Evening journal., 1898-02-18
CULTIVATION OF HE VOICE.
Not Confined Alone. 60 Learning 1
Sfusr

Not Confined Alone. 60 Learninr 10
Sing.
The possessor of well-modulated. !
pleasant, rather low-pitched and melo- |
hious voice has something of which he |
may feel justly proud. Many foreigners
find fault with the American voice. |
They call it harsh and nasal, crude, un-
cultured and peculiarly irritating to |
those who are accustomed to the rather |
soft, somewhat liquid intonations of the !
Latin races.
Cultivating the voice is generally un-
derstood as learning to sing. but there
lis voice culture which goes very far
beyond anything appertaining to mu-
kical instruction. When the child be-
gins to speak care should be taken that
III makes the proper sounds instead of
the unnatural tone which tits very like
" to acquire. The child is an initiative
creature, and follows very closely the
sounds that it hears from those about
st. If it constantly listens to any par
ticular sound, as a matter of course it
lwill very soon take IL up and adapt IL
hs its own. OF even more importance
than the cultivation of the voice is the
building of it. No one need be told that
there is a wonderful advantage in work.
ing upon any structure that has a care
lfully-planned and properly-finished
Foundation. The majority Of singers
hre riven to extreme faultiness in their
enunciation, This comes largely from
IA very slovenly habit of speaking, hab-
ht formed in early childhood from asso-
citation with persons who give very lit
Tile. if any, thought to the construction
of their language, being perfectly satis-
fed, to all appearance, so long as they
are able to make themselves under
stood. The time is well spent that is
given to teaching the little ones the cor
rect moduiation of their voices. We
all know children TO whom it is pleas
hre to listen, their intonation in speak
ing is so agreeable and their words seem
SO we'll chosen that one instinctively
wonders If these peculiarities (for pc
huliarities they certainly are) may not
hoe some gracious gift OF nature. Sure
ly child with such a preparatory train
ing furnishes infinitely better material
for subsequent culture than one who
comes, under his teachers hands, mere
hy lump of crude humanity. In the
/ lone case every word, work, thought and
/ interest Of the instructor not only tells
| lon the pupils mind and the formation
/ of his character, but IL is a positive
/ pleasure to watch and assist in, the un-
/ folding Of such an intelligence. II
/ sometimes occurs that such children are
| much more highly gifted, when in fact
/ they are made greatly superior TO their
/ fellows simply because they were given
correct start In life. On the other
hand, every endeavor is like pulling
against the stream. The little one is
told that such and such a way TO pro-
nouncc a word is correct; that its voice
| and phrasing must be so and so. II
spends three or four hours a day in the
lschoolroom and the remainder of the
24 in the society Of those whose every
word and act are in direct opposition
to the teachers precepts and example
Naturally the child is taught to honor
its parents and TO believe that wha'
they say and do is right. The logica
conclusion of this state of things is {
] toIi u@tA anu tbll II uANANAllg y NHtAAAaAN -
the child's duties. 1t is sent to schoo
to learn. and If II learns that its parents
ard friends are wrong the results can
not but be extremely discouraging. II
is safe to say that a considerable mum
her # the children who 90 to our pub
bic schools are handicapped in this way
Given a child we'll grounded in articu
luton, enunciation, the modulation Of
the voice, and with a correct under
standing of the sounds of the letters. ;
foundation has been laid upon which i
will not be difficult TO rear a solid and
Symmetrical superstructure. IN Y
! ndoar