The Sound of Music

Certainly! Here is a comprehensive summary of “The Sound of Music” chapter, along with answers to all the questions posed within its sections, presented with ease to understand and incorporating emojis.

🎶 The Sound of Music: Chapter Summary 🎻

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The chapter “The Sound of Music” is divided into two inspiring biographical pieces.

Part I: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing It 👂❌ This part introduces us to Evelyn Glennie, a remarkable percussionist. Evelyn’s hearing loss was gradual, noticed by her mother at age eight and confirmed to be severely impaired by age eleven due to nerve damage. Despite being advised to go to a school for the deaf, Evelyn was determined to pursue music. She was immensely helped by percussionist Ron Forbes, who encouraged her to feel the music rather than hear it with her ears. He taught her to sense vibrations through different parts of her body – for example, higher notes through the top of her waist and lower notes through her lower body. Evelyn learned to feel music through her skin, cheekbones, hair, and even through her bare feet when performing on a wooden platform. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in London at seventeen, achieving the highest marks ever, and went on to become a world-renowned solo percussionist, giving concerts globally and performing free in prisons and hospitals. Her story highlights determination, hard work, and courage in overcoming physical barriers.

Part II: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan 🎺🇮🇳 This section tells the story of the shehnai maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan. The shehnai’s origin is traced back to the pungi, a reeded instrument banned by Emperor Aurangzeb for its shrill sound. A barber from a family of professional musicians transformed the pungi into the shehnai by choosing a longer, broader pipe with seven holes, which produced soft and melodious sounds. Traditionally, the shehnai was played only in temples, at weddings, and during auspicious ceremonies. Bismillah Khan took to music early, fascinated by his maternal uncles practising the shehnai. He began accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to the Vishnu temple in Benaras and practised tirelessly by the banks of the River Ganga, which inspired him to improvise new raagas. His big break came in 1938 with All India Radio, making him a frequently heard shehnai player. He later gained international recognition, including playing at the Red Fort on India’s Independence Day in 1947 and receiving India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. Bismillah Khan remained deeply rooted in his home country, refusing to leave Benaras or India, even declining to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not transport the River Ganga there. His life exemplifies profound dedication to music and his cultural heritage.

🤔 Thinking About the Text: Questions and Answers

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Part I: Evelyn Glennie 👂

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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? Evelyn was younger than seventeen years old when she went to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London.
2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed? Her deafness was first noticed by her mother when Evelyn was eight years old. It was later confirmed when she was eleven, after her headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist.

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

1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say? Percussionist Ron Forbes helped Evelyn continue with music. He advised her not to listen through her ears, but to try to sense the music in other ways. He taught her to feel the vibrations of different notes through various parts of her body.
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs. Evelyn performs at regular concerts globally. Additionally, she dedicates her time to giving free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians, inspiring the next generation.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music? Evelyn Glennie “hears” music not through her ears, but by feeling its vibrations and resonances through her entire body 🎼. When she plays the xylophone, she senses the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. For drums, she leans against them to feel the flow of resonances into her body.

   A crucial part of her method involves removing her shoes when performing on a wooden platform. This allows the vibrations of the music to pass directly through her bare feet and up her legs, enabling her to internalise the sound more deeply. Her unique ability to feel music, cultivated with the guidance of Ron Forbes, who encouraged her to open her mind and body to sound, is what makes her musical expression so extraordinary.

Part II: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan 🎺

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I. Tick the right answer.

1. The pungi was a reeded noisemaker. (True) ✅
2. (A barber) transformed the pungi into a shehnai. ✅
3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (professional musicians). ✅
4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux). ✅
5. 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 (4) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

• 1. teaching children music: Positive (Implied by his dedication and lifelong pursuit of music, fostering its legacy, though no specific word is given) ✅
• 2. the film world: Negative (He found the artificiality of the glamour and tinsel world overwhelming, limiting his involvement to just two films) ❌
• 3. migrating to the U.S.A.: Negative (He refused, stating he couldn’t bring the River Ganga there) ❌
• 4. playing at temples: Positive (He regularly practised at the Vishnu temple and later at Balaji and Mangala Maiya temples) ✅
• 5. getting the Bharat Ratna: Positive (It’s described as a highly coveted award, implying great honour and positive feeling) ✅
• 6. the banks of the Ganga: Positive (They were his “favourite haunts” and inspired him to improvise new raagas) ✅
• 7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon: Negative (He deeply loved these places and exclaimed, “God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never!”) ❌

