NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound of Music

NCERT Solution for Class 9 English Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music is an important chapter to prepare for in the CBSE Term I examinations. With the help of the solutions provided, students will be able to know and grasp the writing style and the important points to be included in the answers for scoring better marks in the examination. NCERT Class 9 Solutions are created by subject matter experts and will help them to prepare well for the examination.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound of Music

Thinking about the Text

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

Que 1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?

Answer-

Evelyn had not even turned seventeen years old when she first went to the Royal Academy of Music.

Que 2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

Answer-

Evelyn’s loss of hearing was first noticed by her mother when she was around 8 years old and by the time when she was eleven years old, her deafness was confirmed medically.

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

Que 1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?

Answer-

Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted Evelyn’s potential and helped her continue with music. He guided Evelyn to not listen to music through her ears but to try and sense it some other way.

Que 2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Answer-

Apart from regular concerts, Evelyn performed free concerts in prisons and hospitals along with taking classes for young musicians.

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

Que 1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Answer-

Evelyn became deaf by the time she was eleven but she did not give up. She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential and guided her to pursue her interest. He asked her not to listen through their ears but to try to sense it some other way. 

Evelyn discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. She realized she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down. Forbes repeated the exercise. She learned to open her body and mind to sounds and vibrations. She herself explained, “It pours in through every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones, and even in my hair.” 

When she played on the xylophone, she could sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances flowing into her body. On the wooden floor, she used to remove her shoes so that the vibrations may pass through her bare feet and up her legs.

Part II

The Shenai of Bismillah Khan

Tick the right answer

1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a ‘reeded noisemaker’

Answer-

Pungi was a reeded noisemaker.

2. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

Answer-

A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, and professional musicians).

Answer-

Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.

4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).

Answer-

Bismillah Khan learned to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Answer-

Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

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	Positive
2. the film world		Negative
3. migrating to the U.S.A.		Negative
4. playing at temples			Neutral
5. getting the Bharat Ratna	Positive
6. the banks of the Ganga	Positive
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon		Negative

Answer these questions in 30–40 words

Que 1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Answer-

Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi due to its shrill unpleasant sound.

Que 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 and has holes in the body of the pipe.

Que 3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?

Answer-

Shehnai was traditionally part of naubat or a traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts. It is still played in temples and North Indian weddings. Bismillah Khan took Shehnai to the classical stage.

Que 4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

Answer-

Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 where he was often heard playing Shehnai.

Que 5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

Answer-

Bismillah Khan on 15th August played shehnai at the Red Fort. He was the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai. The event was historic because on this day India got independence. Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi to an audience that included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Que 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 USA as he loved India so much and never wanted to leave it. He felt an unbreakable bond with his towns – Dumraon and Benaras and with River Ganga. That is why whenever he was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.

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

Answer-

Two instances in the text which tell us that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras are:

• He says that whenever he is in a foreign country, he keeps yearning to see Hindustan.
• He also says that when he is in Mumbai, he thinks of only Benaras and the holy Ganga

Thinking about 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?)

Answer-

to win

2. We all want____ (What do we all want to do?)

Answer-

to live a healthy life

3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother _____(What did they advise her to do?)

Answer-

to consult a specialist

4. The authorities permitted us to ____ (What did the authorities permit us to do?)

Answer-

to organize the exhibition in the stadium.

5. A musician decided to ____ (What did the musician decide to do?)

Answer-

to play guitar in the club.

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)

Answer-

royal residence

2. the state of being alone (5)

Answer-

solitude

3. a part that is absolutely necessary (2)

Answer-

indispensable

4. to do something not done before (5)

Answer-

invent

5. without much effort (13)

Answer-

effortlessly

6. quickly and in large quantities (9)

Answer-

thick and fast

III. Tick the right answer.

1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).

Answer-

lives again

2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).

Answer-

stopped

3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).

Answer-

welcome it.

4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).

Answer-

interesting

5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).

Answer-

find it good and useful

6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).

