Music finds Satchmo: The chapter’s meanings and solutions are given here. The lesson is from Class 8 English Book.
Summary
This is an extract from Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. It tells the story of Louis’s early life, and it is a marvel. He grew up in Storyville, district of New Orleans, and abandoned at an early stage. His formal education ended before he was 11, and he learned to play the cornet at the Home for Coloured Waifs, where he was sent after firing off a pistol on New Year’s Eve. He was black, in a world controlled by whites. Yet by the age of 21 he was tearing up a storm alongside King Oliver in the hottest jazz band in Chicago. This extract traces his transformation and how eventually he plays cornet and becomes an accomplished singer with the help of Mr Davis in the Waif’s house. It is a story of his transformation and also fondness for music.
Word-Meanings
universal – involving all people in the world; inducted – to include; Pacify – to satisfy by giving answers to queries; span – spread; bitty – tiny; slammed – shut and closed with a sound; swinging – moving around in the air; whiff – smell; inmates – the people living there in the prison; rooky greeting – a person who is new to an organisation or an activity and does not have much experience and therefor the old ones welcomed as if they would welcome a new comer there; annihilate – to destroy completely; sheepish – embarrassed, meek; cavalry – an army composed of mounted troops like on horseback; drill – give training by repetitive practice; manual – done or operated by hands; vocational – skills one needs to have to do a particular job; make a beeline – to go directly; get on with – to have good relations with; scald – to burn or treat with hot water; hot-foot – to go quickly or in haste; in the worst way – desperately, desire very much; gee – an exclamation that shows you surprised, impressed or annoyed; immensely – greatly; envy – feel jealous; vouch for – take the guarantee of someone for his good behaviour; condemned – sentenced, punished; furthermore – moreover, in addition to; chunk – piece; stammered – spoke with hesitation and by repeating words; miniature – short or mini form of something; yelled – to shout loudly; nod – to show approval or agreement by moving head up and down. fall in line – to agree and follow the rules and positions; warm up to – begin liking and enjoying; filthy – dirty; mellow – soft, pleasant and mature; nonchalantly – calmly and without fear or hesitation; in the seventh heaven – very happy; realised – fulfilled; sporting – fair, kind and generous;
Book Exercises
Comprehension
A. Answer these questions briefly.
- What was the first thing Armstrong noticed on reaching the Waif’s Home?
- Why did Armstrong not eat anything during the first few days at the Waif’s Home?
- Why did Mr Davis disapprove of Armstrong in the beginning?
- What was Armstrong’s only way of getting out of the Waif’s Home?
- What was Armstrong’s reaction when he was asked to join the brass band?
- How was Armstrong different from the previous bugler?
Answers
- He noticed several trees and a sweet odour of flowers.
- He was not happy being there.
- He did not like the neighbourhood from where Armstrong had come. He thought he was going to be very rough and uncivilized.
- could he get out of the Waif’s house only if a white person vouched for him.
- He was speechless and surprised.
- He cleaned, polished and shined the bugle which the previous bugler had never done.
B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
- Oh! I had a million minds, and I could not pacify any of them.
a. At what point does the speaker felt like this?
b. What does the speaker mean by ‘million minds’?
c. What is it that the speaker could not do? - Mr Jones and his colleagues gave me a big laugh I replied with a sheepish grin.
a. Who was Mr Jones?
b. Why did he and his colleagues laugh?
c. Why did Armstrong give a ‘sheepish grin’?
- So that was the end of my beautiful dream!
a. What does ‘that’ refer to?
b. What was the ‘beautiful dream’?
c. Why did the speaker think that it was the end of his dream?
Answers
- a. When he was being taken to the Waif’s house.
b. He did not know where he was being taken and what they would do to him. He had so many unanswered questions
c. He could not find answers to any of his questions. - a. He was a keeper of the Wiafe’s house. .
b. As after days of not eating, that day Armstrong was the first one to be at the table.
c. He felt shy when the men laughed. - a. When Mr Davis handed Satchmo a tambourine.
b. It was to play the cornet.
c. Because he thought that it was the end.
C. Answer these questions.
- How was life regulated at the Waif’s Home by bugle calls?
- How did Mr Davis begin to appreciate Louis Armstrong?
- What would have happened if Louis Armstrong refused to play the tambourine?
- How did Louis Armstrong become the most popular boy at the Waif’s Home?
- Why was the Waif’s Home band chosen by the social clubs?
- Briefly describe the life at the Waif’s Home?
- Trace Louis Armstrong’s journey from the day he entered the Waif’s Home to the time he became the leader of the band. Emphasise the qualities that helped him in his journey.
- Write a character sketch of Louis Armstrong.
- Do you agree that if one has passion for something, things work out for them towards the end? Give reasons and examples from the text.
- What do you think must have happened before the beginning of this extract?
Answers
- The bugle sound meant different things in different times. Each time the bugle sounded to indicate time for like- waking up, eating, going to bed etc.
