New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
WOULD SHE BE A SOPRANO?
THEN THE AsPIRANT TO VOCAL HoNORs
MUST STUDY MOST FAITHFULLY.
MARIE SEYMOUR BissELL THINKS SIX fEAf'S VI
PREPARATION NOT TOO MccH-sAfs
cooD VOICE IS prST AT FORTY.


PREPARATION NOT TOO MucH-sAfs
COOP VOICE is BEST AT FORTY
T, asxed Cor n general statement as to VINO
can learn TO sing. l should say, An! "ne VIM
nossosses n fair amount Of talent good musi-
ral ear and plenty of perseverance bu' 'ne
truth is IL is not possible 10 make any rue' 'ie
exceptions will be largely In excess 1"
no other line of study, perhaps Is IL heoe''"''
20 make so many exceptions as WIN No."i
.,uasnts There are so many things besides
mere voice TO be taken into consderauoh-'e
perament. physique mentality. etc'-tha'
would never feel justified in telling any pupi
absolutely "You can" or you cannot make
success" until l had opportunity to test not
only the voice but the mental capacity anu
ability for persevering. painstaking STUDY
pun,ls with only two three notes IN their
voices and those rather bad. nave often '
TO me for lessons; and. by all known OF accep'eu
miles should have said they could never learn
90 sing an ordinary ballad yet, by persistent
digging at note after note. they nave "i'"
three years time developed sufficient voice "
sing sweetiy and acceptaby songs OF heh
character.
7, does not follow because pupil has per-
feet organ and good voice that she mas 'he
intellectually and perseverance to make gooo
faults. often tax my patience to the utmost by
their careless study.
o,hars able 10 take only the most Ordinary
tones and with little apparent musical talent
have DEVELOPED beautiful voices by careful IN
,e,lipent study In fact, some of my pupils now
filling the best church positions had 'hs ieas'
musical talent 20 begin with; but because 'he!
were good students and had large imi'a'ive
ability they have reached the desired result !"
spite OF the seeming lack Of natural enuo"-
mont 7 Law stress on Initiative ability, De-
cause in my teaching | have found 1t plays SO
large part in developing students rapiu!'
WHEN TO BEGIN.
as 70 the age when vocal training should be-
~in I would say not earlier thah seNe''e'''
wears. This is not much because OF ld0h Vi
,,vs;cal DEVELOPMENT as because pupils are
not far enough advanced mentally nave ho'
learned to concentrate the attention. 10 'i.''"
,,oar,v or comprehend fully what the teacher
is endeavoring to impart ana are ''NeS ~
.cou,ra habits Of careless study thai VIII De
very detrimental later.
There are exceptions to this rule but IN my
LID exner.snce extending over many years
with hundreds Of voices the most sausi"c'oi'
resu,ts have been attained by beginning oe-
,u,oe, the ages Of seventeen and twenty -ohe
years To begin much later than this ana MAKE
any large degree Of success the pupil hiU''
have exceptional musical ability
TINE REQUIRED.
Tho ,ino required to fiji pupils for concert
church and oratorio or opera varies as ihuch a'
IN tho dispositiOns talents and percepUNc
movers of students; and it is inposslpie u u''
clare that any given number OF years or iiioh'"a
will he the exact time in which the desired re-
suit NAV be obtained Unfortunately thefe are
soma teachers-but they are few-Who ioI tne
paltry pecuniary gain. promise TO III pui"S |.
secure church positions within one YEAR ""'
no conscientious teacher would dare 10 guar ar
tee ANYTHING of the kind. Several times III III!
experience pupils with considerable talent and
close application have in two years-ahu' III
few cases in one year-secured solo church po
sitions hut 1t would be misleading TO say tha'
many students could do SO. In fact the majority
could not To make an artist or artistic singer
requires. in my opinion, from six to ten years OF
study.
But the real artist never ceases 10 stuu!
There are many pleasing singers before the pun
lie who have not studied so much 10 pe SUI
but they were richly endowed by nature anu
Inv a happy combination OF circumstances haNe
attained popularity. These. however, l 90 H No,
call artists and popularity shouiu HUI oo ''e
sole aim Of the student. ~. .
lie for a short time and disappear, never 10 De
heard of again. for the reason tha', no. is -,
,oetbod the vocal chords become strained, OF
throat disease is contracted: whereas a little
more time given to the study OF methoo III ''e
Lepinning would have assured them years u!
success With iudcious a properly trained
voice should grow better. fuller and rlcher' un-
III its greatest breadth is reached between
tbirty-f1ve and forty. ,, !.
The amount of study relatively required to
prepare pupils for the different branches vi
musical career is IN about the 1oiloWlhe oIuel
ordinary concert work first. or the least time
church and oratorio more time; opera, mos'
time. -. ,o y GOOD
voice and pleasing personality OUT she is NOV
necessarily a thorough musician. She can easily
acquire a concert repertory OF three or 1ou'
arias with goodly supply OF ballads ior en-
cores: in these she has been coached by mel
teacher: and II she have sufficient self-conf-
dence can make her debut in concert with 9
reasonable assurance of success.
Church and oratOrfO singing requires goo
ensemble work reliability independence. abll:
ity 10 read and lead we'll. and good Solo
foundation Of study. 80, a..
aa 10 the needs and requirements OF the stu
dent OF opera no limit can be placed on the
study OF the voice it requires, and our music.
loving American public places the STANDARD
higher each year.
COST OF TUITION.
The cost par year in New-York for tuition and
hoard ranges from 5000 to 81 900. according &c
tho nr,ce paid for board, as the charge for les
sons Is sd and s., and pupil should always
take two lessons week
SALARIES.
The average church choir salary Is about SOW
for solo soprano. and $3.50 for solo contraito
Eight hundred dollars for soprano and SVoV To-
contralto Is considered an excellent salary
while 81. 900 and 81 200 is first class, and II
mid nv several Of the best churches in New
York and Boston. Second quartet work com
mands about $3.50 a year for soprano and SZo'
Tor contralto. while chorus salaries range from
81 to So a Sunday. In smaller cities salaries
range from $500 to $500.
SOME SUGGESTIONS.
In selecting the special branch Of music t'