The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-14
VOICE CULTURE IN AMERICA.
1t Is Process That Takes Time
Which Students Dislike to Give.

Is. w. WOdell, in the Musician.
The American people are mentally alert;
they think fast and do things in a hurry.
If a large building is to be erected there is
no question of taking plenty of time TO do
the work As many men as can find room
on the scafolds are employed and the
building is rushed to completion. You can
do this with buildings, but you cannot do it
with art, with education. Our pupils, intel
iOuSneSS in the pursuit of art. 1t is for us
to insist that they should take a serious
view of their work. American students rare
~ know how to labor and wait. Few or
them know how TO study. We must give to
them high ideal of what it is to study
art and must set our faces against their
impatience and desire to hurry on their
Work-to try to reach artistic results by
Shortcut" methods. Many American
pupils are neither respectful nor obedient.
Teachers themselves are sometimes In part
to blame for this as they allow certain
familiarity on The part of pupils ana ran
TO insist upon respect and obedience. some
of you know very well that If you have
for a pupil a lady of a certain type you
honor her, you cater to her little notions.
1t seems to me that in the end such
course is the worst that could be adopted
with such pupils. No man or woman ever
came to eminence in any profession except
through ato or and struggle and respectful
obedience to the will of those superior in
KNOWLEDGE and experience. The lack of re-
spect of willing obedience, of seriousness
pupils in this country. 1t is for US as teach
ers to endeavor 10 remedy this condition; to
help our pupils 10 get INTO Ilght attitude
toward their teachers and their work
The American vocal student is prone to
make changes of teachers. This habit is
great hindrance to the work of the teacher.
/ heard in this building no later than yes
terday young lady say: Il am now on
my fourteenth teacher. and / have worked
hard. too" Pupils who make frequent
changes of teachers master no method, but
get q sort of hash" of ideas from one and
another. Outlines these birds of passage
do a great injustice to q teacher by adVer-
Using themselves as his pupils when as
matter of fact they cannot be said to rep
resent his teaching or indeed that of any
one of the half dozen or more with whom
they have studied for short periods. Now
what is the cause of this undesirable con-
dition of things In some cases it seems
TO me that cOnceit is at the bottom of the
difficulty. The student iInagines that he
can get all that a certain teacher has to
give In few weeks or months. He then
looks around for a second professor, then a
third and so on, Teachers who habitually
criticise adversely the work of other pro-
fessors contribute somewhat to changeable-
ness among American vocal pupils. Let us
avoid such criticism of our fellOW-pro-
fessors and do what is possible TO bring the
public to realization of the fact that vocal
study should be entered upon with serious
ness: that il takes brains. work and time to
master good method.
Then to the choice of a vocal teacher.
In my opinion there Is nothing more absurd
than the attitude Of the average lady or
gentleman toward this question People use
more or less common sense in dealing with
other matters but seem often 70 abandon il
v hen they come to make choice of an in
structor in singing. One takes lessons from
a certain lady because she is perfectly
lovely" or from q certain gentleman be-
cause he has the finest studio in town."
or from another because friend takes les
sons from him. or from another because
for reasons that have nothing TO do with
the ABILITY OF that person TO teach singing.