Chapter 2: The Sound of Music

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Chapter 2: The Sound of Music

Class: IX

Exercise number - 1

Question 1 

Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

 

Answer 1

1. Evelyn joined the Royal Academy of Music in London when she was seventeen years old.
2. When Evelyn was eight years old her mom first identified her deafness. She did not move when her name was called, while she was waiting to play the piano. That was the incident when Evelyn’s mother realised that her kid had not heard anything. At the age of eleven her deafness was confirmed. Her headmistress insisted to take her to a specialist as her performance in school started to drop. Later it was discovered that the nerve damage had caused severe impact in her hearing.

 

Question 2 

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30 – 40 words).

1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

 

Answer 2

1. The first person to notice Evelyn’s potential was Percussionist Ron Forbes. Two large drums were tuned to different notes. He instructed Evelyn to try and sense the sound in some other manner and not to listen through her ears. All of a sudden Evelyn realised that she could sense the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. On repeating the exercise, Evelyn realized that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body.
2. Evelyn always creates the magic of delighting her audience. With a youth orchestra she went on a tour to United Kingdom. The international schedule was very hectic. She also gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals apart from the regular concerts. Evelyn was a shining inspiration for dead children because she was giving high priority to classes for young musicians.

 

Question 3

Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100 – 150 words).

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

 

Answer 3

Evelyn started sensing the musical notes through different parts of her body. Ron Forbes tuned two drums to different notes. He instructed Evelyn to sense the sound without listening through her ears. All of a sudden Evelyn realised that she could sense the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. Later when she played the xylophone, she was able to sense the sound passing up the stick reaching her fingertips. Again she felt the resonances flowing into her body while leaning against the drums. Evelyn also removed her shoes and walked over a wooden platform where she felt the vibrations passing through her bare feet. She was happy that music tingles in the skin, her cheekbones and even in her hair pouring through every part of her body.

 

Question 1 

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, U.S.A., Canada).

 

Answer 1

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.

 

Question 2

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.

 

Bismillah Khan's feelings about	Positive	Negative	Neutral
1. teaching children music
2. the film world
3. migrating to the U.S.A.
4. playing at temples
5. getting the Bharat Ratna
6. the banks of the Ganga
7. leaving Benaras and Dumroan

 

Answer 2

 

Bismillah Khan's feelings about	Positive	Negative	Neutral
1. teaching children music	√
2. the film world			√
3. migrating to the U.S.A.		√
4. playing at temples	√
5. getting the Bharat Ratna	√
6. the banks of the Ganga	√
7. leaving Benaras and Dumroan		√

 

 

	Bismillah Khan's feelings about	Words in the text
1	teaching children music	With the civeted award resting on his chest and his eyes glinting with rare happiness he said, "All I would like to say is: Teach your children music, this is Hindustan's richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music."
2	the film world	"I just can't come to terms with the artificiality and glamour of the film world," he says with emphasis.
3	migrating to the U.S.A.	A student of his once wanted him to head a shehnai school in the U.S.A., and the student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples there. But Khansaab asked him if would be able to transport River Ganga as well. Later he is remembered to have said, "That is why whenever I am in foreign country, I keep yearning to see Hindustan."
4	playing at temples	Ustad Bismillah Khan's life is a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India, one that effortlessly accepts that a devout Muslim like him can very naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
5	getting the Bharat Ratna	With the coveted award resting on his chest and his eyes glinting with rare happiness he said, "All I would like to say is: Teach your children music, this is Hindustan's richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music."
6	the banks of the Ganga	The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent ragas that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.
7	leaving Benaras and Dumroan	Later he is remembered to have said, "That is why whenever I am in a foreign country, I keep yearning to see Hindustan. While in Mumbai, I think of only Benaras and the holy Ganga. And while in Benaras, I miss the unique mattha of Dumraon."

Question 3

Answer these questions in 30 – 40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.

 

Answer 3

1. Playing of the pungi had a shrill and unpleasant sound and hence Emperor Aurangzeb banned playing it at the royal residence. Later it also became a generic name for reeded noisemakers.

 

2. The main difference between a shehnai and pungi are shehnai is a long and broad pipe with a natural hollow stem compared to pungi. There are seven holes on its body and it produces melodious sounds when played by closing and opening some of the holes.

 

3. In earlier days at royal courts, the shehnai was a part of the traditional ensemble of nine instruments. Ustad Bismillah Khan brought the change by bringing the instrument to the classical stage rather using it only in temples and weddings.

 

4. At the age of fourteen Bismillah Khan accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference. On hearing his recital, Ustad Faiyaz Khan appreciated him and advised his to work hard to be successful.

All India Radio was started at Lucknow in the year 1938 which gave him a big hit and soon he became a famous shehnai player on radio.

 

5. Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai from the Red Fort on 15 August 1947. It was an historical event as India got its independence on that day and his audience included illustrious names such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

 

6. Bismillah Khan could not live outside India so he refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. and one of his student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples in the city. For which he asked his student to bring river Ganga to the U.S.A., which is not possible. He told whenever he visits a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.

 

7. Bismillah Khan immensely loved India, particularly Benaras and Dumraon. In his initial years, the temple of Balaji, Mangala Maiya, and the banks of River Ganga in Benaras became his favourite haunts where he could practice in peace and solitude. He got inspired to improvise and invent ragas that were once assumed to be beyond the range of shehnai by the River Ganga’s flowing waters.

Bismillah Khan could not live outside India so he refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. and one of his student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples in the city. For which he asked his student to bring river Ganga to the U.S.A., which is not possible. He told whenever he visits a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.

 

______________________________

 

Question 1

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

 

1. The school sports team hopes to win the trophy this time.
2. We all want to go for a movie.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to a specialist.
4. The authorities permitted us to visit the campus.
5. A musician decided to teach music to the kids.

 

Question 2

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 2

 

1. The home of royal people (1) the royal residence
2. The state of being alone (5) solitude
3. A part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
4. To do something not done before (5) invent
5. Without much effort (13) effortlessly
6. Quickly and in large quantities (9) thick and fast

 

Question 3

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 3

 

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.