The Sound of Music NCERT Class 9 English Free Notes and Mind Map (Free PDF Download)

This chapter tells inspiring stories of two musicians who achieved greatness through determination and hard work. The first part describes Evelyn Glennie, a deaf percussionist who overcame her disability to become world-famous. The second part celebrates Ustad Bismillah Khan, who brought the shehnai to classical music stage and became a legend.

Part I – Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

Before You Read

The story is about a person who fought against physical disability and made her life a success story. The opening quote says: “God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels – far more deeply than any of us. That is why she expresses music so beautifully.”

The Beginning – First Day at Royal Academy

Rush hour crowds were pushing roughly for position on underground train platform. A small and thin girl, looking younger than her seventeen years, was nervous yet excited as she felt vibrations of approaching train. It was her first day at prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and it was frightening enough for any teenager fresh from Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician (person who wants to be a musician) faced bigger challenge than most – she was profoundly deaf.

Discovery of Deafness

Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing had been gradual over time. Her mother remembers noticing something was wrong when eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play piano.

How It Was Noticed:

They called her name and she didn’t move
Her mother suddenly realized she hadn’t heard
For quite a while Evelyn managed to conceal (hide) her growing deafness from friends and teachers
By time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated (become worse)
Her headmistress urged her parents to take her to specialist

The Diagnosis:

It was discovered that her hearing was severely impaired (weakened)
The damage was result of gradual nerve damage
They were advised she should be fitted with hearing aids
They recommended she should be sent to school for deaf
Evelyn recalls: “Everything suddenly looked black”

The Turning Point – Ron Forbes

Evelyn was not going to give up. She was determined to lead normal life and pursue her interest in music.

Meeting the Xylophone:

One day she noticed a girl playing xylophone (musical instrument with row of wooden bars of different lengths)
She decided that she wanted to play it too
Most teachers discouraged her
But percussionist (person who plays drum, tabla etc.) Ron Forbes spotted her potential (quality or ability that can be developed)

Ron Forbes’s Method:

He began by tuning two large drums to different notes
He would say: “Don’t listen through your ears, try to sense it some other way”
Evelyn suddenly realized: “I could feel higher drum from waist up and lower one from waist down”
Forbes repeated the exercise
Soon Evelyn discovered she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body
She had learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations
Rest was sheer determination and hard work

Journey to Success

From that point onwards, she never looked back on her journey to becoming world’s greatest percussionist.

Major Milestones:

Age	Achievement
After initial training	Toured United Kingdom with youth orchestra
16 years	Decided to make music her life
17 years	Auditioned for Royal Academy of Music
At audition	Scored one of highest marks in history of academy
During course	Moved from orchestral work to solo performances
End of course	Captured most of top awards

What She Says:

Evelyn won’t accept any hint of heroic achievement
Her philosophy: “If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there”
She got right to top – world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist
She has mastery of some thousand instruments
She maintains hectic international schedule

How Evelyn Functions Without Hearing

It is intriguing (fascinating and curious) to watch Evelyn function so effortlessly without hearing.

Communication Without Hearing:

In two-hour discussion she never missed a word
She jokes: “Men with bushy beards give me trouble”
She explains: “It is not just watching lips, it’s whole face, especially the eyes”
She speaks flawlessly (without fault or mistake) with Scottish lilt (way of speaking)
Her speech is clear because she could hear till she was eleven
But this doesn’t explain how she managed to learn French and master basic Japanese

How She Hears Music:

Music pours in through every part of her body
It tingles (causes slight pricking or stinging sensation) in skin, cheekbones and even in hair
When she plays xylophone, she senses sound passing up stick into fingertips
By leaning against drums, she feels resonances (echoes of sounds) flowing into body
On wooden platform she removes shoes so vibrations pass through bare feet and up legs

Recognition and Awards

Evelyn delights her audiences with her extraordinary talent and received many honors.

Awards and Recognition:

In 1991 she was presented with Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of Year Award
Master percussionist James Blades said: “God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels far more deeply than any of us. That is why she expresses music so beautifully”

Evelyn’s Work and Philosophy

Evelyn confesses that she is something of a workaholic (person who finds it difficult to stop working).

