The Sound of Music Class 9 Chapter 2 NCERT Solution ||Beehive||

The Sound of Music Chapter 2 English NCERT Solution ||Beehive|| Class 9

Thinking about the Text (Page 20)

I. 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?
Answer : Evelyn Glennie was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.
 
2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer : Evelyn Glennie’s deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old. It was confirmed when she was eleven.
 
II. 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?
Answer : Ron Forbes, her percussion teacher, helped Evelyn Glennie continue with music by teaching her to feel vibrations through her body, saying she could sense music through touch rather than hearing.
 
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer : Evelyn Glennie performs globally, including at the Kennedy Center and with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, supporting causes like music education, hearing impairment awareness, and arts accessibility.
 
III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).

1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer: Evelyn Glennie hears music by feeling vibrations through her body. She uses her sense of touch to perceive different pitches and tones. For instance, she might feel lower notes through her legs and feet, while higher notes resonate through her upper body. This method allows her to distinguish between various musical elements. Her ability to sense vibrations enables her to perform and enjoy music despite her profound deafness. This unique approach, taught by her percussion teacher Ron Forbes, has allowed her to become a world-renowned percussionist and advocate for music accessibility.

Thinking about the Text (Page 25)

 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 musi-cians).
  4. Bismillah Khan leamt 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).

Answers:

  1. Pungi
  2. A barber
  3. Professional musicians
  4. Ali bux
  5. 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.

 Bismillah Khan’s feelings about 
 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 Dumraon

Answer :
  1. Positive
  2. Negative
  3. Negative
  4. Neutral
  5. Positive
  6. Positive
  7. Negative
III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer : Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because he found its sound to be loud, shrill, and unpleasant. The pungi was considered a noisemaker rather than a musical instrument, making it unsuitable for royal or ceremonial occasions
 
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer: The shehnai has a melodious, rich tone and is made of wood, while the pungi produces a shrill sound and is made from a gourd with a reed attached.

3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this? 
Answer: Traditionally, the shehnai was played in temples and at weddings. Bismillah Khan elevated it to the concert stage, showcasing its potential in classical music.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer: Bismillah Khan got his big break in 1937 when he performed at the All India Music Conference in Kolkata. His performance was highly acclaimed, and it brought the shehnai into the limelight as a classical music instrument. This event marked the beginning of his illustrious career and helped establish the shehnai as a respected instrument in Indian classical music.
 
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer : On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort in Delhi. This event was historic because it marked India’s first Independence Day, celebrating the end of British colonial rule. His performance of Raag Kafi was part of the celebrations, and it was followed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech.

7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras. 
Answer :

  1. Love for Benaras: Bismillah Khan often spoke about his deep connection to the city of Benaras (Varanasi). He considered it his spiritual and musical home, where he spent most of his life and drew inspiration for his music.

  2. Love for India: His performance on 15 August 1947 at the Red Fort in Delhi, marking India’s first Independence Day, reflects his patriotism and love for the country. This historic event showcased his dedication to India’s cultural heritage.

Thinking about the Language (Page 26)

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 italicised 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?)

Answers:

  1. to win
  2. to succeed
  3. to take her to a specialist
  4. play
  5. play a new Raaga
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. royal residence
  2. solitude
  3. an indispensable component
  4. improvise
  5. effortlessly
  6. thick; 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).

Answers:

  1. lives again
  2. stopped
  3. welcome it
  4. interesting
  5. find it good and useful
  6. for the second time
  7. no longer upsetting