings |
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Part I – Thinking about the text
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each:
Question 1: How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer
Evelyn was younger than seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.
Question 2: When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer
Evelyn's deafness first noticed when she was eight years old. It was confirmed when she was eleven years old.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph. (30-40 words)
Question 1: Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
Answer
Percussionist Ron Forbes helped her to continue with music.
He asked her to feel and sense the music by tuning two large drums to different notes and said her to sense it some other way instead of listening through her eyes.
Question 2: Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer
Evelyn performs at regular music concerts. she also performs at prison and hospitals and she give high priority to classes for young musicians. The main reason for her performance is to spreading the message of love and peace to prisoners and sick people.
III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words):
Question 1: How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer
Evelyn hear music through her whole body parts. Her strong mind, combined with absolute determination and hard work made it possible.
She could sense notes in different parts of her body. Ron Forbes, her percussionist, tuned two large drums to different notes, so Evelyn could hear and feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. In this way, she learned to open her entire body and mind to music.
When she plays xylophone she often feels the vibrancy flowing into her body as she describes her experience with the xylophone. She can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. As well as removing her shoes on a wooden platform, she wore bare feet so that vibrations could reach her legs. She could feel tingles throughout her skin, cheekbones, and hair due to this extraordinary flawlessness within Evelyn.
Part II - Thinking about the Text
I. Tick the Right Answer.
1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a 'reeded noisemaker.'
2. (Bismillah khan, a barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
3. Bismillah Khan's paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
5. Bismillah khan's first trip abroad was to(Afghanistan, USA, Canada)
Answer
The right answers are underlined:
1. The pungi was a 'reeded noisemaker.'
2. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
3. Bismillah Khan's paternal ancestors were professional musicians.
4. Bismillah khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
5. Bismillah Khan's first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan's feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (√) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.
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Bismillah Khan’s feelings about |
Positive |
Negative |
Neutral |
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1. Teaching children music |
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2. The film world |
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3. migrating to the U.S.A. |
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4. Playing at temples |
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5. getting the Bharat Ratna |
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6. The banks of the Ganga |
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7. Leaving Benaras and Dumraon |
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Answer
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Bismillah Khan’s feelings about |
Positive |
Negative |
Neutral |
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1. Teaching children music |
✓ |
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2. The film world |
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✓ |
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3. migrating to the U.S.A. |
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✓ |
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4. Playing at temples |
✓ |
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5. getting the Bharat Ratna |
✓ |
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6. The banks of the Ganga |
✓ |
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7. Leaving Benaras and Dumraon |
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✓ |
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III. Answer these questions in 30-40 words:
Question 1: Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer
The musical instrument Pungi was prohibited During the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb in the royal residence, due to its shrill, unpleasant sound. Pungi became the generic name for reeded noisemakers.
Question 2: How is a Shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer
A shehnai is different from a pungi in that it has a better tone quality. The body of the pipe has seven holes that are much longer and broader than the pungi's. The stem is hollow and the body has a natural hollow stem. Shehnai produced soft and melodious sounds whereas pungi produced unpleasant sound.
Question 3: Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer
Shehnai was played in Temples, weddings, and royal courts as people considered it auspicious instrument. Bismillah Khan brought this instrument on the classical stage and change the way people perceive it.
Question 4: When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer
In 1938, Bismillah Khan get his big break at the age of 14. He became an often-heard shehnai player on the radio after the All India Radio opened in Lucknow. In this way, he was able to widen the soft melodious music of his shehnai across the country.
Question 5: Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer
Bismillah Khan played the shehnai on 15 August 1947 from the Red Fort, in front of Jawaharlal Nehru and other dignitaries. The event was historic because on that day India gained independence from the British and Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to wave his shehnai.
Question 6: Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer
Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he never wanted to leave India. He loved his country so much. He knew that The atmosphere of Benaras, the Ganga, and Dumraon cannot be duplicated in the other country.
Question 7: Find at least two things in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer
Benaras and India were both very dear to Bismillah Khan. Whenever he was abroad, he longed to return to India. The holy Ganga and Varanasi were his only thoughts while in Mumbai.
Here are two examples of this love:-
1. He refused one of his students' request to open a shehnai school in the United States.
2. He completely rejected the idea of shifting to Pakistan, leaving Benaras by Shekhar Gupta.
Part III Thinking about the Language
I. Look at these sentences.
- Evelyn was determined to live a normal life.
- Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers.
The italicized parts answer the questions: "What was Evelyn determined to do?" and "What did Evelyn manage to do?" They begin with a to-verb (to live, to conceal).
Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.
1. The school sports team hopes _____ (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want ______ (What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child's mother ______ (What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to _______ (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to _______ (What did the musician decide to do?)
Answer
1. The school sports team hopes to win the match.
2. We all want to live happily.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child's mother to consult a specialist.
4. The authorities permitted us to construct the tower.
5. A musician decided to take part in the concert.
II. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
1. the home of royal people (1) _______
2. the state of being alone (5) _______
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) _______
4. to do something not done before (5) _______
5. without much effort (13) _______
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) ______ and _______
Answer
1. the home of royal people - the royal residence
2. the state of being alone - solitude
3. a part which is absolutely necessary - indispensible
4. to do something not done before - improvise
5. without much effort - effortlessly
6. quickly and in large quantities - thick and fast
III. Tick the right answer
1. When something is revived, it (remains dead /lives again).
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped /started).
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it /avoid it).
4. When we take to something, we find it (boring /interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/ find it of no use).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time / for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting /no longer upsetting).
Answer
1. When something is revived, it lives again.
2. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.
3. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.
4. When we take to something, we find it interesting.
5. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.
6. When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.
7. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.
IV. Dictionary work
- The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.
- The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages.
The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun as in the second. But these are some adjectives which can be used after the verb be and not before a noun. For example:
- Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed.
We cannot say:*the overjoyed man.
Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.
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Adjective
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Only before noun |
Not before noun |
Both before and after the verb be |
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indispensable |
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impressed |
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afraid |
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outdoor |
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paternal |
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countless |
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priceless |
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Answer
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Adjective
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Only before noun |
Not before noun |
Both before and after the verb be |
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indispensable |
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✓ |
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impressed |
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✓ |
✓ |
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afraid |
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✓ |
✓ |
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outdoor |
✓ |
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paternal |
✓ |
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countless |
✓ |
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priceless |
✓ |
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✓ |
Part IV - Writing
"If you work hard and know where you're going, you'll get there," says Evelyn Glennie.
You have now read about two musicians. Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they want to "go"?
Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of two musicians.
Answer
1. Evelyn Glennie:
Evelyn Glennie reached the apex of success by her determination and strong will. Although she became deaf at a very early stage, and her teachers discouraged her yet she did not lose hope, and with the help of Ron Forbes, the percussionist, she was able to experience the sounds of music through the different parts of her body and that was a turning point for her. Beginning with orchestral work, she then performed solos. As a result, she gained experience as a percussionist and won laurels at every stage. Globally known for setting an example, she continues to inspire.
2. Ustad Bismillah Khan:
Ustad Bismillah Khan's uncle, Ali Bux, introduced Ustad Bismillah Khan to shehnai in his childhood, when he was a hardworking individual with an determined desire to play the instrument. The moment he began practicing, he was fascinated for hours. The temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya gradually became his favorite places to practice in solitude. His improvisations and inventions of 'raagas' were inspired by the flowing Ganga, which he considered to be beyond the reach of his instrument. Consequently, Bismillah Khan's love for shehnai developed, helping him climb the ladder of success that brought him many national awards. In addition to his immense contribution to classical music in India, Khansaab has also achieved international honor.