The Washington times., 1894-07-08
CULfIYATING YOUR VOICE
Emma Eames Describes Some of thl
Difficulties to Be Overcome.
IT MEANS MUCH HARD WORK
The Prima Donna Tells Of Many Pitfalls in
the Way. but Success Atones for the Sac
rifces-Why So Many Girls Rush to Eu-
rope for Training.

PARIS, July 2.-That Emma Eames Is even
handsomer of the stage than on must be con-
ceded by all who know her. As she sat in
her pretty parlor at her hotel one evening in
black gown with fragrant heliotropes nrst-
ling in her belt and smile on her fresh
young face it seemed almost ridiculous to ask
her about the royal road to fame and fortune
for singer. To the casual admiring outsider
it would seem that she could not help being a
success with so many personal charms.
''How to be great singer" She smiled
and then added modestly. why am not
great yet am very young in my art. When
a few more years have passed over my head
l hope to have triumphs which have never
yet tas,ed.'
But most girls would be content with your
share OF fame so far suggested.
. Work is the one path Tor any achievement
| and that is how l have accomplished what
have. girl with az ordinary voice, even If
the quality is poor. can be well trained, and
with hard, persistent WORK may win laureis,
money and fame which the lazy girl with an
exquisite voice will never have. The reason
we have so many successful American singers
is that American girls have slnyieness OF
purpose and determination which carry
! them on 10 their goal. The girl with a voice
/ is an unmanageable creature very often. But
I work and proper training and following some
sensible teacher advice Will make singer
OF her.
when / was a young girl l studied in Bos-
I ton. and there received ny first ideas of mu-
/ sic. When went to Paris began ut the be
! ginning as If | had known nothing. 1 put my
I trust in NY teachers and worked continually
/ l tried dozens of teachers-it is the only way
and instead OF ruiDing ones voice. as diff
ferent methods are said TO do, think il does
one good. You learn from every teacher.
From the bad one you will learn what to
( avoid and from the good one what TO DO,
even if it is only hint which you get from
/ one or sthe one valuable point in a bad
method. it is so much gained. But careless
! teacher can ruin the best voice in the world,
/ while even fine teacher can ihiure Vol .t
| in the training. Ii Is such a delicate. intan-
! Gible, fiekie thing. ana one which needs more
| patient care and attention than any other
| gift
| How would you advise the American girl
| student in Europe who goes to train her
/ voice."
First. why do girls all rush to Europe?
( They can get excellent training here and wait
uutil they have learned 50 much that they
I need teachers finer than they can get here
{ Then let them go 10 Paris or Italy and study.
[ This rushing away from home because one
! girl sings a l!:tle louder than her girl friend
/ is overdone. II little Judgment and COM
: mon sense were exercised there would be
fewer empty purses and embittertd heart
broken Young women in Europe and fewer
d-nunc.dtions about tile European singing
te;i;hess n their training
Bur Wieu q eiri has learned all she can
hers aud then goes to Euro je?''
Al. tlat Is Gln rent. l. sac really has
voice. good deal OF understanding and a
t1us love iOr her profession, she will find a
good teacher. There are many frauds in the
ranks OF singing teachers. Us there are among
doctors. but some are honest and clever and
really take al interest in their pupils When
she has found one whom she can trust let her
trust him entirely and follow the regime of
his method without question. When | was
studying in Paris I ross every morning ak
o'clock. / had my lesson mt g and practiced
all day, singing and learning French and Del
sarte went to bed al and the next day
was just the same as the day before it. /
spoke French entirely. / never went out and
never entertained or had holidays. 1t was
deep. earnest work all the time. and | was
never bored or honesick. because l threw my
heart and soul into what l was doing and
thought or did nothing else.
The pitfalls for girl students in Paris are
many. There are incompetent teachers who
will charge as much rs good ones; there are
dazzling shops and beautiful clothes and tine
gay American colony. which is always enter
tanning and glad to welcome new comers to
TO warn the girl student. 1t is absolutely i'm
possible 10 combine the pleasures OF society
and the regime q! work. 1t cannot be done.
One aust either work with such a zest aud
interest as TO shut out all interest for other
things or else give il up entirely. You can
not pretend to go 10 the theater or TO con-
certs or dances in the evening and then go
tired and in IA bad voice to your lessons in the
morning il you intend TO be great singer.
Then girl must be very careful about her
health. Eating sweets and pickles. drinking
wines and gong out without ruobers. taking
meals when one pleases. and. in other words,
living lrregularly does not do for
the girl student who wishes to preserve her
voice. Her general health must be perfect
or her voice will suffer. Every sacrifice
must be made for This wonderful git pleas
ures of the table and of society. ease and in
dolence, everything which the Idle woman
loves, must give way to her training. But it
is worth il When she first sings before an
audience she realizes it. II success shines
upon her 1t is worth the work of years. the
drumming OF scales, the prim. narrow sim
p.icity of her Student life, the bread and milk
suppers. the early hours and the lack OF
pleasures or Distraction
but does not ones personal appearance
have Il great deal to do with ones succsss?"
''WelI. hardly" and Nine. Eames smiled
coyly. '''ibai would be unfair discrimina-
ton OF an artistic public. OF course, when
one sings in concert it is well to please the
eye and not distract the ate ntion OF ones
audience from ones notes by incongruities
in dress or appearance. but it should really
have nothing 20 do with an artistic success.
In grand opera. the highest expression of the
art, it is we'll 10 have q commanding presence
ani a good height, but beautiful woman is
certainly rs pleasing sight on a Stage as
anywhere. but the beautiful woman without
voice would be Kissed off any European stage.
where beauty is not SO common as III
America
Mnls, Eames rose and walked 10 the plano.
winery 9es~< wske noadlps taeir xsF- 1
IN nofes ssYes sho ~, tb80yh yhtfu;iy. - |
chs shook her Head con1d9atly towar 4 the |
roses which nodded, '.it is worth al. the
work. and il one really loves TO sing the work
is a pleasure. As for myself, feel that there
is in me wnat has never been brought out, and
some day shall do far better thiags than
hav,, agar done vet