The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22


is merely to talk upon sustained musical
tones.
The first essential for a sweet, must
cal voice for Speaking or singing Is cor
rect breathing To learn TO breathe cor
rectly 1t is only necessary 10 carry the
body perfectly poised The work with a
pupils voice begins with her feet. Ma
ture does nothing without a purpose. The
arch beneath the instep of the foot is not
there for beauty only II is so placed
in order that ii may support the weight
of the body just as the archbeneath a
bridge supports the weight of its ex-
pense- When We stand as the majority OF
persons do. with our weight on our heels
We produce the dislocation of our anato-
my that would be produced in a bridge
IL its weight rested on one side OF its
arch only. Many persons stand with their
weight on their heels. lean back from the
waist and raise their shoulders. feeling
that they are standing very straight IL
deed Instead, they are aug1nenting the
trouble by weakening the spine and dis
tending the abdomen. WITH bodies so dis
torted one cannot breathe naturally. In
order 10 gain correct poise. the spine
should be perfectly straight. and one
should lean forward from the hips until
the ear. shoulder. hip and instep form
straight line. and the weight of the body
restes upon the arch OF the instep. Many
singing teachers spend time in teaching
their pupils TO breathe correctly and TO
raise their chests. If they simply taught
them 10 poise the body properly. the
chest would rise OF itself and good breath
ing would come naturally.
The correct pOise. once acquired. never
should be lost. When We walk. the
should be lost. When We walk. the
straight line from the ear 10 the fnstep
should not be broken. The body should
move forward with the foot. not after
ii. When We sit. the poise of the body
should remain perfect, the weight rest
ing upon the thighs. not on the spine.
After little practice in poising the body
correctly our breathing will be deep and
diaphra gmatic. as il should.
The vocal instrument is like an organ.
the diaphragm while inhaling and exhal
ing acting as the bellows. the throat doing
service as the pipes through which the
air is carried TO the resOnstOrs. while
the tip of the tongue and the lips in enun-
citation may be likened to the keys with
which the tones are produced. With her
respiration natural and noiseless, every
woman has a perfect instrument at her
command.
unfortunately, few American women
understand the instrument 'or how to pro-
duce musica! notes upon it. The throat
is merely the pipe of the vocal instru-
ment In speaking as in singing. it has
no use except as the channel Of the air.
In talking the throat should remain re-
laxed 1t should never be moved in form
ing the syllables, any more than are the
pipes OF an organ
This is where the average American
woman makes her mistake. She forms
her words in the throat, back of the
tongue, or forces the sound too high.
pinching the tone and shutting off the
nasal resonance. She should let IL issue
between these extremes and form II into
words upon the tip Of the tongue and the
lips which constitute the keboard of the
voice 1t is this correct placing of the
voice that the whole secret of its beauty
lies If your voice tires when you read
aloud. the trouble is that you are talking
down in your throat. irritating II by put
ting it to a use for which It is not in
tended If your tones are nasal. you are
going to the other extreme and placing
them too high.
ITO perfect the enunciatfon practice
with the letters of the alphabet and learn
TO place each tone in the front of the
mouth. With the exception of five sounds
b. D. m. f. and EVERY sound should
be formed solely with the front of the
tongue.
While practicing these syilables try 10
obtain a perfect resonance. which accom-
panies the we'll placed voice. making IL
musical. In the organ. though every not
is distinct and clear the vibration of each
continues, blending and softening the
whole So. when we are speaking prop
erly. though every syllable is enunciately
separately, the air. instead Of being cut
off sharply after each sound. as II is when
we speak in the throat continues to pass
into the nasal and oral
cavities. which form the resonators blend
ing and softening the sounds.
To test our resononce. while you are
talking press the tips of the nostrils to-
gether with thumb and nnger. III your
resonance is good the nostrils will pun
out and the sound be chOked IL losing the
nostrils makes small impression upon the
speech il shows that you are not using
the nose as you should
Test the speaking voice with the piano
and see how unconsciously We all speak
upon musical notes. Every ones natural
voice lies upon certain key. and from
this its infiestions rise and fall. according
to the laws OF harmony. In speaking the
voice reverts to the tonic. and frequently
leaps an entire octave in the rising infiec- |
ton.
Every woman with a sufficiently must |
,al ear should place her speaking voice /
with the aid OF the piano and expert |
ment 70 see how her intonations rise and |
fal: unsteady in conversation