Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15

. UFestnL udg dNtNAht'N''
n however trivial it may seem at
rlance. is omitted from the cur
rieulum of the fashionable young
Girl if that accomplishment en-
bances her charm and beauty
and adds to her grace and general az
tractiveness. as we'll as extends her mem
taI horizon. for the young girl OF o'rth'
social position and wealth must be de-
yeloped along every line. Inc o,u
fashioned idea of instructing all girls inI
n sort of drawing room Accomplishment
IN teaching them the gentle art OF singing
bouads in twnnging tunefullv on harpl
Or epitar. or in lingering a favorite noe
f,rne on the piano. had only one oh1ect III
view. that of Showing on youth! VI
talent and girlish pleasures. Plano III.
strrction meant only teaching the art oA
reading music and rendering It IN an az
ceptable fashion: singing was Sins'ns
nrre and simple with never thousns
of chest development and Improvement U,
tho nbysioue: but now the other SIDE OF
tbeso musical accomplishments is given
attention and consideration. ana tne ere
ment of physical development enters into
ooob and every course so largely tnat
music and muscle. tone and temperament
are practically complementary
Every girl learns to sing. IL may oe
that she possesses rare and beautlIu'
voice-though the world. even the tash
ionable world. produces eomparauVeiS
few of these-but whether she is sec
ond Meba or the owner of harsh ann
nnmusicaI voice. she is taught to sing 'oI
improve the quality and tone of her notes
and incidentally she is instructed IN the
correct wav tn stand. to hold her head. toI
noise her body and to breathe. Singing
teachers would probably hesitate TO adln'l
that they belong to the class of physical
culturists, but there is no denying the
fact that a properly trained voice almost
invariably means a properly developer
chest with n knowledge of breathing ana
standing that makes for health and
strength. Almost the first thing singing
teacher does when a new pupil stanos
before her is to show the girl the 1ncor-
rectness of her position. Position comes
before tone. one might almost say. Ihe
nracticed eve of the teacher knows how
impossible it is for any one. even the
greatest singers. to produce perfect tone
when standing with the spine curved the
chest cramped and the head dropped
The singing or the speaking voice which
emanates from a girl assuming such a
posture is most unpleasant. while the girl
herself cannot be otherwise than unat-
tractive. So the first lesson in singing IS
a physical culture one-the pupil is taught
the correct standing position. She IS
given demonstrations of the great differ
ence poise makes in the voice. She learns
how to balance the body in a straight vet
graceful line; she is instructed in the cor
rect method of expanding her chest. not
bv drawing the abdomen in and pulling
the shoulders back ierkily. but as singers
expand, from the diaphragm and by lift
ing the chest. An average speaking voice
cannot fail to possess resonance and full
ness when it proceeds from a well de-
veloped and correctly expanded chest.
- - -
NVEITH this increase in chest dimen-
w sions comes a corresponding in
crease in shoulder breadth and an
improvement in the general health. The