Music and Creation: NEB Class 12 English Notes

Music and Creation Exercise: Question Answers and Grammar

Working with words Section

A. Find the single words for the following definitions. The words are given in the jumbled letters at the end.

a. A person who hates or distrusts mankind's misanthrope

b. A sensation of noise, such as a ringing or roaring tinnitus

c. An examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death autopsy

d. A musical composition or movement for five instruments or voices quintet

e. A severe life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium meningitis

f. An object that directs one’s attention away from something else distraction

g. The action or process of becoming impaired or inferior in quality, functioning, or condition deterioration

h. Failing to perceive something impercipience

i. A hearing disorder that makes it hard to deal with everyday sounds hyperacusis

j. A bacterial infection usually spread by sexual contact syphilis

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B. Put the musical instruments into different categories as below.

Wind Instruments: trumpet, harmonica, clarinet, conch, trombone
Stringed Instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass
Percussion Instruments: drum, tablas, cymbal, bell, tambourine

C. Use a dictionary and find the definition of these genres of music.

rock music : a genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the 1950s and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later.
pop music : popular music that is generally catchy, upbeat, and widely appealing to a mainstream audience.
hip hop : a style of music that emerged in African American and Latin American communities in the United States in the 1970s, characterized by rapping, scratching, and other elements of turntable manipulation.
jazz : a type of music that originated in African American communities in the southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and a mixture of European harmony and African rhythms.
folk music : traditional music that is typically passed down orally from generation to generation within a particular community, often associated with rural or indigenous cultures.
classical music : music that is generally considered to be part of a long-standing Western tradition, including genres such as symphonies, operas, and chamber music.
blues : a genre of music that originated in African American communities in the southern United States, characterized by a 12-bar chord progression, simple song structures, and lyrics that often reflect the challenges and struggles of daily life.
heavy metal : a genre of rock music that is characterized by aggressive, distorted guitar sounds, heavy use of drums and bass, and lyrics that often explore themes of power, rebellion, and darkness.
Gospel music : a genre of Christian music that originated in African American churches in the United States, characterized by powerful vocals, call and response singing, and a focus on religious themes such as salvation and redemption.
country music : a genre of popular music that originated in the rural southern United States, characterized by lyrics that often reflect the struggles and joys of everyday life, as well as the use of instruments such as the guitar, banjo, and fiddle.
grunge : a genre of rock music that originated in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States in the mid-1980s, characterized by heavy, distorted guitar sounds and lyrics that often explore themes of angst, alienation, and social critique.
breakbeat : a type of electronic dance music that features a rhythmic pattern created by sampling and looping a drum break from another song.
reggae : a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s, characterized by a slow, steady beat and a strong emphasis on rhythm and bass, often accompanied by lyrics that focus on social and political issues.
Disco: a dance music genre that originated in the 1970s, characterized by a strong beat and rhythms ideal for dancing.
Dubstep: a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the early 2000s, characterized by a heavy bassline and complex rhythmic patterns.

Comprehension Section

A. Put the following events in the life of Beethoven in chronological order.

c. Beethoven was born into a musical family in Bonn, Germany.
e. He learned to play the organ, piano, violin, and viola.
a. He migrated to Vienna.
h. At the age of twenty-seven, he felt the deafness to high-pitched sound.
d. His deafness got gradually worse: He could hear but not understand.
g. He lived a life in seclusion.
b. He even made suicidal attempts.
f. He died of hepatitis at the age of fifty-six.

B. State whether the following statements are True or False.

a. Beethoven became blind in a gradual process over two decades. False
b. He became a celebrity musician in his teenage. True
c. He did not disclose his hearing problem for a long time. True
d. He knew that he misunderstood the speakers and gave up his public performances. False
e. He tried to get his deafness treated until his death. False
f. Beethoven died in his early fifties. False
g. Doctors found the cause of his deafness after his death. False

C. Answer the following questions.

a. What does Hellen Keller think about deafness and blindness?

Blindness, according to Hellen Keller, separates people from things, whereas deafness separates people from people.

b. Why does the author compare Beethoven with Milton, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec?

The author compares Beethoven to Milton, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec because they all had disabilities similar to Beethoven's.

c. When and how did Beethoven notice him being deaf?

Beethoven became aware of his deafness at the age of 27. He had lost his ability to hear high pitch sounds at the time, which was an indication of nerve deafness. He became aware that he had some disabilities, such as deafness.

d. What psychological effects did he have when he noticed that he was being deaf?

When he found out he was deaf, he was scared, had low self-esteem, went through a lot of emotional ups and downs, became more isolated, didn't take care of himself, and didn't have much confidence at work.

e. How did he triumph over his suicidal thoughts?

He overcame his suicidal thoughts with the help of his life's ethics and musical interest. He had also read somewhere that a man should not give up his life because he can do many other good things with it. These events motivated him to overcome suicidal thoughts.

f. How did he accept his deafness?

He accepted his deafness by saying that no one can save him from it and that in order to progress in life, he must eventually accept it.

g. How was his deafness ironically good for the world?

In a strange way, the fact that he was deaf helped the world because it made him more creative. It also allowed him to concentrate on his inner sounds and feelings without interruption.

h. When did Beethoven give up his musical performances forever?

