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

1. Evelyn was seventeen years old when she enrolled at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London to pursue her musical aspirations.

2. Evelyn's profound hearing loss was first detected by her mother when Evelyn was just eight years old. This was noticed when Evelyn failed to respond upon hearing her name called during a piano practice session. Her deafness was officially confirmed when she was eleven years old. At this point, her academic performance had significantly declined, prompting her headmistress to strongly advise her parents to seek a specialist's evaluation. The specialist's diagnosis revealed that a gradual damage to her nerves had severely impacted her ability to hear.

1. Percussionist Ron Forbes was instrumental in helping Evelyn continue her musical journey. He began by tuning two large drums to different pitches and encouraged Evelyn to sense the sound in unconventional ways, rather than just listening. He instructed her to try and feel the music through her body.

2. Evelyn performed for a wide range of audiences and causes. She undertook tours across the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra and maintained a demanding international concert schedule. Beyond formal concerts, she generously offered free performances in prisons and hospitals. She also prioritized teaching young musicians, serving as a significant inspiration, particularly for deaf children.

Evelyn experiences music not through auditory perception but by sensing its vibrations through various parts of her body. This unique ability was first recognized by percussionist Ron Forbes. He demonstrated this by tuning two large drums to different notes and asked Evelyn to feel the sound. She discovered she could sense the higher drum's vibrations from her waist upwards and the lower drum's vibrations from her waist downwards. This exercise revealed that she could perceive distinct notes through different bodily sensations.

Further exploration with instruments like the xylophone allowed her to feel the sound traveling up the stick into her fingertips. By standing close to the drums, she could feel the resonant vibrations flowing into her body. To enhance this sensory experience, she would often perform barefoot on a wooden stage, enabling the vibrations to travel through her bare feet. Evelyn herself described this profound connection, stating that music permeated her entire being, creating a tingling sensation in her skin, cheekbones, and even her hair.

1. The pungi was a 'reeded noisemaker.'
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.

Based on the text, Ustad Bismillah Khan's feelings can be inferred as follows:

1. teaching children music: Positive (He believed in imparting musical knowledge to the younger generation.)

2. the film world migrating to the U.S.A.: Negative (He expressed displeasure, stating that the film world was artificial and that he would not be a part of it.)

3. playing at temples: Positive (He played the shehnai in temples, indicating a devotional and positive association.)

4. getting the Bharat Ratna: Positive (Receiving the highest civilian award was a moment of great pride and achievement.)

5. the banks of the Ganga: Positive (He had a deep emotional attachment to the river Ganga and the places associated with it.)

6. leaving Benaras and Dumraon: Negative (He expressed a strong reluctance and sadness at the thought of leaving his homeland.)