The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1912-09-14
to
Sing

DO you know" unused the girl a,
the piano, that singing isn't an art,
nor talent? It's just a record of sc
many dollars and cents. And the
more dollars and cents you've spent
on your voice the better your voice Is
That doesn't mean either" she
went on, that it's all a matter OF
training. If | should take hundred
lessons at 81 lesson I'd be considered
Just about one-third as advanced and
proficient in vocalizing as l should be
II I'd take a hundred lessons at 50 q
lesson"
Why this pessimistic mood?" in.
quired the man who was sitting near.
I'm not pessimistic," replied the
girl, calmly. 1--WE just discovered an.
other truth. You try 1t and you'll see.
With the piano or the violin it's differ
emit While / grant that with them
dollars and cents count lot, still, II
you can play the keys and the notes
the same, people will listen to you,
and, perhaps, enjoy the playing-but
with vocal music everything depends
on the money cost. There seems to
be quality in the tone or something
that tells people just who your teacher
is and what you pay for your lessons
and you get complimented accord.
ingly."
"Yes?" The mans voice invited
further explanation.
Well the girl proceeded, even II
one practices alone on the piano one
can accomplish something, can't one?
But when poor soul tries to practice
singing alone the neighbors shut the
windows and the members of her own
family beg for mercy, and even the
children make fun of her. But let
that same person announce that her
vocal lessons are figuring in the high
numbers-that Professor Somebody
devotes whole precious half hour to
her voice every once in while-and
the neighbors sit out on their porches
evenings to listen to her scales. Her
family is impressed.
Now, I've been singing off and on
for my own pleasure, since I was a
baby. I've always had modest de-
gree of respect for my own voice-but
l have generally seemed to be alone
in my opinion. If sang 1t was usually
an accompaniment-and when l was
younger it used to hurt my feelings"
'Why, I've always told you that !
like your voice" The man took on a
tone of reproach, but 1t didn't seem to
work well.
"You!" she laughed "Why, OF course
you-but l mean people who count, in
music!"
THAT seems to dispose of me effec.
lively" conceded the man.
"But as was saying" proceeded the
girl, "it's absolutely no earthly use to
have a nice voice. You may sing like
a bird, but If your voice has been
trained outside of first-class studio
you simply can't sing, no matter how
well you sing. That's all there is to
1t! Why, if Melba herself hadn't had
first-class voice teachers no one would
have ever realized what voice she
had. People would still be telling her
to sing something instead Of forever
practicing scales, whereas they gladly
pay IS or so for a seat to hear those
very scales put into some handy
song!"
From all of which," commented the
man, summing the matter up, ut ap.
pears that you are sick of 1t all and
are going to leave the vocal field to
the moneyed classes and stick to the
piano. l really think you are wise,
myself Singing isn't such a great
stunt after all, unless one has a fine
selection of songs-and even then the
same things can't please every one.
On the other hand, If you play, you
can play to please the whole bunch
and"
you are entirely mistaken" inter.
rupted the girl, deeply offended. ''Ii
you think that after all this work I'm
going to give up just because my
teacher didn't give me n decent solo
In that recital, so that my voice would
show off we'll beside the others, you're
badly deceived.
I'm going to spend some real
money on n good teacher, that's what
I'm going to do! I'll show them that
they were all good and mistakenl"
Then she pounded the plano keys.