"Once when father was asked: 'How can you stand it to hear old John Bell (who was the best stonemason in town) bellow off key the way he does at camp meeting?' his answer was: ' Old john is a supreme musician. Look into his face and hear the music of the ages. Don't pay too much attention to the sounds If you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a heroic ride to heaven on pretty little sounds.' "

--Charles Ives,
from "essays Before a Sonata"