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

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?

Ans: Evelyn went to the Royal Academy of Music in London when she was just seventeen years old.

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

Ans: When Evelyn was around eight her deafness was first noticed but was confirmed when she turned eleven.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph.

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

Ans: Even after being deaf Evelyn was encouraged to pursue music by Percussionist Ron Forbes. He taught her gradually and asked her to sense the sound in some other manner rather than listening to it.

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

Ans: Evelyn gave solo performances at regular concerts internationally. She also performed for free in prisons and hospitals. Apart from that, she accorded high priority to classes for young musicians.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Ans: Evelyn was declared deaf at the age of eleven, yet she had a deep interest and taste in music. It was fascinating to watch her create beautiful pieces of music without actually being able to listen to it. She was encouraged by Rin Forbes to try to sense music without using her ears. He tuned two drums into two different notes and she indeed could feel the higher drum from her waist up and the lower tuned drum from her waist down. 

Similarly, she played the xylophone. She could feel the vibration of the music from the stick into her fingertips. While performing on a wooden platform she removed her shoes to feel the vibrations from her feet, up her legs, and poured each cell of her into the music. It tingled her and the sensation helped her develop a deeper bond with music.

Part II 

The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan Thinking about the text

I. Tick the right answer.

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

Ans: The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

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

Ans: A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

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

Ans: Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.

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

Ans: Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

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

Ans: 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.

Ans: 

III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

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

Ans: Pungi had a shrill and unpleasant sound and was disliked by Aurangzeb. Hence, he banned the playing of pungi.

2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Ans: Shehnai is a hollow pipe made from a stem and has holes in its body. It has a better sound quality than pungi.

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

Ans: Shehnai was played in royal courts, temples, and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah Khan changed the tradition by bringing it onto the classical stage.

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

Ans: In 1938 when All India Radio was opened in Lucknow, Bismillah Khan was invited to perform shenai on the radio. He got his big break then and soon became an often-heard player on the radio.

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

Ans: Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi from the Red Fort on 15 August 1947 and it was a historical event because India received independence on that day from the British empire.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

Ans: Bismillah Khan loved his country and would not leave it for any monetary gains. he felt rooted living near Benaras, the River Ganga. He declined his student’s request to start a shehnai school in U.S.A.  

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

Ans: Bismillah Khan loved his country. He declined a student’s offer to start a shehnai school in U.S.A. since it would keep him away from his country. He also refused Shekhar Gupta’s offer to move to Pakistan during partition and was stern ot never leave Benaras.

never leave Benaras.

Thinking about language

I. 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?)

Ans: The school sports team hopes to win the match.

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

Ans: We all want to go to succeed in our life.

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

Ans: They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to consult a doctor.

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

Ans: The authorities permitted us to construct the building.

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

Ans: A musician decided to open a school for children.

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) _____________

Ans: the royal residence

2.the state of being alone (5) _____________

Ans: solitude

3.a part which is absolutely necessary (2) ____________

Ans: indispensable

4.to do something not done before (5) ____________

Ans: invent

5.without much effort (13) _______________

Ans: effortlessly

6.quickly and in large quantities (9) ____________and _____________

Ans: thick and fast

III. Tick the right answer.

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

Ans: When something is revived, it lives again.

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

Ans: When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.

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

Ans: When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.

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

Ans: When we talk about something, we find it interesting.

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

Ans: When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.

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

Ans: When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.

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

Ans: When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.

IV. Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.

Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.

Ans:

Some sentences using these adjectives are:

1. She is indispensable for the successful completion of the project.

2. Sunita was impressed by my singing.

3. He is afraid of the dark.

4. I enjoy the company of my paternal uncle.

5. Gennie was showered with countless gifts.

6. My grandmother gave me a priceless piece of advice.

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.

Ans: If we work hard no one can stop us from achieving our dreams and we get there. Evelyn Glennie had a love for music in the deepest corners of her heart and worked hard to achieve her dreams. She was deaf and often discouraged for her pursuit and love for music. It was her teacher Ron Forbes who encouraged her to pursue music and taught her to identify music vibrations from different parts of her body. She worked and climbed her way up to the Royal Academy of music. She won various Academy awards and in 1991 presented with the Soloist of the Year Award. With her determination, she not only excelled in the field but also brought laurels to her country.

