MUSIC IN STORYTELLING – MCQ’S

MCQs: Music in Storytelling

1. Music in storytelling mainly helps to
   a) increase story length
   b) add emotion and meaning
   c) remove dialogue
   d) reduce audience interest
2. Music helps listeners feel all except
   a) happiness
   b) sadness
   c) devotion
   d) boredom
3. In many cultures, stories are
   a) only written
   b) only spoken
   c) sung or chanted with music
   d) acted without sound
4. Which Indian storytelling form uses stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata?
   a) Kathakali
   b) Harikatha
   c) Ottamthullal
   d) Vanchippattu
5. In Harikatha, the storyteller mainly
   a) dances
   b) acts silently
   c) sings and explains verses
   d) only plays instruments
6. Kathakalakshepam is closely connected with
   a) Hindustani music
   b) folk dance
   c) Carnatic music
   d) Western music
7. Baul songs belong to
   a) Kerala
   b) Tamil Nadu
   c) Bengal
   d) Maharashtra
8. Baul songs mainly talk about
   a) war and politics
   b) life, love, and spirituality
   c) science and technology
   d) trade and travel
9. Ancient Indian epics were preserved mainly through
   a) printing
   b) video recording
   c) chanting and singing
   d) translation
10. Which Kerala art form uses singers while actors perform?
    a) Mohiniyattam
    b) Kathakali
    c) Bharatanatyam
    d) Kuchipudi
11. The drum used in Koodiyattam is called
    a) Chenda
    b) mridangam
    c) mizhavu
    d) tabla
12. Which Kerala storytelling form uses humour and fast rhythm?
    a) Kathakali
    b) Koodiyattam
    c) Ottamthullal
    d) Pulluvan Pattu
13. Vanchippattu is associated with
    a) temple rituals
    b) snake worship
    c) boat rowing
    d) farming
14. Pulluvan Pattu is related to
    a) martial arts
    b) serpent worship
    c) royal courts
    d) trade songs
15. In Kerala storytelling, music mainly helps to
    a) confuse the audience
    b) guide emotions
    c) shorten stories
    d) remove narration
16. Traditional African storytellers are called
    a) bards
    b) griots
    c) shamans
    d) minstrels
17. Griots often use which instrument?
    a) flute
    b) veena
    c) kora
    d) violin
18. The Iliad and The Odyssey come from
    a) Rome
    b) Egypt
    c) Ancient Greece
    d) Persia
19. Ancient Greek epics were originally
    a) written silently
    b) acted without sound
    c) sung by bards
    d) printed as books
20. Native American storytelling often includes
    a) only narration
    b) songs, drums, and chants
    c) silent acting
    d) written scripts
21. Native American stories are often connected to
    a) business
    b) machines
    c) nature and spirituality
    d) city life
22. Bunraku and Noh theatre belong to
    a) China
    b) Korea
    c) Japan
    d) Thailand
23. Medieval ballads were popular in
    a) Africa
    b) Europe
    c) Australia
    d) South America
24. Ballads were usually stories about
    a) science
    b) farming
    c) love, war, and adventure
    d) mathematics
25. Peking Opera comes from
    a) Japan
    b) China
    c) Korea
    d) Vietnam
26. Peking Opera combines storytelling with
    a) silence
    b) painting
    c) music and singing
    d) only dance
27. Middle Eastern storytelling often uses
    a) rap music
    b) rhythmic chanting
    c) electronic music
    d) silence
28. One main benefit of music in storytelling is that it
    a) makes stories harder
    b) helps memory
    c) removes emotion
    d) limits the audience
29. Music supports storytelling mainly in
    a) written traditions
    b) digital media only
    c) oral traditions
    d) silent reading
30. The main conclusion of the note is that music
    a) replaces stories
    b) is optional in culture
    c) is a universal language of storytelling
    d) belongs to one country

Answer Key

1. b
2. d
3. c
4. b
5. c
6. c
7. c
8. b
9. c
10. b
11. c
12. c
13. c
14. b
15. b
16. b
17. c
18. c
19. c
20. b
21. c
22. c
23. b
24. c
25. b
26. c
27. b
28. b
29. c
30. c

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.