III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi? Emperor Aurangzeb banned the pungi in his royal residence because it had a shrill, unpleasant sound 🔇. It was considered a generic noisemaker, not fit for royal court entertainment.
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi? A shehnai differs from a pungi as it is made from a pipe with a natural hollow stem, longer and broader, and features seven holes on its body. This design allows it to produce soft and melodious sounds, unlike the pungi’s harsh tone.
3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this? Traditionally, the shehnai was played only in temples, at weddings, and in auspicious ceremonies 👰🏽‍♀️. Bismillah Khan revolutionised its use by bringing it out of these traditional settings and onto the classical concert stage, thus elevating its status.
4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break? Bismillah Khan got his big break in 1938 with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow 📻. He became a frequently heard shehnai player on radio, marking the start of his widespread recognition.
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic? On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort in Delhi. This event was historic because he was the first Indian to greet the newly independent nation with his shehnai, signifying a momentous occasion in Indian history.
6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.? Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not bear to leave Benaras and the holy River Ganga 💖. He famously said he could not take the Ganga, his constant source of inspiration, to a foreign land.
7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras. Firstly, when asked about migrating to Pakistan during Partition, he firmly stated, “God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never!”. Secondly, his refusal to establish a shehnai school in the U.S.A., citing his inability to bring the River Ganga there, clearly showed his deep affection for India and Benaras.

💡 Thinking About Language: Questions and Answers

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I. Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.

1. The school sports team hopes to win the championship. 🏆 (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want to live a happy and fulfilling life. 😌 (What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to a specialist. 🩺 (What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to use the community hall for the event. 🎉 (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to improve the tonal quality of the instrument. 🎶 (What did the musician decide to do?)

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): royal residence 👑
2. the state of being alone (5): solitude 🧘‍♀️
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2): indispensable ✨
4. to do something not done before (5): improvise and invent 💡
5. without much effort (13): effortlessly (found in paragraph 6, Evelyn Glennie’s section, referring to her functioning) 🤸‍♀️
6. quickly and in large quantities (9): pours in (found in paragraph 7, Evelyn Glennie’s section, referring to music) 🌊
   • Note: While the instruction states “from the text on Bismillah Khan,” the examples for items 5 and 6 appear in Evelyn Glennie’s section of the chapter.

III. Tick the right answer.

1. When something is revived, it (lives again). ✅
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped). ✅
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it). ✅
4. When we take to something, we find it (interesting). ✅
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful). ✅
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the second time). ✅
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (no longer upsetting). ✅

Consult your dictionary and complete the following table.

• As an AI, I cannot “consult” an external dictionary. However, based on common English usage, here’s how the table would be completed, drawing on the examples provided in the source for guidance:

  Noun	Adjective	Adverb	Verb	Usage (from source context/general)
  indispensable	indispensable			both before and after the verb be (e.g., “Water is indispensable”)
  impression	impressed		impress	not before noun (e.g., “I was impressed”)
  fear	afraid	fearfully	frighten	not before noun (e.g., “He was afraid”)
  outdoor	outdoor	outdoors		only before noun (e.g., “outdoor activities”)
  paternal	paternal			only before noun (e.g., “paternal ancestors”)
  countless	countless			only before noun (e.g., “countless stars”)
  priceless	priceless			only before noun (e.g., “priceless artwork”)

Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.

• indispensable: A good team leader is indispensable for success.
• impressed: The judges were highly impressed by her performance.
• afraid: She was afraid to walk home alone after dark.
• outdoor: We planned an outdoor picnic for the family.
• paternal: He inherited his musical talent from his paternal grandfather.
• countless: There are countless stars visible on a clear night.
• priceless: The antique vase was a priceless family heirloom.

🗣️ Speaking & Writing Tasks: Responses

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Speaking I & II: Introducing Kishori Amonkar 🎤

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I am honoured to introduce a true luminary of Indian Classical Music, a thinker, and a perfectionist in her craft: Smt. Kishori Amonkar 🌟. She is deeply inspired by ancient Vedic teachings, which resonate in the devotional quality of her music.

Smt. Amonkar approaches her raagas with the precision of a scientist, meticulously dissecting them until every subtle shade and emotion emerges. Her unique blend of soulful depth and intellectual rigour in raaga performance has garnered her a significant following across India and has been instrumental in reviving the study of khayal. Her esteemed career is marked by prestigious accolades, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (1997). It is with immense privilege that I welcome her. 🙏

Writing: Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan – Hard Work and Goals ✍️

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The statement, “If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” certainly resonates with the lives of both Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Both musicians exemplified extraordinary dedication and unwavering focus on their goals.

Evelyn Glennie undoubtedly worked incredibly hard to overcome her profound deafness and become a world-class musician. Her goal was to lead a normal life and pursue her passion for music, refusing to let her disability define her. She wanted to communicate through music, learning to feel its vibrations through her body when conventional hearing was no longer possible. Her hard work involved countless hours of practice and adapting her entire perception to sound, leading her to achieve global recognition and inspire millions.

Similarly, Ustad Bismillah Khan was a testament to hard work and clear ambition. From a young age, he committed himself to mastering the shehnai, practising diligently for hours by the Ganga and at temples. His ultimate goal was to elevate the shehnai from its traditional ceremonial role to a classical solo instrument on the world stage. He aimed to share his music with the world and promote India’s rich musical heritage, while remaining deeply rooted in his culture and homeland. His dedication and talent propelled the shehnai to international acclaim, achieving exactly where he wanted to ‘go’ 🌟.