Twin Melodies Questions and Answers | Class 9 Kaveri

Printed-initial mismatch: the bottom row gives M under the banjo and B under the mandolin. Identify the pictures by their features; these two initials appear exchanged. The V picture is a violin, not a veena.

Unused: sweating on. These expressions use conventional, often figurative meanings: no bullet is literally bitten and a party is not physically thrown. “Found words” means overcoming hesitation, not discovering written words on the floor.

II. Do you think Shruti will gather the courage to speak to her father?
Yes. Her friends’ encouragement works on her: she admits it is time to “bite the bullet” and solemnly promises to bring up the matter at dinner that very night. Her genuine respect for her father — she does not want him to feel she ignores his opinions — also pushes her towards honesty rather than continued hiding.

III. What might be Shruti’s father’s reaction? Why?
He is likely to be angry and to refuse. Nabin firmly believes that classical Hindustani music, with its ragas and aalaaps, is the only music a worthy artist should play, and he would see the violin played to Western tunes as a desecration of the instrument.

Shruti seemed 1. absent-minded during dinner. She finally gathered the 2. courage to inform her father about the Indo-Western fusion concert. Nabin reacted negatively, expressing 3. disapproval of fusion music and dismissed the idea. Despite Shruti’s 4. plea to attend a practice before deciding, Nabin was 5. firm in his decision. Leela 6. scolded her for not seeking permission earlier. The tension highlights the 7. clash between traditional and contemporary musical preferences within the family. Despite the 8. setback, Shruti promises not to hide again. (Extra words: surprised, relief.)

II. Will Shruti’s father go for the rehearsal? Support your answer.
Quite possibly, yes. Though he mocked fusion as “‘phoo’ music”, he loves his daughter deeply and is a true musician at heart; Leela, who clearly sympathises with Shruti, may persuade him to at least listen once — and a single hearing could soften a man whose ears, after all, are trained to recognise good music.

III. Do you think Shruti and her parents would understand one another?
Yes. The family’s bonds are strong and affectionate beneath the conflict: Shruti respects her father’s opinions, Leela acts as a bridge between the two, and Nabin’s concern gives them a reason to keep communicating. At the end of Act II, understanding is possible but not guaranteed. A prediction should use evidence available so far, without relying on the later revelation about Nabin’s childhood.

(i) Select the option that correctly identifies Shruti’s situation.
D. in a dilemma

(ii) What does Shruti mean by ‘the right way’?
She means a manner of telling her father that would neither hurt him nor make him feel she disrespects his opinions — a gentle, honest framing that conveys both her love for his values and her wish to try something new.

(iii) The extract reflects the generational gap in understanding art and tradition because ______.
…the father holds that classical Hindustani music alone is worthy of a true artist, while the daughter, respecting that view, still wants to explore the contemporary world of Indo-Western fusion.

(iv) Explain how Iqbal’s words were meant as an assurance to Shruti.
By saying “All ways are right ways”, Iqbal frees Shruti from her anxiety over finding a perfect approach — what matters is telling the truth, not how. And by reminding her “He is your father, he will understand”, he assures her that a parent’s love will outweigh his anger.

(v) Fill in the blank with a phrase from the extract: The critics argued that only films which provoke thoughtful discussion are __________.
of any worth

(i) Nabin’s breakthrough highlights a bridge between ______.
B. traditional values and modern expressions

(ii) The extract uses the word ‘lost’ both in the sense of losing ______ and physical separation.
…one’s musical roots/heritage (their own music) — Nabin feared Shruti would drift away from classical tradition as well as from the family.

(iii) Which word does not show what ‘Shruti hugs her parents’ conveys?
duty — the hug conveys reconciliation, harmony, acceptance and understanding, not mere obligation.

(iv) What can be inferred about Shruti’s future in music following her father’s expression of trust and support?
Her future looks bright and balanced: with her father’s blessing, his music room for practice and her own classical grounding, she has greater support and space to develop as a versatile artist; the play does not guarantee her future success — rooted in ragas yet free to innovate.

