The Washington times., 1922-07-17
What's a
Voice
For?
By Garrett p. Serviss,

r RECENTLY attended the
fiftieth anniversary of my
Il graduation from Cornell Uni.
versity. Meeting men whom had
not seen during half a century.
I have been surprised to find
that often the voice was a better
reminder Of personality than the
face. 1t seemed to have changed
less. But this recalls a feature
OF education that appears to be
almost entirely neglected, not.
withstanding its enormous i'm
portance.
Singers. OF course, always care
fully cultivate their voices-that
is a matttr OF unavoidable neces-
sity. Once In a while student
who intends to become a lawyer,
and a little more frequently thsoe
whose aim is pulpit preachings
may be found paying some atten-
ton to the development OF the
organs and the art Of speech.
and a little more frequently those
who throng the rooms and halls
of the schools and universities
apparently never give a thought
to the revolution Of their vocal
powers.
Yet a clear, well.modulated
voice is as important In social
converse, and in the conduct OF
business intercourse, as in pub
lie speaking. But most persons
seem to think that any kind OF
articulate noise will suffice to
express thought. The fact is that
the voice should be fitted to the
thought. II II is not thus fitted
there Is the same lack Of economy
of the listeners attention that
Herbert Spencer dwelt upon In
his discussion OF the proper ar
rangement OF words in a sen
tence.
A wrong emphasis, or an awk-
ward infection. Is as misleading
as a wrongly placed word. But
phasis or infection right II the
voice is not under control. A good
story.teller is always envied. but
very few Of those who feel envious
Of his superiority know how much
Of the success that they admire IL
due merely to the voice control OF
the speaker.
It is not intellectual. but physi-
cal power. Partly, no doubt, this
Is a gift of nature, but not alto
gether so. And. at any rate, in
telligent and persistent cultivation
will certainly abundantly repay
anyone who applies II to the de-
velopment. Strengthening and i'm
proving Of his voice for everyday,
ordinary use.
But nothing could be more dis
astrous than would be any serious
tendency to deterioration Of the
human speaking voice. II would
be the abandonment of what has
been, perhaps, the most notable
conquest made in the evolution Of
physical humanity; that, namely,
Of the sound waves as a means
and medium Of communication be-
tween minds. The roaring, bark.
ing and screaming Of the NAM
mails lower than man in crganiza-
ton and development do not con.
tain even the first rudiments Of
speech, while II might be main.
tained that the unquesIionab BILE
musical quality of the songs of
80 a PiOOA Nildl Is -
product NJ separate deve.upment.
and far less intimately connected
than is speech with mans in ell
lectual nature.
One cannot listen to the mis-
cellaneous conversation carried
on in any considerable assem-
blage without being struck. often
very painfully, by the crudity Of
the voices. Only a few words are
needed to reveal the fact that the
great majority OF the voices have
had no training whatever, the re-
suit being that the speakers
handle their words as a man
handles a tool that he has never
learned to use.
Far more attention should be
given both in schools and in
homes to the teaching by both
instruction and example Of the
value of a developed speaking
voice and of the simple training
by which 1t may be acquired.
Training the voice to sing Is help
full, but 1t is not enough. Singing
and speaking are different meth