Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-17
HOW TO WHISTLE.
WHlSTLlNG CONSIDERED AS AN
ARTISTIC RECREATION.

Throat and Lungs.
Mrs. Alice J. Shaw, who appeare.
at Olympia Theater next Wednesday
evening, has made q fortune by an
unique accomplishment-the art oil
whistling. She is in this novel
specially what Juch or Patti has been
in song, and has had quite as high
honors paid her by the crowned heads
Of Europe, whose approval seems to
be a passport to success. She has
whistled before the Prince of Wales,
and been the guest OF the Lord Mayor
OF London, with q select circle OF the
nobility for auditors. At the man.
sions of the Rothschilds her hosts in
sisted upon personally serving her.
Wherever she appeared she was greeted
with the most rapturous applause.
This much merely by way of intro
duction of lady who by the best
means of demonstration, her own ex-
perience, has written for the S. F. En-.
dminer, her ideas of the novel accom-
plishment. She declares that whis-
Ting for half an hour, after meals, is,
in her opinion, the best possible aid to
digestion. She says, try it, weak
chested, slender.throated sisters mine,
and you will profit by the experiment.
I am not anxious to introduce a new
fad; have no novel theories to propa-
gate. 1 am simply anxious for my
sex that my own curious experiences
as whistler may become OF service to
humanity. In fact, believe it justi-
fies me in claiming that the most ad-
vanced cult of physical training can
offer no exercise 90 easy, so simple and
yet, withal, 90 beneficial as whistling,
and by this I advocate an exercise Of
the muscles Of the throat and lips
which can produce artistic and even
beautiful results while building up the
health.
Such good health as has been mine
since I began this magnificent exer-
else is rare; my chest measure has in
creased four inches, my throat three
inches and my lung expansion five
inches. The muscles used have re.
ceived course OF training better than
any masseuse and my lungs have be-
come actually powerful. The only
physical ailments I have to fear are
chapped lips and q cough, and the
latter am almost proof against.
/ am often asked: "How shall !
learn this art which is as great an i'm
provement on the school boys shril-
ling as is the singing of the prima
donna to the dreary droning Of the
Piute squawi" and will try briefly to
answer it.
To get the full benefit from this
pleasant exercise throw the head
back At the angle fill the lungs
to nearly their utmost capacity,
holding it until the muscles of the
throat have . chance to resume
their normal condition, then con-
tract them to the proper position
and slowly and evenly expel the air.
(Right here let me explain what lie the
chief difficulty with most people who
whistle. They do not allow the
throat muscles time to relax before
to exhale. The result is
that there is no music produced, the
whistle lacking volume and sounding
like the escape of steam, just before
the sound is produced, or more like
gas burning under strong pressure.)
BY and by the novice will find him or
herself becoming weary Of the mono
tone.
Then try phrasing; there is nothing
ludicrous in the suggestion that there
may be such q thing A. phrasing in
when once the study of the
novel and useful diversion has passed
the primary stage. To this devote
plenty Of time and practice, As the
future results depend entirely upon
the two points already mentioned.
may be attempted, and
after q while the more delicate modu.
lations. To produce the trills no
especial directions can be given; the
lips do most OF the work, the tongue
doing its necessary part
OF the performance. I find that after
practice I can more easily regulate the
volume of sound by raising or lower
ing my head.
All beginners get out of breath, but
that is overcome by practice, but as
the singer learns to sing. My breath
seems at times to be endless, can
hold my notes 90 long.
Now, while it is true that only per.
sons gifted with . natural whistle"
and q perfect ear for music can be-
come whistlers of the first rank, and
they are very rare indeed, it is equally
true that there is no one who cannot
attain pleasing degree of excellence
and greatly profit in SO doing. To be-
come an artist in the work requires q
hard course Of training and hours and
hours of study, without neglecting a
day. but 70 achieve gratifying success
one needs only perseverance.
Marchesi says that what ! do ia
singing" in all that the technical
definition of the term requires. But
for lack of better word we must still
call it " whistling," but think that il
is far more than the public under
stands by that word. 1t means &
method of prolonging life and alleviat
ing suffering that hope at no distant
date to see popularized. If ths
physicians in charge Of hospital ward'