(v) Identify the phrase that refers to the uniqueness of each artist’s journey and style.
“each bay, its own wind“

1. Justify the title ‘Twin Melodies’. How does the play explore the theme of tradition and modernity?
The title works on two levels. Musically, the ‘twin melodies’ are Indian classical and Western music, blended in the children’s fusion pieces where ragas flow over keyboards. Thematically, they are tradition and modernity — father and daughter — first clashing, then learning to play in harmony. The play argues that the two need not compete: Shruti keeps the raga’s notes intact within fusion, and Nabin, once a rebel himself, learns that new forms can honour old roots. Like twin melodies in a duet, the generations sound best together.

2. What are the different perspectives of Peter, Iqbal, and Avinash regarding confronting figures of authority?
Avinash is the pragmatist: hiding only worsens matters, the worst outcome is a scolding, and elders “eventually come round”. Iqbal is the cheerful optimist who normalises conflict — he has “a little bit of scolding for breakfast every day” — and trusts a father’s love: “All ways are right ways.” Peter is the practical encourager, urging her to state when and with whom she practises and later applauding Shruti’s resolve with “That’s the spirit!” Together they encourage communication. Their comments suggest different attitudes, but do not establish the full nature of each boy’s relationship with his own elders.

3. Analyse the character of Nabin Sharma. How does his attitude towards music evolve?
Nabin is a disciplined purist — a master violinist and principal of a music school who limits performances to one in six months and dismisses fusion as “‘phoo’ music”. Yet he is no tyrant: his words express devotion to his art and fear that his daughter may lose touch with their musical roots. Hearing the rehearsal, the musician in him conquers the conservative — he taps his feet, claps with pride and praises Shruti’s flawless ragas. Reminded by Leela of his own youthful rebellion, he humbly admits his fears were baseless, offers the children his music room and promises to cheer at the concert. He evolves from gatekeeper of tradition to its generous bridge-builder.

4. How does the play use Shruti’s internal conflict to explore the theme of duty towards family versus personal passion?
Shruti’s struggle is never rebellion — she genuinely cares for her father’s opinions while longing to try fusion. This double pull produces her secrecy, her distress, her honest confession in Act II, and later her aside about withdrawing after one last practice. The play resolves the conflict not by choosing one side but by dialogue: Shruti’s promise that she “will always take my art seriously no matter what I do” shows passion disciplined by duty, while her father’s blessing shows duty softened by love. Family and passion, the play suggests, are reconciled through truthfulness.

5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the play’s conclusion. Does it realistically address the conflicts presented?
The conclusion is satisfying and largely realistic. Nothing is resolved by magic: the parents come to see for themselves, the music must earn Nabin’s approval on his own terms (Shruti’s raga discipline), and the deciding argument is biographical truth — Leela’s reminder of Nabin’s own defiance of his vocalist family. The reconciliation therefore grows from established character, not convenience. One might say Nabin’s turnaround is swift, but for a genuine musician, one soulful hearing can indeed outweigh years of prejudice.

6. Assess how well the role of cultural diversity contributes to the storyline of the play.
Diversity is the play’s very fabric. The quartet — Iqbal, Avinash, Peter and Shruti — brings different individuals together, with flute, tabla, keyboard and violin combining different sounds and musical traditions — and their Indo-Western fusion is diversity made audible. The central conflict springs from cultural difference (classical vs Western), and its resolution proves that differences enrich rather than dilute: Shruti’s classical rigour shines brighter inside fusion. The rehearsal makes cooperation audible. The text names the characters but does not explicitly state their religions; do not assign faiths from names alone.

(iv) (i), (ii), and (iii) — an aside lets a character talk about the story, reveals the character’s inner thoughts and feelings, and creates a direct link between character and audience.

Option 1: to fill gaps while speaking. In this picture exercise the choices also express reactions.

1. arrgh — distress/frustration.
2. ahem-ahem — the coughing or throat-clearing face.
3. whew — relief, with a hand at the forehead.
4. hmmm — thinking.