Her Schedule and Values:

“I’ve just got to work often harder than classical musicians. But rewards are enormous”
Apart from regular concerts, she gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals
She gives high priority (great importance) to classes for young musicians
Ann Richlin of Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children says: “She is shining inspiration for deaf children. They see that there is nowhere that they cannot go”

Her Achievements:

She has accomplished more than most people twice her age
She has brought percussion to front of orchestra
She demonstrated that percussion can be very moving
She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped
People look to her and say: “If she can do it, I can”
She has given enormous pleasure to millions

Part II – The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Before You Read

Think of shehnai and first thing you’ll probably imagine is wedding or similar occasion or function. Next would probably be Ustad Bismillah Khan, the shehnai maestro, playing this instrument.

The Origin of Shehnai

Emperor Aurangzeb banned playing of musical instrument called pungi in royal residence because it had shrill unpleasant sound.

How Pungi Became Shehnai:

Pungi became generic name (name given to class or group as whole) for reeded (wind instruments which have reeds like flute, clarinet) noisemakers
Few had thought it would one day be revived
A barber of family of professional musicians, who had access to royal palace, decided to improve tonal quality of pungi
He chose pipe with natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than pungi
He made seven holes on body of pipe
When he played on it, closing and opening some holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced
He played instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed
Since it was first played in Shah’s chambers and was played by nai (barber), instrument was named ‘shehnai’

The Shehnai Tradition

Traditional Use:

Sound of shehnai began to be considered auspicious (promising to bring good fortune)
For this reason it is still played in temples
It is indispensable (without which piece of work cannot be done) component of any North Indian wedding
In past, shehnai was part of naubat or traditional ensemble (things, here instruments, considered as group) of nine instruments found at royal courts
Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings
Credit for bringing this instrument onto classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan

Early Life of Bismillah Khan

Childhood in Dumraon:

As five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gilli-danda near pond in ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar
He would regularly go to nearby Bihariji temple to sing Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’
At end of singing he would earn big laddu weighing 1.25 kg
This was prize given by local Maharaja
This happened 80 years ago
Little boy has travelled far to earn highest civilian award in India – Bharat Ratna

Family Background:

Born on 21 March 1916
Bismillah belongs to well-known family of musicians from Bihar
His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, was shehnai-nawaz of Bhojpur king’s court
His father, Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors (ancestors of father) were also great shehnai players

Learning Music

Introduction to Shehnai:

Young boy took to music early in life
At age of three, his mother took him to his maternal uncle’s house in Benaras (now Varanasi)
Bismillah was fascinated watching his uncles practice shehnai
Soon Bismillah started accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to Vishnu temple of Benaras where Bux was employed to play shehnai
Ali Bux would play shehnai and Bismillah would sit captivated for hours on end (for very long time without stopping)

Practice and Dedication:

Slowly, he started getting lessons in playing instrument
He would sit practicing throughout day
For years to come, temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and banks of Ganga became young apprentice’s favorite haunts where he could practice in solitude (state of being alone)
Flowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas that were earlier considered to be beyond range of shehnai

The Big Break

First Recognition:

At age of 14, Bismillah accompanied his uncle to Allahabad Music Conference
At end of his recital, Ustad Faiyaz Khan patted young boy’s back and said: “Work hard and you shall make it”

All India Radio:

With opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah’s big break
He soon became often-heard shehnai player on radio

Independence Day Performance:

When India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan became first Indian to greet nation with his shehnai
He poured his heart out into Raag Kafi from Red Fort
Audience included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech

International Fame

Performances Abroad:

Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances both in India and abroad
His first trip abroad was to Afghanistan
King Zahir Shah was so taken in by (attracted or charmed by) maestro that he gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs (things given in memory of place, person or event)

Film World:

Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing Bismillah play at festival
He named film after instrument called Gunj Uthi Shehnai
Film was hit
One of Bismillah Khan’s compositions, “Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya…” turned out to be nationwide chartbuster (record-breaker)
Despite this huge success in celluloid (old-fashioned way of referring to films) world, Bismillah Khan’s ventures (project that often involves risk) in film music were limited to two: Vijay Bhatt’s Gunj Uthi Shehnai and Vikram Srinivas’s Kannada venture, Sanadhi Apanna
He says with emphasis: “I just can’t come to terms with artificiality and glamour of film world”

International Recognition:

Awards and recognition came thick and fast
Bismillah Khan became first Indian to be invited to perform at prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall in United States of America
He took part in World Exposition in Montreal, Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair
An auditorium in Teheran was named after him – Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan

Awards and Honors

National Awards:

