The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19

being lightly balanced on her feet, which
IL required in all these exercises, abe WAS
told TO direct her attention to the muscles
at the back, coming up to those directly
behind the throat, and TO expand them with
force. while the tongue, pressed with force
against the lower teeth. was hattened,
quite as If she were suffering from NAL
de mer
When this is done the tonsils the living
curtains of the throat are drawn com
pletev aside and the palate draws back
and up until il is mere point in the throat,
which is then left perfectly free for the pas
sage OF the breath
II is asserted that. for several reasons,
this exercise il highly important. First IT
renders the throat flexible and puts 1t under
control. Again as has been said, in this way
the throat becomes an open passage, through
which the air flows in and out, healing,
strengthening and making utterly sound
not alone the throat. but the whole body 1t
also brings about habit Of throat control
which permits the breath TO pass unhindered
across the vocal cords. in a way which
makes possible the emitting Of as perfect
a tone as those cords are capable OF pro-
ducing
When tho pupil is able to follow the
circling thought line with her breath and
completely open the throat. and can do
IL instantly. she is taught to do II all with
closed lips. In doing this the lips are
but slightly closed and the teeth not at
all. while the throat ia held open as before
| by means OF the muscles at the back OF
the neck.
Now. as she inhaes she is directed when
she reaches the top of the head Just above
the eyes. To stop for an instant. holding
her breath before beginning to exhale
Tho result Of this Is that creative force
seems TO be liberated. and the eyes brighten
with that CLEAN from the inner self which
has given them the name OF windows
OF the soul
Nine. Sheldon speaks OF this effect as
the fame of life. and says that in singing
It gives that which makes vocalization
something more than mechanical. In
way 1t seems akin to an interrupted electrical
current. though much more subtle and
delicate and gives this system Of breathing
feature which recalls tho ecstatic breath
80 much exploited by Orientals.
In a singular way, this, with the relaxing
Of the mouth, seems TO bring to the fore the
suboonscious self which does not will or
reason. but knows and creates. Did Barrie
build better than he knew when he made
his hero, Sentimental Tommy, uncon-
aciously and continually open mouthed?
Or was he aware that relaxing the muscles
, Of the lower ia~ dethrones, in part at least
| the dominating. restricting will and leaves
3 tho creative force free TO follow its bent'
The next step IL the taking Of the in
\ H.. 4 It, 10, En-
son, Nine. Sheldon says, has a keynote
| which ia as penonal to him as the color
of his eyes or hair.
The keynote Is determined by testing
the speaking voice with the piano. Once
it is found, whether the pupil is being
trained az a singer speaker or for health
and self-poise the breath is emitted in the
KEY which has been found to be his, the
syllable Alum being used.
: After a little practice It is surprising
what breath capacity is developed and
how long tone can be sustained. 1t would
seem as II each nook and cell Of the body
was stored with breath and as the
diaphragm and abdomen contract the
tone goes on and on in way which with
ordinary breathing is impossible.
II il interesting to note that the key
note of voice Is invariably agreeable.
However rough and strident the ordinary
speaking voice may be, when the indi-
vidual keynote l. used II becomes. II not
musical, at least flexible and expressive.
More than this he who holds to his key
note in speaking will find that he uses his
voice with an ease and huency which with
other tones was not possible.
When the pupil has the idea OF directing
D l. 49, -. f,t, 1.r,s.
and exhaling form a complete circle, is
able to open her throat correctly. can
strike her keynote with ease and preclsioh
and hold her lips so that she emits round,
oven tone, she is required to practise until
she can do it ali with the ease and rapidity
resulting from unconscious cerebration.
In describing, a. in acquiring the circular
breath. the process seems long, laborious
and somewhat complex. but, once mastered,
it is scarcely more difficult than the taking
of a prolonged breath. Nine. Sheldon
says that it IL her great pleasure 10 give
the idea to children, who absorb it az the
earth does moisture.
WHY. il may be asked IL the solar pleIus
named in connection with this method OF
breathing? Nine Sheldon answers this
by explaining that the attention Is first
fixed in It's upward course on this part oil
the body, and that 1t is here that the breath
gathers the energy which forces 1t along
the spine to the brain. whore 1t awakens
and WHITES each tiny cell, however long
II has been dormant. At the instant. a.
has been said. the subcouscious self, which
Waldstein points out Is a rich storehouse
OF creative efficiency. Ia freed from the
, inhibitory chains with which it is held by
the intellect and will and the result il
that the whole body is pervaded with crea
tive power.
Attention ia called by Nine. Sheldon tC
the fact that the directing portion Of thu
. 1. 4, u Ill ,l,A