The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-03

LsoN ANDREWS
singing birds. to train them. This is
not exactly a. process of imitation. but
rather one of suheonscious assimilation.
The bird develops his own song later on.
but has the advantage of the stored-up
impressions of the trained BIRDS
We clearly see tnat Nine. Melba does
not approve of the young child taking
such serious chances with its voice.
In a most interesting letter of Nine.
Clara Kathleen Rogers. who is a famous
voice teacher in the New England con-
servatory, Boston. and who also has writ
ten quite extensively valuable books ON
voice culture. she writes frankly:
Il think that singing as taught in public
schools does more harm than good. 1t
is impossible to accomplish anything
worth accomplishing with or 10 pupils
in 20 minutes, and therefore it is time
worse than wasted to do it at all. 1t
would be far better to have no singing
whateyer in the schools. because the voice
is a frail and delicate instrument. and
permanent injury to the throat may re-
suit, and only too frequently does result.
from the rough-and-ready treatment that
is inevitable, under such conditions. Tn
less each voice can be developed ind-
vidually. there can be no good use of the
voice and by any of the young people,
and it would be far better to defer the
singing altogether until the proper kind
of instruction can he secured. If had
children in any school, | would not per-
nit them to join in the singing classes,
nor would l allow them to sing at all
except under well selected private in
struction, or under the auspices OF some
well equipped choirmaster whose busi-
ness it would be to devote the time neces-
sary to a proper training of voices in
choirs. OF course. that would mean the
correction of all impure, strident untune-
full tones. and consequently all tone that
is forced and would include the wedding
out of all children who from lack of ear
or musical sense are untitled altogether
for singing.
The only training of the voice that
could ever be fruitful of positive and
permanent good is the basic training in
volved in teaching the young to speak
their own language coirN>tly. A proper
use of the vowels and the proper dis
tinctton between vocal and articulate
sounds Induces a fine development of
voice which nothing else can bring about
1t is the one thing that the schools
could do, to lay foundation ~ sing
ing, when the right period for using the
adult voice arrives and that period may
be any time from Is years up, ACCORDING
to the particular development. or state OF
health of the individual subject con-
tend that singing is so intimate and elo-
quent an expression of every creature
who has the impulse to sing that to per
vert the use of voice, as il must neces-
sarily be perverted through bad methods.
is to infliet q permanent injury. felt in
more ways than one, for the habit of
using the voice Improperly robs the ear
of its power TO distinguish between good
and bad sound in either speech or song.
My plea is that no one should sing who
has not first been taught to speak we'll.
that is, with a good. natural tone of
voice. clear enuncation and correct pro-
nuneiation. Teachers should in the first
place take heed to their own manner of
speaking part of the equipment of all
teachers as a condition of their accept
ance in that capacity at all should be a
proper use of the eoiee in speaking
have keen doing some interesting work
at our New England conservatory in Bos-
ton In reforming faulty adult voices, and
nave taken the trouble to formulate a
system by means of which teachers may
tit themselves for their work in this di-
rection if they viii take the trouble To
STUDY 1t intelligently and practice the ex-
erclses as they are set forth i'm my book
on English dietion, which will show YOU
that perfect dieton is the very bone and
slnew of perfect singing, and that is the
very foundation on which all singing
should be built! Believe me. Yours sim
Snoulu be bu1ltl
There are many more such exnres
slons from the foremost teachers and
artistssof the day.
For the sake OF those who are In
terested in the progress and welfare
of our people and city. these facts are
given to the public for consideration.
thought and discussion. Our city is
growing fast and we have much tai
ent here. and we want the best for
them. Our home is our pride and our
home talent is too, and We as pro-
gressive people, cannot afford to over |
look these important questions that so |
AFFECT our young children, Be sure we |
give them music. for music Is of the |
very SOUL but unless we be careful |
We may not give them what is best |
If one people can have the best, others |
can too, and why not we2 Our children |
win soon be mem and women. who win |
soon fill our places. Why not raise for |
them better plane than was our for
tune to have? We owe it to them. There |
are many responsibilities upon u.s. for |
those who are dependent and there can |
surely be nothing but regret If we
fail TO do our duty for them.
In recent interview c. Mark Will |
SOL had with the noted French master |
Camille Saint Scans the artist said, in