Ustad Bismillah Khan had an inclination towards music from a very young age. He was given training in music by his uncle. He belonged to a family of musicians and his pursuit was encouraged. He practiced hard and invented ragas for shehnai that were considered beyond the scope. His contribution to Indian classical music was commendable and he was awarded various national awards including Bharat Ratna.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music – Free PDF Download

As the name suggests, this second chapter of NCERT class nine English is about music. It introduces two stalwarts of their respective fields, describing two contrasting music personalities. Evelyn Glennie is a world-famous percussionist, and how she overcame the biggest hurdle of her musical career, being deaf is accounted for in this text.

CBSE Class 9 English Beehive chapter 2 further discusses the music heritage of India with Ustad Bismillah Khan in focus. It takes a brief leap into the life and works of this celebrated musician.

The second chapter of NCERT Solutions has two parts, in the first section, students learn about Evelyn Glennie whereas the second part talks about Ustad Bismillah Khan.

NCERT solutions for class 9 English beehive chapter 2 make a vital study material for students of class 9. It is available online in a PDF format. Students can download these solutions from Vedantu for free, and refer to them for their Class 9 English exam preparation.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 – Brief Discussion

NCERT solutions of Beehive Class 9 Chapter 2 covers two sub-topics. Here is a brief outline of each of them.

Part I: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing it

This portion of the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 Part 1 is an excerpt from the autobiography of this famous author. It begins with her first-day train journey to the Royal Academy of Music. The chapter then progresses into her story of the gradual loss of hearing due to severe nerve damage.

It further discusses her spirit and how she was adamant about leading a normal life. Her desire to learn music instruments was spotted by Ron Forbes, one of her teachers. She learned to experience music instead of hearing it. Evelyn Glennie used different parts of her body to understand and learn about various musical notes.

It further portrays how a deaf musician has changed the way an orchestra functions and brought percussion instruments to the fore-front. Her dedication and efforts have altered the way one perceives percussion instruments. She has also learned multiple languages apart from her native one.

This part of the sound of music class 9 solutions concludes with the thought of how she is a shining example for deaf people and every differently-abled individual.

Part II: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

On the opposite spectrum of Evelyn Glennie sits Ustad Bismillah Khan, a legend of Indian music. His choice of instrument was shehnai. In this section of ch 2 English Class 9 Beehive, students will learn how Ustad Bismillah Khan introduced shehnai on the global stage.

Due to its shrill and unpleasant sound, Emperor Aurangzeb banned the instrument called ‘pungi’. Later a barber, who has a lineage of music, designed a different instrument based on the architecture of ‘pungi’. However, this particular instrument was so unique that it required a different name. Since it was first played in Shah’s chamber, and by a barber (nai), it got the name shehnai.

Contrary to ‘pungi’ the sound of shehnai is regarded as auspicious. Earlier, it was a part of ‘naubat’ a traditional ensemble of nine musicians. Bismillah Khan belonged to the family of shehnai players. His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan was a court musician of the King of Bhojpur.

Ustad Bismillah Khan started his musical career very early, and he used to accompany his uncle to various programs. His association with shehnai began from there, and later he became a music legend. He was invited to different countries to perform at huge events, and also greeted the nation from Red Fort on India’s independence.

He received several awards, and in 2001 he got India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Class 9 English Chapter 2 The Sound of Music explores the life of this celebrated musician briefly.

Why Should You Study NCERT Solutions?

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 is a must-read due to the following reasons.

1. The answers are accurate and to the point, helping students to prepare for their exam.

2. It follows the guidelines of CBSE, which means candidates can rely on it as a reference book.

3. Since subject experts prepare these books, they cater to the requirements of students.

4. The use of simple language in the sound of music class 9 NCERT Solutions, helps students to quickly memorize the answers.

5. Moreover, the detailed explanation of every topic offers the necessary information to the students. Thus, they do not require any additional reference books.

6. Also, the use of real-life examples allows students to relate to various topics easily.

NCERT solutions for class 9 English Beehive chapter 2 is available on Vedantu. Students can download it for free from Vedantu’s official website and mobile application. Along with that, they can sign up for live classes and interactive doubt clearing sessions to enhance their exam preparations.