John Weeks Moore

“ The chief excellence of that measured strain of music called air resides in the beauty of its melody, the symmetry of which lays hold of our affections in a peculiar way. When addressed to the gentler passions, its tender expressions are more intelligible than words, of which few are necessary to assist its meaning ; and the less it is encumbered with them, the more powerful is its charm. ”

“ Melody demands the expression of its own thoughts, before it attempts to express the idea of the poet - a means exclusively its own, and which acts upon us in a pleasurable way. Its power of calling up ideas of the past, upon which the mind loves to dwell, is often a source of great delight : with music of this kind the singer seldom fails to please ; he trusts to the charm of the melody rather than the force of the words, recollecting that we must first please the ear before we can touch the heart. ”

“ Instances of birds being taught a few bans of a very simple melody are not uncommon ; but cultivation to the point which this canary has reached must be exceedingly rare. The mocking bird would doubtless be a more apt pupil than any other. Its natural ear is certainly quickest, and its vocal power most versatile. The secret of teaching a bird to sing an air consists in playing the first notes over and over again upon some instrument agreeable to, the bird, taking care to suit the pitch exactly to the learner's capacity. ”