Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-02

After taking the usual precautions
and bracing myself for the shock
she was given the signal to go ahead.
After the charge was over, asked
her how her tongue had been taken
prisoner, and why she shook all
over as with a chill. Why" she
said, II had to hold my tongue
down with a spoon in one hand
and hold a glass of water in the
other hand
And with tears in her voice she
asked, will l have to do that
here?" NO" 1 replied, those
stunts are done in the gymnasium"
faddist at the rate of three dollars
for thirty minutes, but she had not
learned anything about singing. In
a book on How to Sing" publish
ed a few years ago, the only Illus
tration within its pages, showed how
to place the feet when singing. 1t
said nothing about how long to wear
the hair, or how to part it so as to
balance the tone. 1t said some
thing about showing your teeth es-
pecially if the pupil forgot to pay
the modest fee of four dollars after
each thirty minutes of perspiration.
In fact, this book managed to
fill your mind so completely with
fads that you forgot you were try
ing to absorb some vocal truths.
The charlatan, or fakir, is the teach
er who charges five dollars for in
flicting ten dollars worth of dam
age. His creed is to get all he can
and give as little as he can. He is
numerous, well fed, well dressed and
has nerve enough for anything but
the recruiting station. He talks well
and teaches badly. He looks well
on the outside, but would not bear
knowledge of everything musical.
and a real knowledge of nothing.
His chief ability lies in his activity
as a collector. The pianist, who does
not sing, but who coaches vocal
students, at so much per, is another
with a creed that needs revising.
A pianist, who has played accom-
paniments for well-known singers.
is certainly not qualified to teach
singing. He may pick up some su-
perficial knowledge of phrasing,
tempos, and shading; he may even
know where tone color could be en-
ployed to advantage; but he cannot
tell how to produce voice, how to
gain control, how to color tone to
fit certain texts or any OF the many
important factors in voice training
that must precede the final polish
and perfection. He does not know
the all important thing-fundamen
tails. Let it be stated at once, that
vocal truth is not confined to any
one locality, or any one city, or any
one building, or any one person.
The larynecope had aided science,
but has not taught anybody how to
sing. So-called masters of singing
have written books on how to sing
and have later revised them. The
revision was made to correct for-
mer ideas which they found later
were wrong, and if these masters
of singing were not ashamed OF ad-
mitting their mistakes they would
revise their books every year. Truth
needs no revision.
AS q matter of fact, a book on
singing,-no matter who writes 1t
will not teach anybody how to sing.
1t can suggest and stimulate and
perhaps inspire, but it cannot hear
tonB and criticize it. 1t cannot
point out the remedy for every in
dividual fault. 1t cannot give a con-
crete example of a tone or phrase.
It cannot, in the slightest degree,
replace the good teacher.
The fundamentals for success in
singing include-good musical sense,
temperament (not temper), correct
sense of musical pitch, creative
ability. backbone, breath control,
resonance, placement and most I'M
portant of all, an instrument. These
will all be discussed weekly, IN the
order named.