Class 9 English The Sound of Music

NCERT Solution for Class 9 English The Sound of Music

NCERT Solution Class 9 English The Sound of Music

Part I Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

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 seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Question 2:
When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer
Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old and it was confirmed when she was eleven.

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Class 9 English The Sound of Music

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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 Evelyn to continue with music. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. He asked her not to listen to them through her ears but to try and sense the sound in some other manner.

Question 2:
Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer
Evelyn performs at regular concerts. She also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians.

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Class 9 English The Sound of Music

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

Question 1:
How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer
Evelyn is deaf. She hears music through her whole body. In fact she just feels the music. She tries to feel the vibrations which create sound. 
She is determined to pursue her interest in music. Percussionist Ron Forbes tuned two large drums to different notes. ‘Don’t listen through your ears’, he said, ‘try to sense it some other way.’ Suddenly she realised she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. Forbes repeated the exercise and soon she discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body.

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Class 9 English The Sound of Music

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Part II The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

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, U.S.A., Canada).
Answer
1. pungi 
2. A barber 
3. professional musicians 
4. Ali Bux 
5. Afganistan.

II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (4) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

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Class 9 English The Sound of Music

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III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

Question 1:
Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer
Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound.

Question 2:
How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer
A shehnai is a pipe with a natural hollow that is longer and broader than a pungi. It has seven holes on the body of the pipe.

Question 3:
Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer
Traditionally, the shehnai was played at temples and weddings. Bismillah Khan transformed this by introducing it to classical music concerts.

Question 4:
When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer
In 1937, Bismillah Khan gained significant recognition after performing the shehnai at the All India Music Conference in Calcutta.

Question 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 Raag Kaafi on his shehnai from the Red Fort. The event was historical because it was on the occasion of India’s Independence from British Rule.

Question 6:
Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer
Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he did not want to stay away from India. He was really fond of Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.

Question 7:
Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer
The first instance, in his words, is : “That is why whenever I am in a foreign country, I keep yearning to see Hindustan.’ The second instance is : ‘While in Mumbai, I think of only Benaras and the holy Ganga.’

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Class 9 English The Sound of Music

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