Unused: err. Follow the numbered pictures, not a generic list of emotions.

1. rhythm — (iii) the pattern of beats or time intervals in music  |  2. tempo — (iv) the speed at which a piece is played  |  3. bass — (i) the lowest tone or part in music  |  4. baritone — (v) a male voice between the higher and lower ranges  |  5. cacophony — (ii) a mixture of loud unpleasant sounds  |  6. pitch — (vii) how high or low a sound is  |  7. scale — (vi) a series of musical notes moving upwards or downwards

1. drown your individual style — to lose one’s own unique identity or manner by blindly copying others.
2. sense of musicality — a natural feeling for and skill in music — tune, rhythm and expression.
3. go down the drain — to be completely wasted.

Sentences 1 and 2 are exclamatory. Plain declarative versions are “I enjoy performing this piece very much” and “It is very soulful; you have all done a wonderful job.” The textbook then asks for reporting verbs, so the following reported declaratives also answer its intended exercise:
1. Shruti exclaimed with joy that she enjoyed performing that piece very much.
2. Nabin exclaimed with admiration that it was very soulful and that they had all done a wonderful job.

2. Iqbal exclaimed that it was an incredible achievement and that he couldn’t believe they had pulled it off.
3. Shruti’s mother applauded that each note had been executed perfectly and that the performance had been flawless.
4. Iqbal said jokingly that he basically had a little bit of scolding for breakfast every day.
5. Shruti apologised to her mother and promised that she would not hide things from her again. Here ‘hide’ concerns concealing information, not physically hiding herself.
6. Avinash exclaimed that she was a sensation then and added that the least she could do was throw a party.

Asma exclaimed excitedly that she 1. had had a unique experience at the art studio that day. Deepa urged her to tell her as she was eager to hear. Asma said that 2. she had accidentally spilled paint all over her canvas. Deepa pitied Asma. However, Asma replied to her not to worry as 3. the painting then looked better than her original plan. Deepa exclaimed that 4. that was incredible.

Picture 3 is the fish-shaped decorated harp that fits the transcript’s matsya yazh variety. Picture 2 also has the curved neck and boat-shaped resonator of an arched harp. The transcript describes several yazh designs, so shape alone does not give an unambiguous geographical identification of every drawing. Discuss this overlap with your teacher; pictures 1 (lyre form) and 4 (long zither form) do not match the described curved, open-stringed harp as closely.

The exact note answers come from the transcript on page 270. It describes gut strings and an ebony stem separately; do not put these into the resonator-material blank. The stem-tip animal is named Yali. The “ancestor of veena” wording is the transcript’s description.

Follow the textbook models: stress the contrasting words (“I don’t want papa to feel that I don’t care… because I do” — rising at the end for sincerity); stress “promise” and “bring this up” with a decisive tone; keep Leela’s question gentle, rising on “lost”; and deliver “Each bay, its own wind” thoughtfully, with a gentle rise on “own”. These are expressive performance models, not fixed intonation rules for every speaker. Then pick other lines — try Nabin’s “(calmly but firmly) No is the answer” with flat, firm intonation, and Avinash’s “SHRUTI!” with stronger emphasis at a comfortable volume; do not strain your voice.

Title: A Rhythm of Her Own
Characters: Anuradha; Father, a vocalist and school music teacher; Mother; Brother.
Setting: the family living room in the evening. A pair of tabla drums and an invitation lie beside Anuradha.

Anuradha: (aside) I have practised since primary school. This invitation means so much… but Father wants me to sing.

Brother: You have read that invitation three times. Are you going to perform?

Anuradha: Yes. I have decided to take part. I want to tell Father myself.

Mother: We support you. Explain why the tabla matters to you.

Father: (entering) What are you discussing?

Anuradha: I… er… have been invited to play tabla at an important event.

Father: You know my view. I would rather you concentrate on becoming a vocalist.

Anuradha: I respect your singing, Father. But the tabla is the instrument I have worked hard to learn. Will you hear what this opportunity means to me?

Brother: (quietly) Please let her finish.

