She kept close to Third Avenue, something reassuring in the sidewalk gabble, the air of cheap carnival, the white arc lights over open fruit stands, and the percussive roar of Elevated trains.
"Star-Dust A Story of an American Girl"
Fannie Hurst
Much of this can be corrected by constantly bearing in mind the true value of vowels, the percussive value of consonants, and the importance of keeping up the voice until the last word is spoken.
"Resonance in Singing and Speaking"
Thomas Fillebrown
As implied by the customs of still extant barbarous races, the first musical instruments were, without doubt, percussive-sticks, calabashes, tom-toms-and were used simply to mark the time of the dance; and in this constant repetition of the same sound, we see music in its most homogeneous form.
"Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I"
Herbert Spencer