Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-04-29

Reason why-vocal Training

school, but do not spend much
time on the Gamut Why is it?''
Well, my friend, / have several rea-
sons forthis. The farmer before
he BOWS the seed, carefully pre-
parcs the ground. Before our chill
dren can sing, "scientifcalIy," the
ear must be educated and the voice
cultivated. This can be accom-,
plished only by well directed prqc-
tice, and this practice is the prepa-
ration of the ground. While the
vocal organs need cultivation, tie
ear needs it much more. The pop
ular mistake is, that persons can
not sing because they lack voice.
Now, this cannot be the case, un-
less there is a natural defect in the
vocal organs, which is a rare oc-
currance. So far as voice is con
cerned, any one can sing well that
can read well. This is common
sense. All that is needed, is the
requisite training. As to voice,
then, ninety nine out Of every hun
dred could become from fair to
good singers The real difficulty
lies in the ear. All our senses are
susceptible Of cultivation. The ef-
feet of cultivation upon hearing and
feeling, is strikingly illustrated in
the case of blind persons. Why
cannot deaf person sing and
talkS Because he cannot hear--
A person born deaf cannotlearn to
talk, neither would child learn to
talk if hearing were perfect, but he
constantly surrounded by mutes.
We all know that many persons
cannot distinguish one tune from
another Is this owing to any de.
feet in the vocal organs? Certain
ly net; for in time we find many
of those same persons not only
good judges of music, but also
performers. I have had many boys
and girls in my singing class, who
could not, at first, distinguish one
note from another, and would
sound every tone in the octave on
the same pitch, and yet in process
Of time and training, they became
good singers, and some of them
successful teachers of music.
| 1t is true, that some seem to have
better ears and voices than others,
but this simply argues that in this,
as in other sciences, the apparent,
ly dull ones need to spend more
time and labor to succeed but
time and labor, rightly bestowed,
will produce the desired result
unless the organs are naturally de-
fective, or diseased beyond RENE
Idy. Let any one devote the time
and pains to become a good sill ger,
that Demosthenes did to become a
good orator, and success is as GER
tain in the one case as in the other,
while very few, indeed, would have
the natural defects to overcome
that he had Music is a science,
and very difficult one. Is it tany
more singular that some are duller
and slower in comprehending it
than others, than in the pursuit Of
the other sciences? Does itargue,
in the one case more than in the
other, that because some are bright
and quick, others cannot learn it?
Another popular mistake exists
in the idea that child cannot learn
music, say, before ihe age of twelve
or fifteen. Have you ever noticed
that children whose mothers are
generally good singers, are gener-
ally good singers too They begin
to learn music in the cradle, just
where and when they should begin
TO receive their musical training. -
My mother was a good singer, and
so was the half sister that took care
of me when a babe; and I am the
only enc of the family, on my faith
ers side, that can sing. Each of
my children can sing. ] trained
them both at home and in school,
This early training cultivates the
ear and the voice; therefore, is, If
not absolutely necessary, a very
great advantage, / presume the
secret of Singing Families" lies
more in this early training than in
any "natural gift" as is popularly
supposed, Ny idea is, that scien-
tifc training in vocal culture and
vocal music, is far more profitable
and successful before the age of six,
eight, or ten, than after the latter
age-wilI produce more satisfacto-
ry results.
You can now, my friend, gather
nv idea, and see why practice the