Mother: We can listen before deciding what to say.

(Father sits. Anuradha places the invitation on the table. The opening scene ends with the conversation about to continue.)

This develops only the supplied beginning. It does not claim an ending given in NCERT. Four group members can take the four roles; brackets guide action and delivery and are not spoken aloud.

1. Quotation marks are unnecessary around every speech because the speaker’s name identifies it.
2. A colon follows the speaker’s name to introduce the dialogue.
3. Brackets contain directions for movement, emotion, tone or manner of speaking.
4. They guide the actors’ delivery and actions. The bracketed instructions are not said aloud.

The textbook gives 2012 as its formation year. The orchestra’s own history traces Favio Chávez’s work with the Cateura community to 2006 and says its story became widely known in late 2012 through the Landfill Harmonic trailer. Distinguish the project’s origins from that publicity milestone. The musicians use instruments made from discarded materials. Read the orchestra’s history.

Choose an instrument actually played in your region. Record its local name, material, how it produces sound, occasions when it is played and your source. For example, a bamboo flute is a wind instrument: air is directed across an opening, and covering finger holes changes the notes. Ask a local musician about the regional name and practice rather than assuming all flutes share one tradition.

Count a steady four-beat cycle. Person 1 claps on beat 1; person 2 taps the desk lightly on beat 2; person 3 claps on beat 3; person 4 taps a closed empty container on beat 4. Person 5 keeps a gentle, steady pulse through all four beats. Repeat, then swap roles. Use safe classroom objects and agree a comfortable volume.

Read Rigmarole and Other Plays by Sai Paranjpye if available. Choose a short comic exchange and explain how dialogue, pauses or actions create humour. This is an independent reading activity; do not invent quotations or an ending without reading the selected play.

Q1. Who are the members of the fusion group and what do they play? (30–40 words)
The group has four young musicians: Iqbal on the flute, Avinash on the tabla, Peter on the keyboard and Shruti Sharma on the violin. They rehearse Indo-Western fusion pieces in Iqbal’s room.

Q2. What is Nabin Sharma’s rule about performances, and why? (30–40 words)
His rule is one performance every six months, because “familiarity breeds contempt” — frequent public appearances, he believes, cheapen an artist; one should keep working on the art and let everything else follow.

Q3. How did the newspaper describe Shruti? (30–40 words)
The Parbatpuri Daily Clarion wrote that melody runs in the veins of Miss Shruti Sharma, daughter of the master violinist Nabin Sharma — high praise for her classical performance with her father.

Q4. What was Nabin’s own youthful rebellion? (30–40 words)
Born into a highly traditional family of vocalists, young Nabin chose the violin despite his family’s resistance. His father saw it as betrayal, but Nabin worked his fingers to the bone and triumphed.

Q5. Sketch the character of Shruti Sharma. (100–120 words)
Shruti is a gifted young violinist caught between two loves — her father’s classical tradition and her friends’ fusion music. She is respectful and sensitive: her secrecy is linked to fear of her father’s reaction and concern for opinions she values. She is honest at heart, confessing at dinner despite her dread, and responsible, promising her mother never to hide again. As an artist she is exceptional — even in fusion she never loses sight of the raga’s notes, earning her father’s proudest applause. Loyal to her group, she is ready to sacrifice the concert rather than defy her father, yet brave enough to plead her case. In her, talent, conscience and courage play in harmony.

Q6. What message does ‘Twin Melodies’ convey to young people and parents? (100–120 words)
To young people, the play says: pursue your passion, but with honesty and respect — hiding the truth, as Shruti learns, only multiplies trouble, while sincere dialogue can win over the sternest elder. To parents, it says: listen before judging. Nabin’s prejudice against fusion melts after he listens and Leela reminds him of his own past, and his own youth — when he defied a family of vocalists to take up the violin — reminds him that every generation must find its own music. The play’s wisdom is folded into one proverb: “each bay, its own wind.” Tradition and modernity are not rivals but twin melodies; played with trust and love, they make a richer music than either alone.