- Mr Davis must have noticed the good behaviour and sincerity of Armstong. Armstrong listened to music keenly. All this made Mr Davis like and appreciate Armstrong.
- He would not have got any more chances to be a part of the music team or band.
- When he played the band in his neighbourhood, his friends gave them money with which he bought new uniforms and instruments for the band.
- The social clubs had some tiresome old-timers in the band party. The social clubs wanted the youngsters to lead the band. So, they approached the band that consisted of young boys who walked and played tirelessly.
- The waif’s home was meant for reforming the young children. Their life was regulated by the bugle sound meaning differently at different time. During the day the children were given different task and taught and given vocational trainings like carpentry and music.
- Louis Armstrong was fond of vegetation there but in the beginning he did not like the food served there. Mr Davis ignored him but later on he gave him chances to learn playing musical instruments. He became a bugler and then went on to became leader of the band. All other inmates started liking him. He succeeded because of his passion for and devotion to music with patience and perseverance.
- Louis Armstrong was a devoted music enthusiast. he was generous in sharing money he got from the street crowd. His determination, patience and perseverance led him to becoming the leader of the band. His behaviour earned him the faith and trust of Mr Davis as well as other keepers there. The other inmates appreciated his musical skills.
- I think the passion for something and devotion to it is rewarded in the long with appreciation and support from other sources. Louis Armstrong was disliked in the beginning but his passion for music got support from Mr Davis and he went to become the leader of the band.
- It seems that he had fired some bullets in the air out of curiosity or rejoicing any celebration or it was accidental firing.
Vocabulary
A. Put these words in the suitable columns to form correct collocations.
| a break | a chance | a bus | a promise | an appointment |
| a thief | an exam | a leg | in touch | quiet |
| rest | a ball | a record | a cold | fire |
| calm | the change | notes |
| take | break | keep | catch |
Answer
| take | break | keep | catch |
| a break, a chance, a bus, an exam, rest, notes | a leg, a record, a promise | a promise, an appointment, in touch, quiet, calm, the change, | a bus, a thief, a ball, a cold, fire |
Grammar
A. Use the present perfect continuous tense forms to complete this dialogue between a dentist and a small girl.
Dentist: Good gracious! What cavities! What ……………………….. you ……………………….. to your teeth? (do)
Girl: I ……………………….. anything new. (not do) Dentist: What do you mean?
Girl: Oh! I ……………………….. just lots of chocolates and sweets. (eat)
Dentist: You know you shouldn’t have done that. ……………………….. you ……………………….. your teeth even at night? (brush)
Girl: No I am afraid, I ……………………….. my teeth regularly at night. (not brush) Dentist: No wonder, they are in such a bad shape!
Answers
Dentist: Good gracious! What cavities! What have you been doing to your teeth?
Girl: I have not been doing anything new.
Dentist: What do you mean?
Girl: Oh! I have just been eating lots of chocolates and sweets.
Dentist: You know you shouldn’t have done that have you been brushing your teeth even at night?
Girl: No I am afraid, I have not been brushing my teeth regularly at night. Dentist: No wonder, they are in such a bad shape!
B. Fill in these blanks with the past perfect continuous tense forms of the verbs.
- They ……………………………….. for five days before the rescue team …………………………….
them. (travel/see) - Tripta ……………………………….. all night. She was sleeping. (study)
- The cook ……………………………….. ……………………………….. for five hours. He has gone to his room. (stand)
- We an hour when it began to rain. (play)
- The two boys ……………………………….. when I reached the spot. (fight)
- I ……………………………….. all day, so I did not want to go out. (work)
- I was really tired because I ……………………………….. all day. (study)
Answers
- They had been travelling for five days before the rescue team saw them.
- Tripta had been studying all night. She was sleeping.
- The cook had been standing for five hours. He has gone to his room.
- We had been playing for an hour when it began to rain.
- The two boys had been fighting when I reached the spot.
- I had been working all day, so I did not want to go out.
- I was really tired because I had been studying all day.
D. Use appropriate punctuation marks to make these sentences meaningful.
- i moved slowly very slowly so that i may not disturb the old mans sleep
- the boy cried my mother has touched an electric wire
- the first ever train in eastern india steamed out of howrah station for hoogly on 15 august 1854
- punctuation is important my teacher said without punctuation marks your writing would be very confusing
Answers
- I moved slowly, very slowly so that I may not disturb the old man’s sleep.
- The boy cried, ‘My mother has touched an electric wire!’
- The first ever train in Eastern India steamed out of Howrah station for Hoogly on 15 August 1854.
- ‘Punctuation is important,’ my teacher said. ‘Without punctuation marks your writing would be very confusing.’
Punctuate the advertisement given below
Answers
New Hospital
Grand opening by the health minister
All our readers will be delighted to learn that Greenfields Hospital will be functional soon. The health minister has kindly consented to inaugurate it on Monday, January 1st at 2 O’clock. He will be received by the director of the hospital Dr. S N Menon. Then the guests will go round the new hospital. This will be followed by tea and snacks in the visitor’s lounge.