ENGLISH

CHAPTER 2: THE SOUND OF MUSIC

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THE SOUND OF MUSIC

~Summary~

PART- I
Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing it

-by Deborah Cowley

Evelyn Lost her Hearing at a Young Age

This part is about a Scottish girl named Evelyn. She was very fond of music and wanted to make
it her life slowly. Evelyn's lost her sense of hearing. It was first noticed when she was eight years
old. By eleven year, she was completely deaf due to nerve damage.

Evelyn didn't Give up Hope and Never Looked Back

She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. One day, she noticed
a girl playing a xylophone and decided that she wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers
discouraged her but percussionist (a person who plays tabla or drum) Ron Forbes encouraged
her. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. Evelyn could feel the different notes
of the drum in her body.
The rest was sheer determination and hard work. She travelled the United Kingdom with a youth
orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She
auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of
the academy. She gradually left the orchestral work and started giving solo performances. At the
end of her three year course, she had received most of the top awards.

Evelyn Senses Music

She explains that music flows through every part of her body. It tingles in the skin, her
cheekbones and even in her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing
up the stick into her fingertips.
By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances (sounds) flowing into her body. On a
wooden platform, she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and
up her legs.

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Evelyn: An Inspiration
Evelyn is a perfect example that disability can not stop a person to achieve if he/she is determined
and works hard towards it. Evelyn earned many awards and rewards. She has given enormous
pleasure to millions.

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PART- II
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Pungi was Banned and then Revived

Emperor Aurangzeb had banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal
residence, as it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. A barber of a family of professional musicians
decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. He played the improved instrument before
royalty and everyone was impressed. The instrument had to be given a new name. As the story
goes, since it was first played in the Shah's chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the
instrument was named the 'shehnai'.

Ustad Bismillah Khan Brought Shehnai to the Classical Stage

The sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious. And for this reason, it is still played
in temples and is an indispensable component (important part) of any North Indian wedding. In
the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble (group) of nine instruments
found at royal courts. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to
Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Music was in Bismillah Khan's Blood

Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar. His grandfather, father and
other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.
Bismillah was fascinated at watching his uncles practise the shehnai. He started accompanying
his uncle Ali Bux and slowly, he started getting lessons in playing the instrument and would sit
practising throughout the day. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to put together and
create ragas that were earlier considered to be beyond that range of the shehnai.

The Bright Future of Bismillah Khan

With the opening of the All-India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah's big break. He soon
became an often-heard shehnai player on radio. When India gained independence on 15th
August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai.
Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing him play at a festival that he named a
film after the instrument called 'Gunj Uthi Shehnai'.

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A Renowned Musician and a True Indian

Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre
Hall in the United States of America. National awards like the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan
and the Padma Vibhushan were conferred on him.
In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Despite travelling to many countries, he was exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon and they
remain for him the most wonderful towns of the world.
He even refused a position in America saying that he cannot find the Ganga there. Whenever, he
was travelling abroad his heart kept aching for his homeland.

Conclusion of The Sound of Music

In the chapter – The Sound of Music illustrates how music binds people and is not limited to one
person only. Music is a universal language that is loved and adored by people of different caste,
creed, colour or race.

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NCERT SOLUTIONS
Questions (Page No. 20)
(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 sixteen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.

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

Answer: Her deafness was first noticed when she was just eight years old. It was confirmed by
the time she was eleven.

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: Ron Forbes who was a percussionist, helped her to continue with music. He asked Evelyn
not to listen through ears but to try to sense it some other way.

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

Answer: Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn performs in prisons and hospitals. She also takes
classes for young musicians.

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

Question 1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Answer: Evelyn hears music through different parts of her body. Ron Forbes asked her to try to
sense the music some other way instead of ears. He started by tuning two big drums to varied
notes.

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Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher drum from her waist up and the lower drum from
her waist down. Forbes kept repeating the same exercise and then Evelyn realized that she can
sense certain notes in different parts of her body.

She says that when she plays the xylophone, she could feel the music passing up the stick into
her fingertips. When she leans against the drums, she could sense the resonances flowing into
her body. When she performs on a wooden platform, she removes her footwear so that the
vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs.

Questions (Page No. 25-26)

(Thinking about the Text – II)
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

I. Tick the right answer.

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

b. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
c. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
d. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz
Khan).
e. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Answer:

a. The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

b. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
c. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.
d. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
e. 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.

