Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-05
A SCHOOL FOR WHIsTL ERs-By Frederic ]. Haskin

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug ga whs-
thing school is being conducted in this city
The art of whistling which has so long been
troWned upon by sedate adults is being
taught scientifically to group Of boys and
girls by speech specialist. What is most
remarkable, woman of about fifty years
IS In the class along with the youngsters
She believes that the old adage: ga whis-
Ting girl and a growing hen never come to
any good end" is more sensible in it's re-
Vised version ga girl that can whistle and
a hen that can crow will make their way
wherever they go"
The class in whistling is the idea of Dr.
Walter B. Swift, well known speech special
ist of Boston, He noticed that many of his
CO. patients could not VII stle. He also
took note of the fact that people who whis-
tie easily and well usually have clear-cut
speech. ThO doctor thought over these sig
n1ficant observations and came to the con-
clusion that whistline might we'll be means
OF cleo up defective speech. According
ly, he held his first wbistling class in Bos-
ton last month-the first whistling class in
history he whimiscally calls it.
Eight students enrolled. One was a stam-
merer. One had a phonetic defect And the
other six came just to learn to whistle. After
month of persistent work DR.. Swift report
ed that the stammerer had improved SO per
cent in his Speech while the boy with the
phonetic trouble also talked with noticeable
Improvement The children with whistling
ambitions were joyously thrilling all sorts,
Of tunes. The whistling doctor then moved
to Washington to conduct his next expert
ment.
Whether or not the experiments justify
his theory, the doctor is strong advocate
of whistling as music and exercise. He
says: Everybody should whistle. 1t is the
greatest worry killer know Of Try it when
you feel gloomy and watch yourself cheer
up. Whistling should be part of everybodys
education; it tends to improve speech even
if there is no defect
Good Vocal Exercise
The method of producing whistling sound
and the method of speaking are closely al
lied, the doctor points out, so that whistling
is good vocal exercise. Then too, when
person whistles he listens to the sound he
is producing and tries to make it clear and
pleasing.
That most people need to improve their
speech is obvious. The American voice is
harsh and rasping, due to fast, high pitched
and slovenly conversation. If we listened
to our speech we listen when we sing or
whistle we would soon have more agreeable
voices, DR.. Swift says. We would pronounce
our final g's and cease to run words together
in a tumble. We would talk slowly enough
to make our words distinct, and softly
enough to produce pleasing sounds. But most
people do not listen. We are so intent on
the remarks we want to make that the
technique seems unfmportant.
This is no Defense however, of the indi-
v.dual who always hears his voice when, he
is speaking. Such a person so enjoys the
melody that he draws from his instrument
that his self-consciousnes is easily apparent.
There is presumably happy medium. Listen
to your voice occasionally, enough to become
sensitive to your defects, and listen to the
voice Of other people. That will help you to
discriminate between pleasing voice and
grating mannerisms. These methods lave
been advocated all along. Whistling is the
new addition to the list of suggestions for
speech improvement.
Learning to whistle seems simple as aDr.
Swift teaches it. He opens the class by test,
ing each pupils foundation for whistling.
The record of the speech defect, il there is
any, has been obtained before the class be-
gins.
"Can you whistle? Some? Good" lays
the doctor tC a sixteen-year-old boy. 'Whis
I tie something
The boy strikes up yankee Doodle" and
gets through it creditably though not all the
notes are correct. He is then given whis-
Ting lesson; to practice Yankee Doodle five
times a day for five minutes at time.
bright and smiling little chap of nine
with faint lisp in his speech, is next. He
speaks in very deep, monotonous tones, the
doctor points out. He says that he can't
whistle at all.
Try urges the doctor. "Wet your whis-
tie, pucker your lips and let out one note
like this
The boy grins and gets out low faint
note. He is told to practice puckering up
and whistling a steady note five times day
Seeks Cure for Stammering
Then comes the smiling gray-haired wom-
an of the class. After a few false starts she
gives wavering version of yankee Doodle
as test of her ability. She stammers lit