NOTES LR – 2 THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Name: _________________ Roll No: _______

Date:
Schooling, as it should be.. Class – IX A/B/C/D Subject: English

PART-I
EVELYN GLENNIE LISTENS TO THE SOUND WITHOUT HEARING IT

THEME
The lesson shows the struggles and tribulations of Evelyn. It stresses the fact that if God takes away
one thing from our life, he opens other avenues. It shows how she overcame her disability with sheer
grit and determination.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

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

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

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

 First noticed when she was eight – did not respond to her name being called to play
piano
 11 years old - marks started deteriorating due to her growing deafness

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

1. Who helped her continue with music? What did he do and say?
 Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential
 Advised not to listen through her ears instead try to sense it in some other way
 Began tuning two large drums at different notes

2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
 Gives free concerts at prisons and hospitals
 Gives priority to classes for young musicians and deaf children

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

 became deaf by the time she was eleven
 did not give up
 was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music
 Ron Forbes, a percussionist spotted her potential
 asked her not to listen through ears but try to sense it some other way
 She realized she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from
the waist down.
 She discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body.
 She learnt to open her body and mind to sounds and vibrations
 Explained that music poured in through every part of her body, tingles in the skin, her
cheekbones and even in her hair
 When she played on the xylophone, she could sense the sound passing up the stick
into her fingertips.
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  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.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

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

1. What were Evelyn’s feelings as she stood on the platform waiting for the London
underground?
 Evelyn felt both nervous and excited
 Excited as she was to join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music.
 apprehensive as she was young, fresh from a Scottish farm - she was profoundly deaf

2. “Everything suddenly looked black”. Why did Evelyn feel this way?
Answer:
 advised to use hearing aids and join a school for the deaf,
 felt that her future was bleak and dark
 was depressed, as she felt she would not be able to lead a normal life nor pursue her
interest in music.

3. Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to achieve unprecedented success in

life?
 unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life.
 a never – say – die spirit
 dedication and devotion towards music and her sincere efforts helped her achieve
unprecedented success

4. What kind of recognition did Evelyn get at the Royal Academy of Music?
 joined the Royal Academy of Music when she was 17
 scored the highest marks in the history of the academy
 was one of the most brilliant students of the academy
 won many top awards during her three-year course.

II. Answer the question in about 100–150 words.

1. Draw the character sketch of Evelyn.

 a determined and hardworking girl
 rock strong will power
 overcame all obstacles
 In her childhood she lost her hearing
 At the age of eleven, her hearing power was severely damaged
 she did not want to give up
 She took music as her passion
 percussionist Ron Forbes guided her

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  joined a three-year course at Royal Academy of Music
 captured most of the top awards at the Royal Academy
 world’s most sought- after multi-percussionist.

PART - II
THE SHEHNAI OF BISMILLAH KHAN

THEME
Shehnai of Bismillah Khan focuses on the development and evolution of the shehnai and
Ustaad Bismillah Khan's role in bringing it to the international stage.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

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).

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.

1. Positive
2. Negative
3. Negative
4. Neutral
5. Positive
6. Positive
7. Negative

III. Answer each of these questions in 30–40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of pungi?

 Because of its shrill and unpleasant sound

2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

 Shehnai has a better tonal quality than pungi
 Is a natural hollow stem pipe with holes on its body and is longer and broader than
the pungi
 When some of the holes are closed and opened while it is played on, soft and
melodious sounds are produced instead of the loud, jarring sound of a pungi

3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change
this?
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  was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings
 Ustaad Bismillah Khan, an undisputed shehnai maestro, brought the instrument onto
the classical stage by adding new raagas and modifying old ones.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
 got his big break in 1938
 All India Radio opened in Lucknow and Bismillah Khan played shehnai on radio

5. Where did Bismillah Khan paly the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the
event historic?
 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 the declaration of India’s
Independence from British Rule

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A?
 refused the proposition because he did not want to live away from Hindustan,
specifically, from Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.

7. Find at least two instances from the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves
India and Benaras.
 The first instance is when he turned down his student’s offer to start a shehnai school
in USA.
 The second instance is when Khansaab was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to
Pakistan during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

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

1. Justify Bismillah Khan as a true Indian.

 Undoubtedly, Bismillah Khan was a true Indian.
 Despite being a devout Muslim, he used to play shehnai in temples.
 He loved his country very much – refused his student

2. How did “shehnai” get its new name? What was it?
 Shehnai was modified and perfected by a barber
 greatly appreciated by the emperor
 Since, it was played for the first time in Shah's chamber by a Nai,
 came to be known as 'Shehnai.'

3. What advice did Bismillah Khan give to the Indian youth?

 Bismillah Khan had a great regard for Indian music and the rich heritage of
Hindustani music.
 wanted that children must not cut off their bond from this grand tradition
 advised Indians to teach their children music, as it was Hindustan’s richest tradition.

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 4. What significance did the Ganga have in Bismillah Khan’s life?

 young Bismillah Khan often sat on the banks of the Ganga to practice music in
solitude.
 The flowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas
 when his student invited him to head a shehnai school in the USA, Khansaab
asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well, implying thereby
that he could not live without the Ganga.

Q3. Answer the question in about 100–150 words.

1. Draw the character sketch of Ustad Bismillah Khan.

 a gem of India
 was the first Indian to greet the nation with Shehnai
 was the master of Shehnai
 was fond of Banaras and Holy Ganga
 He trained under Ali Bux, his maternal uncle
 received the “Bharat Ratna”.
 starred in two movies
 did not like the glamour of the celluloid
 was a true patriot
 declined many offers to settle abroad
 a true artist and a simple man.

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