Bismillah Khan’s feelings about Positive Negative Neutral

1. teaching children music

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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:

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 Dumraon ✓

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 of the shrill unpleasant sound of
the instrument.

Question 2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

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Answer: A shehnai’s stem is hollow, longer and broader than that of a pungi. Shehnai has holes
in its body.

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

Answer: Traditionally, shehnai was a part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine
instruments found at royal courts. It was played in temples and at marriages.

Bismillah Khan took it onto the classical stage.

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

Answer: Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938.
He became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.

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

Answer: Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. He was the
first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai. The event was historic because that is the day
when India got independence. Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi to an audience that included
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

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
leave his country. He felt an unbreakable bond with his towns- Dumraon and Benaras, and with
River Ganga.

Question 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.

Questions (Page No. 26-28)

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(Thinking about Language)

Question 1. 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.

a. The school sports team hopes (What does it hope to do?)

b. We all want (What do we all want to do?)
c. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother (What did they advise her to do?)
d. The authorities permitted us to (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
e. A musician decided to (What did the musician decide to do?)

Answer:

a. The school sports team hopes to win the competition.

b. We all want to succeed in our lives.
c. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take care of the child.
d. The authorities permitted us to perform the dance in the stadium.
e. A musician decided to play the music in front of the audience.

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.

a. the home of royal people (1) ________

b. the state of being alone (5) ________
c. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) ________
d. to do something not done before (5) ________
e. without much effort (13) ________

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f. quickly and in large quantities (9) ________ and ________

Answer:

a. the home of royal people (1) royal residence

b. the state of being alone (5) solitude
c. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
d. to do something not done before (5) invent
e. without much effort (13) effortlessly
f. quickly and in large quantities (9) thick and fast

Question 3. Tick the right answer.

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

b. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
c. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
d. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
e. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
f. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
g. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Answer:

a. When something is revived, it lives again.

b. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.
c. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.
d. When we take to something, we find it interesting.
e. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.
f. When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.
g. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.

Question 4. Dictionary work

• The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.

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

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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 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.

adjective Only before noun Not before noun Both before and after the verb ‘be’

Indispensable ✓

Impressed

Afraid

Outdoor

Paternal

Countless

Priceless

Answer:

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adjective Only before noun Not before noun Both before and after the verb ‘be’

Indispensable ✓

Impressed ✓ ✓

Afraid ✓ ✓

Outdoor ✓

Paternal ✓

Countless ✓

Priceless ✓ ✓

Indispensable: Electronic gadgets have become indispensable to modern life.

Impressed: He was impressed by his friend’s speech.

Afraid: Raghav is afraid of dark.

Outdoor: Outdoor games are necessary for keeping yourself healthy.

Paternal: My paternal uncle lives in Mumbai.

Countless: There are countless stars in the sky.

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Priceless: Children’s smiles are priceless.

Questions (Page No. 28-29)

(Speaking)
Question 1. 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?

Answer: Do it yourself.

Question 2. 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 honoured to introduce…/I feel privileged to introduce…/We welcome you…

Answer: I am honoured to introduce you to the finest female vocalist of her generation, Kishori
Amonkar. She is a Padma Bhushan awardee who was born in 1931 to another great artist Smt.
Mogubai Kurdikar. She is a singer besotted by the mysterious world of the raagas. She dissects
them until the most subtle of shades emerge and re-emerge. She is highly inspired by the
teachings of the Vedic sages. She has been bestowed with several significant awards – Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and one of the most prestigious
awards in Indian Classical Music- Sangeet Samradhini Award (1997).

Questions (Page No. 29)

(Writing)
Question 1. “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.

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Evelyn Glennie is an inspiration to everyone. She grew profoundly deaf by the time she was
eleven years old. But, she did not let the disability to listen become a hurdle in pursuing her
career in music. She auditioned in Royal Academy of Music in London when she was not even
seventeen years old and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. In a field
like music that’s entirely linked to listening, she began to sense music through different parts of
her body. She brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. She was awarded with the Royal
Philharmonic Society’s Soloist of the Year Award in the year 1991. She inspires people with her
life and optimism.

Ustad Bismillah Khan belonged to a family of professional musicians. Shehnai was being used in
temples and at marriages, but the credit of bringing the shehnai onto the classical stage goes to
Ustad Bismillah Khan. He took to music in early years of his life. At the age of three, he was quite
fascinated watching his uncles playing the shehnai. On the day of independence of India, he was
the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. He was strongly bonded to Benaras and the
holy Ganga. He was awarded India’s highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna.

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