Award	Description
Padmashri	National civilian honor
Padma Bhushan	Higher civilian honor
Padma Vibhushan	One of highest civilian honors
Bharat Ratna (2001)	India’s highest civilian award

On Receiving Bharat Ratna:

With coveted (much desired) award resting on his chest and eyes glinting with rare happiness
He said: “All I would like to say is: Teach your children music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even West is now coming to learn our music”

Love for Benaras and India

Attachment to Homeland:

In spite of having travelled all over world, Khansaab (as he is fondly called) is exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon
They remain for him most wonderful towns of world
Student once wanted him to head shehnai school in USA
Student promised to recreate atmosphere of Benaras by replicating temples there
But Khansaab asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well
He is remembered to have said: “That is why whenever I am in foreign country, I keep yearning to see Hindustan. While in Mumbai, I think of only Benaras and holy Ganga. And while in Benaras, I miss unique mattha of Dumraon”

Interview About Partition:

Shekhar Gupta: When Partition happened, didn’t you and your family think of moving to Pakistan?

Bismillah Khan: God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never! I went to Pakistan once – I crossed border just to say I have been to Pakistan. I was there for about an hour. I said namaskar to Pakistanis and salaam alaikum to Indians! I had good laugh.

Cultural Heritage:

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s life is perfect example of rich, cultural heritage of India
One that effortlessly accepts that devout (believing strongly in religion and obeying its laws) Muslim like him can very naturally play shehnai every morning at Kashi Vishwanath temple

Final Years:
Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away on 21 August 2006 at age of ninety after prolonged illness. He was given state funeral and Government of India declared one day of national mourning.

Questions and Answers

Part I – Evelyn Glennie Questions

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

1. How old was Evelyn when she went to Royal Academy of Music?
Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to Royal Academy of Music in London.

2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old, when her mother realized she hadn’t heard them calling her name while waiting to play piano. It was confirmed when she was eleven years old after her headmistress urged parents to take her to specialist.

II. Answer each of these questions in 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 spotted her potential when other teachers discouraged her. He tuned two large drums to different notes and told her: “Don’t listen through your ears, try to sense it some other way.” He helped her discover that she could sense musical notes through different parts of her body by feeling vibrations.

2. Name various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Evelyn performs regular concerts at prestigious venues worldwide. Apart from these, she gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals to bring music to those who cannot attend regular concerts. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. She works with Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children, serving as shining inspiration for deaf children everywhere.

III. Answer question in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words):

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Evelyn Glennie hears music through her body rather than through her ears. Music pours in through every part of her body. It tingles in her skin, her cheekbones and even in her hair. She has learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.

When she plays xylophone, she can sense sound passing up stick into her fingertips. By leaning against drums, she feels resonances flowing into her body. On wooden platform she removes her shoes so that vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. She discovered that she could feel higher drum from waist up and lower drum from waist down.

She watches people’s faces carefully when they speak. She reads not just lips but whole face, especially eyes. This is how she never misses word in conversations. Her ability to feel music far more deeply than others is what makes her express music so beautifully. Master percussionist James Blades said that God may have taken her hearing but given her back something extraordinary – she feels what we hear, far more deeply than any of us.

Part II – Bismillah Khan Questions

I. Tick the right answer:

The (pungi) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
(A barber) transformed pungi into shehnai.
Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (professional musicians).
Bismillah Khan learnt to play shehnai from (Ali Bux).
Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan).

II. Find words in text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings:

Bismillah Khan’s feelings about	Positive	Negative
1. teaching children music	✔
2. the film world		✔
3. migrating to USA		✔
4. playing at temples	✔
5. getting Bharat Ratna	✔
6. banks of Ganga	✔
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon		✔

III. Answer these questions in 30-40 words:

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban playing of pungi?
Emperor Aurangzeb banned playing of pungi in royal residence because it had shrill unpleasant sound. Pungi became generic name for reeded noisemakers. It was considered too harsh and disturbing for royal court.

2. How is shehnai different from pungi?
Shehnai is different from pungi in its construction and sound. While pungi had shrill unpleasant sound, shehnai has pipe with natural hollow stem that is longer and broader than pungi. It has seven holes on body of pipe. When played by closing and opening these holes, it produces soft and melodious sounds instead of harsh noise.

3. Where was shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Traditionally, shehnai was played in temples and at weddings as it was considered auspicious. It was also part of naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments at royal courts. Bismillah Khan changed this by bringing shehnai onto classical music stage, making it respected classical instrument played in concerts and music festivals worldwide.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Bismillah Khan got his big break in 1938 with opening of All India Radio in Lucknow. He soon became often-heard shehnai player on radio. This gave him platform to reach large audience and establish himself as talented musician, leading to wider recognition and opportunities.