Beethoven ended his musical performances in his mid-forties. It was some sort of embarrassing faux pas for him at the time.

i. What did Stephen von Breeuning comment on Beethoven’s reactions?

In 1804, when Beethoven couldn't hear the wind instruments during a rehearsal for the Eroica, his friend Stephen von Breuning said that Beethoven had become distant and that his closest friends no longer trusted him.

j. How did Beethoven express the conflict in his mind?

Beethoven's inner conflict came out when he stopped going to social events, didn't trust his best friends, and thought about suicide a lot.

Critical thinking Section

a. Suicidal thoughts came in Beethoven’s mind several times but he did not commit suicide and kept on composing music. Write a monologue in about 150 words from Beethoven’s perspectives describing his suicidal thoughts and his will to live.

I was the life and soul of the party. Even if there wasn't a party. I made one come true. I made everyone laugh. I forced myself to laugh. I tried very hard to make myself laugh. You could hear my laugh from a block away, Lord.

"Isn't Beethoven something?" people would ask. "Always cheerful. Take a look at him. Always wearing a smile." In this situation, I feel very alone and helpless. My illness has cut me off from my coworkers and family. They have a negative opinion of me. They think of me as deaf. My entire life's efforts to keep music alive and make the people of the world proud would be futile. This is the worst situation I've ever been in. I have no hope of ever being cured. Working like that sometimes wore me out, keeping the engine running, the horn honking, and the smoke pouring out. Sometimes all I wanted to do was sleep. So I made a mistake today. I remained alone. That's what I'm going to do, I decided. I'll stop now. I'm going to sleep.

Later that day, I reconsidered taking my own life. I must try to overcome my suicidal thoughts. I should consider life ethics and my musical interests. People say a man should not give up his life because he can do many other good things. Why am I thinking those things? I can convince everyone that I am normal, that I am coping, and that I am fine. Suicide, I reason, is not a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Human life is valuable and important. I'm ready to be free of these depressing thoughts! I'm ready for the real world. It makes no difference if I can't listen to others. I'm going to pay attention to my inner sounds and emotions!

b. Was it divine inspiration or rigorous practice that made Beethoven one of the world’s greatest musicians? Give the reasons.

No, it wasn’t divine inspiration but rigorous practice and his belief in music that made Beethoven one of the world's great composers. Ludwig van Beethoven was a German pianist and composer. Many people think of him as one of the most talented musicians ever. His innovative compositions combined vocals and instruments, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet.

His battle with deafness marked Beethoven's personal life, and some of his most important works were written during the last ten years of his life when he was completely deaf. He went on to change the musical world forever on his own. He became depressed and serious as a result of his deafness. Despite his suffering, he did not abandon his love of music and continued his creative work. Even after he went deaf, he continued to compose his best music. His music career reached a peak due to his rigorous practice and musical devotion, and he became well-known not only in his home country but worldwide. He is credited with dragging music out of the Classical period and into the Romantic. However, this is insufficient. I am adamant that Beethoven defined and deserves his musical era.

Writing Section

Who is your favourite Nepali musician? Write his/her biography in about 300 words.

Aruna Lama

Aruna Lama, also known as the "Nightingale of the Hills," was a renowned Nepali singer. She was born on September 9, 1945, in Darjeeling, India, but her family was originally from Eastern Nepal. Aruna Lama started singing young and performed on All India Radio at 12.

In 1960, she moved to Nepal and began her professional music career. Traditional Nepali folk and hill music influenced Aruna Lama's music. Her voice was characterized by a unique blend of sweetness and melancholy, which captivated listeners across Nepal and beyond. She recorded over 200 songs, many of which became classics.

Aruna Lama's most famous song is "Euta Manchhe Ko," released in 1974. The song's melody and lyrics became an instant hit and remained one of the most beloved Nepali songs ever. Another popular song is "Kanchi Re Kanchi," which she sang for the Nepali movie "Sindoor."

During her life, Aruna Lama received many awards and honours for her contributions to Nepali music. One was the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu, Nepal's second-highest civilian award. She passed away on February 4, 1998, but her music continues to inspire and touch the hearts of many Nepalis. She is remembered as one of the most important people in the Nepali music industry and is now known as a legend of Nepali music.

Grammar Section

B. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions.

a. I was accompanied to the hospital by my friend.
b. I have great respect for my teachers.
c. The culprit was sentenced to death.
d. His arguments are not based on truth.
e. He has not contributed to the development of our nation.
f. He died because of Corona at the age of thirty-five.
g. The young generation of Nepali people don’t take interest in politics.
h. Our village was not infected by Corona.
i. Why do you sneer at me?

C. Fill in the blanks with for, since, until, by or in.

a. The classes will be over by 5 PM.
b. Karma Sherpa reached the top of Mt. Everest in 8 hours.
c. We had met after five years. So we kept on talking until three in the morning.
d. She has been living in America since she got married.
e. He has been playing video game for ten hours.
f. She practices the Sitar every day for five hours.
g. He lived in Jumla until he passed high school examinations.
h. There is no chance of dry weather even today. It has rained since last Saturday.
i. I can type 120 words in a minute.
j. We take an early breakfast. It’s generally ready by six in the morning.