Answer-

for the second time

7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Answer-

 no longer upsetting

IV. Dictionary work

• The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.
• The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard in marriages.

The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun as in the second. But there are some adjectives that 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.

adjective	only before noun	not before noun	both before and after the verb be
indispensable			yes
impressed		yes	yes
afraid		yes	yes
outdoor	yes
paternal	yes
countless	yes
priceless	yes		yes

Sentences

• Indispensable- Electronic gadgets have become indispensable to modern life.
• Impressed- The music director was highly impressed by the kid’s singing.
• Afraid- My sister is afraid of lizards.
• Outdoor- Ravi likes to play outdoor games more than indoor games
• Paternal- My paternal aunt lives in London.
• Countless- There are countless stars in the sky.
• Priceless- She received a priceless gift at her wedding.

Speaking

I. Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to visit your school. You have been asked to introduce her to the audience before her performance. How would you introduce her? Here is some information about Kishori Amonkar you can find on the Internet. Read the passage and make notes of the main points about:

• her parentage
• the school of music she belongs to
• her achievements
• her inspiration
• awards

Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest female vocalist of her generation, was born in 1931, the daughter of another great artist, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years, she absorbed the approach and repertoire of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style developed, however, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘JaipurAtrauli gharana’ style in some respects, and as a mature artist, her approach is usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model. Kishori Amonkar is a thinker, besotted by what she calls the mysterious world of her ragas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge. She is very much inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages, written at a time when vocal music was highly devotional in character. This soul-searching quality of her music, coupled with a very intellectual approach to raaga performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to revive the study of khayal. Significant awards bestowed on this artist include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.

II. Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to an imaginary audience. You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a guest: I am honored to introduce…/I feel privileged to introduce…/We welcome you…

Answer-

Kishori Amonkar, the best female vocalist of her generation, is someone I’m proud to introduce to you. She is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award and was born in 1931 to Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar is another outstanding artist. She is a singer enamored with the enigmatic raga realm. She breaks them down till the subtlest of shades appear and disappear. The wisdom of the Vedic sages greatly inspires her. She has received a number of notable honors, including the Padma Bhushan (1987), the Sangeet Samradhini Award (1997), one of the most prestigious accolades in Indian classical music, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), and others.

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 the two musicians.

Answer-

Yes, they both worked extremely hard. They wanted to pursue music as their career and achieve heights.

Everyone can find inspiration in Evelyn Glennie. By the time she was eleven years old, she had developed profound hearing loss. She did not, however, let her impairment stand in the way of pursuing a career in music. When she appeared for an audition at the Royal Academy of Music in London when she was barely seventeen years old, she received one of the best scores in the institution’s record books. She started to perceive music with various areas of her body in a field like music where listening is the only form of perception. She moved the front of the orchestral percussion section. In 1991, she received the Soloist of the Year Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society. She motivates others with her positive outlook on life.

Ustad Bismillah Khan came from a musically accomplished family. Shehnai was used in temples and during weddings, but Ustad Bismillah Khan is credited with introducing the instrument to classical music. Early in his youth, he had a passion for music. When he was three years old, he found it quite fascinating to watch his uncles play the shehnai. He was the first Indian to wave to the country on the day of India’s freedom. He felt a profound connection to Benaras and the revered Ganga. The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, was given to him.

FAQs on NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2

Q 1. What is the difference between a Pungi and a Shehnai?

Answer-

The differences in their shapes and sounds indicate that a Pungi and a Shehnai are different from one another. A Pungi is shorter than a Shehnai. The former has a sweet, musical tone, whereas the latter has a harsh, unpleasant sound.

Q 2. What were the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music?

Answer-

The relationships between people and the Ganga’s flowing rivers were recurrent topics in Bismillah Khan’s music. The two towns he considered to be the most magnificent in the entire world were Benares and Dumraon.

Q 3. Why should students opt for the Geeks for Geeks NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 2 for reference?

Answer-

These solutions are easy to comprehend and provide very point-to-point answers which are required in the exams. The solutions are curated by subject experts and have used easy language.