The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-29
ON VOICE CULTURE.
Eda
Local Instructors Ex-
press Opinions to
The Spy.
BRAINS ARE PRIME FACTORS.
Many May Become Good
Singers But Few Can
Be Artists.
BRAINS ARE PRIME FACTORS.

1t is a mistaken idea that there are
few good voices, say a number of Wor-
cester music teachers. 1t Is true that
few persons who take vocal culture les
sons ever become noted singers, but
that is owing, among other reasons, to
their lack of artistic temperament,
which counts for so much in the world
of music. But there is q large class of
people who can become good singers by
right methods of cultivation. Just as
the athlete becomes developed in that
set Of muscles that are in constant use,
the voice can be developed in a Won
derful manner.
Some pupils begin with a thin,
squeaky voice. that becomes husky af-
ter a few minutes of singing, and after
a course of training, surprise them
selves and their friends by the remark
able development. A well-known teach
er says: people often say to me I can
never learn to sing; I have no voice.
generally reply: But you have brains
In my own observation of all the pupils
that I have had during a life of teach
| ing have found good voices almost as
common as the sands on the seashore.
| Give me seven-eighths brains three
thirty-seconds breathing and one-thir-
| ty-second voice and 1 will guarantee
good results.
"Of course, these figures are off-hand
To be exact, if / were asked what sort
of a person makes the best vocal stu
dent and has the best chance of sue
ceeding in singing, l would say the per-
son with 65 per cent brain, 20 per cent
temperament, 10 per cent breath and
per cent voice.
But either way, you see, I do not
place so much stress upon the presence
of naturally good voice. That can
be developed.
Madame Peterson says: I'm my eX-
perienee l have found good voices rare,
though every one with an ear for mu-
sic can learn to sing, and with cult
walton the poorest voice can be made
better. But like a diamond in the
rough, any amount of polishing and cut
ting will improve it, even the poorest,
but it cannot change the naE.ral quail
| ity, though it will be much improved.
1t is, of course, necessary to have
| brains in order to sing inteligently
but as great teacher has said there
are three things essential to singing:
First, voice. second, voice, and, third
voice"
1t is a we'll known fact that music
differ much as to ideas and methods ii
music. Mrs. M. J. Sumner thinks thai
| there are many good voices, but all with
| blemishes, which can be more or less
| smoothed away. The best singer will
sing almost without blemish, although
| there is never absolute perfection II
singing, some of the great artists ap
| proach very near to it. There is wrong
I ciY 1triT1 fesx TO
The right method of developing the
/ voice is essential. The individual char.
acter of each voice must be studied b.,
the teacher, and that voice trained tt
bring out the best points in that par
ticular person.
Another musician says: Good voices
are not rare, as many suppose. The
material for developing a good voice, a
musical voice in speaking and singing,
is possessed by every human being. who
is not afflicted with a physical defect
| of the vocal organs. I do not claim
| that the possessor of a good voice can
| always become an artistic singer Many
| other qualities and characteristics are
necessary for this. But the ear and the
| voice are just as susceptible to training
| and cultivation as any of our other fac
ulties or organs, and I have never yet
| found person utterly lacking in mu-
| steal sense or instinct
Walter S. G. Kennedy says about the
same thing. He believes that there are
many voices that can be developed, but
there is one thing that is lacking in
| many instances. That is the true ar
| tistic temperament, that marks the real
artist. Mr.. Kennedy said: "I think
that teachers prefer extraordinary tai
ent to beautiful voice. I have heard
many good voices, but artistic tempera-
/ tc al NJ
can bring out an artistic quality of
voice, provided the pupil has brains,
and is willing to go through a long,
| hard course of culture. But 1t is not
necessary to have beautiful voice to
be an artist" Mr.. Kennedy went on to
cite examples of many famous singers,
that naturally had not especially beau
tiful voices, but had that wonderful ar
tistic temperament that is hard to de-
scribe but everyone appreciates.
Another person who is a good musical
critic, although not teacher, says:
| Most Of the faulty singing comes from
the lack Of sense of the proper relation
| ship between the body, voice and mind.
| Certain mechanical exercise must be
used to get the organs used for singing
into a flexible condition, so that they
may perform their duties and functions
involuntarily, automatically. For the
1851 IHS act VI SINGING properly ue-
Ponds almost entirely upon correct
mental images or pictures. If these
thoughts and images that occupy our
minds most have a tendency to mold
and shape our features, 1 see no reason
why they should not mold and shape
the vocal organs and all other organs
concerned in the act of singing as well. .
1t is well to remember that singing is
a natural function, O natural expression
=
speech. Among all the local teachers
of music there will be found various
methods used in instruction. The first
thing they all aim to do is to teach the
pupil to sing correctly. Position in
standing correctly is important, and
then comes the difficult task of making
the beginner place his or her tones
properly. That must be learned before
any artistic development can be impart-
ed.
A good teacher can make a singer of
one with a capacity for work and a
fair amount of intelligence. Probably
the best teacher in the world cannot
develop Patti, Melba or Jenny Lind.
AS in the famous orator. the power to
electrify an audience Is an unexplain-
able thing, and the world only has a
few great artists that possess that
power. And yet the best known sing
q . He'NC NOlh Su AlA u, anu attSi yeeti .
of success still keep up training and
study.
One of the best singers in Los An
geles is a woman of very little voice,
but who has had the advantage of
study under the best teachers, both in
this country and abroad. She has de-
veloped her voice. which was very or
binary, into fair quality but she
makes up in artistic work what is still
lacking in her voice. And so while
many good voices are to be found here
in Worcester as elsewhere, the chief
requisite for success is the true art