170 
WEAD. 
and physics; and men’s actions, likes and dislikes, as ex- 
pressed in music, furnish a large part of its most interesting 
subject-matter. Unfortunately the musicians, ethnologists and 
physicists sometimes appear to be more ready to dispute than 
to cooperate in studying the subject. So the most desirable 
thing at present is that all who are interested in the matter 
shall cease to say — You ought or ought not to do so and so, — 
and shall seek first to learn all the actual facts relating to the 
past and present of music, and then to consider their signifi- 
cance. Before long the histories and philosophies of music 
must be rewritten because of the many facts not at the com- 
mand of older writers. Let us this evening try to get a bird’s- 
eye view of the subject in some of its broad aspects. 
To this end, suppose that a superhuman being from Mars 
should cease digging new canals for a time and should visit 
our earth, alert, intent on seeing every form of human activ- 
ity and learning the chief conclusions of human inquiry and 
research, unprejudiced, and able to consider men’s actions, 
thoughts and feelings as objectively as he would rocks and 
animals; and suppose that we may accompany him as he 
hastens over the world. 
Our visitant would soon learn that music is one of the 
great human activities; — he learns that in our country the 
census classes 100,000 persons as “Musicians,” and puts the 
annual production of instruments at $100,000,000; he sees 
our children spend many hours a week in the study of music ; 
often he sees thousands attending a concert or opera where a 
hundred persons are busy making sounds; he finds the tumult 
of sound is all “a mighty maze, but not without a plan.” 
To learn something of this plan he examines instruments 
like those in the fine collections at the National Museum, or 
the New York Metropolitan Museum, consults histories and 
theoretical books, and asks how music has developed, what its 
physical, physiological and psychological foundations are, 
and what music means to those who compose, perform, and 
listen to it. Unfortunately human students of these things 
cannot yet answer the questions fully and satisfactorily; but 
some results already gained deserve attention. 
