Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-30

and mtonstson can b learned By ukzng
~ pisns and oosnting wish band baasA
Every gtri should know how 70 rad
nzIsic 81 sasht before slss begins 70 Use
her voice az ell. She shoni1 have studied
thesry, harmony, ooantsrpolnt and 70
have fsnihsriEed herself with mn<ac IN
strumenssily. Ii reqaires great p@rienoe.
determination and anhAgging sgphcz-
tion % he thorough from musical
standpoint before she can hope 10 be
proEiciect from 9 standard VI vocal sr-
oellenoe. Nothing can be slightsd IN
musical study. to perfect the flnished
artist. and although singer has grsdu-
ated from one masters hands she is con-
tinually Studying and developing and
learning aud may BIO said never 10 have
finished.
Excitement and fatigue, and petty
cares and wcrry, too. must be tabooed
by singers. Exercise in the fresh air, .
light breakfast II take tea and rolls,
simple lunch and digestion an accom-
plishei fact before singing is necessary.
Tight clothes have TO go, TOD, II she
hopes TO breathe and keep up good cir
culation, and no paInpering the appetite
with nuts and sweets and elaborate
menus
Il take black coffee with my dinner,
never touch the sparkling waters or wa
ter pure and simple, and care little for
wine-milk giving the best health re-
suits.
TOO much cannot be said about
drafts aud talking In the night air.
Nothroats are so sensitive 20 atmosphere
and its changes as those Of singers. and
q good thing in going out q, night is TO
be on the safe side by breathing for some
time through the nostrils with closed
mouth before speaking. Girls should
cat plenty Of juicy roast beef and steak,
and get all the rest and sleep they can,
since singing is an exhaustive drain upon
vitality. Freshness Of voice goes with
freshness of physical condition.
There is another point to be urged.
and that is lessons in acting from good
teachers and proficiency in languages.
Foreigners ara very exacting, particu-
larry the French. about correct pronun-
titlttOH anu VI 3tItlts dIAl Al elil
must take her German and French and
Italian thoroughly in hand and brush
off her Apglo-Saxon accent while her
voice is being trained; so must she act
under suitable instructors.
II spent two years in Paris under one
teacher, and at tho same time studied
languages and had regular weekly les
-, \
forget those two years under her able
tuition. though before considering my
education sufficiently completed 10 APP
pear on the public stage / sought the
opinion of other teachers in London
and elsewhere, learning the various
schools of music and the ideas ad-
vanced by different recognized authori-
ties.
The time given to voice culture can
not be set down under any one rule
For instance, Mime. Etelka Gerster,
whose lovely voico charmed the world
during many years, was four years
learning to trill. Hers WAS glorious
voice, difficult Of management and re-
quiring great patience ard long practice
to render supple and flexible. Nine.
Emma Nevada, the California girl
whose high notes made her famous, had
a throat organ 80 easy Of control that
she was able to sing "Ernani. Lucia
di Lammermoor, ''Sonnambuia," mi
relle" and long list OF other operas
after two years study, ard that with
summer vacations of three months each
intervening.
'The time devoted to education must
be governed by circumstances. A girls
aptitude, her natural qualifications and
the adaptability of certain methods to
her voice should be taken into ccnsidcra-
ton. Barring loss of health, th-ce years
is an average for tho cultivation cf most
voices, though the wiser plan Is t. take
plenty of time, and neither push the
voice For retarl il, the main object being
to have the training perfect the voice as
nearly as possible, whether it takes two
years or six.
The same thing may be said as to a
time for beginning. Italians and south
ern girls would begin in most instances
earlier than those born in northern eli
mates. Physique and physical develop
ment should decide the question. Most
girls can stand the strain on vitnl en-
ergv of singing at sixteen, Many Of