5. Where did Bismillah Khan play shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was event historic?
On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played shehnai from Red Fort in Delhi. Event was historic because India gained independence that day and Bismillah Khan became first Indian to greet nation with his shehnai. He poured his heart out into Raag Kafi before audience that included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start shehnai school in USA?
Bismillah Khan refused to start shehnai school in USA because of his deep attachment to Benaras and India. When student promised to recreate atmosphere of Benaras by replicating temples, Bismillah Khan asked if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well. He couldn’t imagine living away from holy Ganga and Benaras.

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

First instance: When asked about starting shehnai school in USA, he said he could never leave Benaras. He asked whether they could transport River Ganga to USA. He said whenever he is in foreign country, he keeps yearning to see Hindustan.

Second instance: When asked about moving to Pakistan during Partition, he emphatically said “God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never!” He went to Pakistan just for hour to say he had been there, showing his complete unwillingness to leave his beloved India and Benaras.

Questions and Answers

I. Complete following sentences with to-verb:

The school sports team hopes to win the championship this year.
We all want to live in a peaceful and harmonious society.
They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to a specialist and get proper treatment.
The authorities permitted us to organize a cultural event in the school auditorium.
A musician decided to dedicate his life to classical music and practice diligently.

II. Find words and phrases matching these definitions:

the home of royal people (1): royal residence
the state of being alone (5): solitude
a part which is absolutely necessary (2): indispensable component
to do something not done before (5): improvise
without much effort (13): effortlessly
quickly and in large quantities (9): thick and fast

III. Tick the right answer:

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

IV. Dictionary work – Adjectives usage:

adjective	only before noun	not before noun	both before and after verb be
indispensable			✔
impressed		✔
afraid		✔
outdoor	✔
paternal	✔
countless	✔
priceless			✔

Wind (Poem)

This poem by Subramania Bharati (translated from Tamil by A.K. Ramanujan) talks about wind as destructive force and how we should make ourselves strong to face it.

The Poem

Wind blows strongly and causes lot of destruction. How can we make friends with it?

Stanza 1:
Wind, come softly.
Don’t break shutters of windows.
Don’t scatter papers.
Don’t throw down books on shelf.
There, look what you did – you threw them all down.
You tore pages of books.
You brought rain again.

Stanza 2:
You’re very clever at poking fun at (making fun of) weaklings.
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters (sloping beams supporting roof),
crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
crumbling hearts –
the wind god winnows (blow grain free of chaff; separate grain from husk) and crushes them all.

Stanza 3:
He won’t do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s join doors firmly.
Practice to firm the body.
Make heart steadfast.
Do this, and wind will be friends with us.

Stanza 4:
Wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.

Questions and Answers

1. What are things wind does in first stanza?
In first stanza, wind breaks shutters of windows, scatters papers, throws down books from shelf, tears pages of books, and brings rain again. It creates lot of destruction and disturbance.

2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in paddy field? What is word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing?
Students should answer based on their personal experiences and local language. Winnowing is process of separating grain from chaff by throwing it in air. People use winnowing basket or fan.

3. What does poet say wind god winnows?
Poet says wind god winnows all weak things – frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters, crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives, and crumbling hearts. Wind separates weak from strong just like winnowing separates grain from chaff.

4. What should we do to make friends with wind?
To make friends with wind, we should build strong homes, join doors firmly, practice to firm our body, and make our heart steadfast. We need to make ourselves strong physically and mentally so wind cannot harm us.

5. What do last four lines of poem mean to you?
Last four lines mean that wind blows out weak fires but makes strong fires roar and flourish. This means challenges in life destroy weak people but make strong people even stronger. Wind’s friendship is good because it tests our strength. We should praise wind because it helps us become stronger by challenging us.

6. How does poet speak to wind – in anger or with humor? You must also have seen or heard of wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to this? Is it like poet’s?
Poet speaks to wind with mixture of request and acceptance rather than pure anger or humor. Initially he requests wind to come softly and not cause destruction. Then he accepts that wind won’t listen, so we must make ourselves strong. Students should share their personal experiences with destructive winds like storms or cyclones and whether they agree with poet’s philosophy of becoming strong rather than complaining.

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