What Every Singer Should Know Part 1

What Every Singer Should Know.

by Millie Ryan.

INTRODUCTION.

This book is not for the purpose of instruction in singing, as singing is an art which cannot be taught from book or correspondence. Neither is it a technical treatise on the voice, but instead I aim through the medium of my book to have a "heart-to-heart" talk with the beginner, and with those who contemplate the study of voice culture.

Books abounding in technical terms are valueless to a beginner, and the finished artist does not need such a book. There are many valuable books published, but very few which are written in a manner simple enough for the beginner to grasp. I wish to give all the valuable "hints" and "helps" that it has taken years of experience to gather, covering all the questions that are absolutely necessary to know, making it brief, simple and =understandable=.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MADAME LILLIAN NORDICA

Who is carrying out her plans of establis.h.i.+ng a conservatory of music and festival house for operatic performances, at Neal, N.J. Mme. Nordica says: "I am confident that there is a crying need in this country for this sort of musical establishment. Present conditions make it impossible to enable the public to enjoy opera in English or to hear the singing of that great host of talented Americans who are forced to address their efforts to European audiences.]

"IS IT WORTH MY WHILE TO HAVE MY VOICE CULTIVATED?"

The first question which arises with all those who possess an average singing voice is, "Will it pay me to study voice culture?" The answer may be found in the following:

"If you possess a good voice, do not hesitate a moment to cultivate it, regarding it as the most beautiful gift granted you by Heaven."--Schumann.

"But," says the applicant, "I must make my own living. Have I enough material to cultivate and be able to realize returns?"

This depends entirely on yourself and what your ambitions are.

There is a great field in music, and if you have ear, voice, and talent, STUDY. And, if in addition to these you have ambition, determination and application, you are sure of success. What your field of operation will be, whether church, concert or opera, time will decide.

The power to win is yours--determine to succeed and you cannot fail.

In order to make a success of anything, you must give it your undivided attention, and while doing so, your aim must be fixed constantly on the goal which you desire to attain. Rome was not built in one day, neither can the elementary training of a voice be accomplished in a year.

If you are in good health, you must never allow the warm days of summer to be an obstacle to your practice. Can you imagine the successful banker, rising young doctor, lawyer or actor stopping their work because of a warm day? There may be =some= who do, but they are not the ones who are successful. When you hear a great singer, think of the obstacles she must have overcome in reaching her position of excellence. Never doubt yourself or your ability, but say "that what determination and application have done for others can be done for me."

You must have confidence in yourself if you want others to have confidence in you.

Never lose your temper. Adeline Patti was asked how she preserved her charm long after the springtime of youth deserts the average woman. She replied, "I keep my temper." Don't expect to grasp, a.s.similate and put into practice in one lesson what it has taken years for your teacher to accomplish.

I remember one pupil who said her purse would not allow anything better than a hall room in New York for a whole winter's study, and that she really had no "chance" to practice, as her room was too small. This was a very poor excuse, as that was merely one obstacle to be overcome.

The artists who have reached the top are those who have had =innumerable= obstacles to overcome.

In Switzerland, over a little barber shop, in a room so small that there was not room for two chairs in addition to the piano, Madame Nordica, with Madame Cosima Wagner, and a coacher, practiced daily. The following winter she won one of the successes of her career, as "Isolde."

To reach the top in the profession, you must have more than voice and application, for a singer may have the greatest of technique, yet lack "soul" and "intelligence." The latter two you must possess, as these the teacher is unable to give you.

The beginner, in singing, needs a model to imitate, just as much as the painter or sculptor. Everything is "imitation" until you develop in your work; your individuality will a.s.sert itself as you become proficient. Do not allow anyone to frighten you by telling you "never imitate or you will simply be a parrot." Only the very poor teacher who knows her own weakness as a model would make such an a.s.sertion. If the beginner is fortunate enough to secure a teacher who can demonstrate a =perfect tone=, do not be afraid to imitate.

In order to fully interpret the emotions it is necessary to have knowledge outside of the singing lesson. It is for this reason that singers seldom reach the stage of "artist" until they are pretty well advanced in years. It is not how many lessons you take, but the gradual development, which you attain through experience. You must feel the heartbeats of others, must know intimately "joy," "pain" and "sorrow" in order to fully express these emotions. There is no rule of "right" and "wrong" in the interpretation of a song, it being simply a matter of opinion. That is where the individuality a.s.serts itself. I remember taking the old warhorse, "Una Voce Poco Fa," from Il Barbiere (Rossini) to three of the greatest living singing masters in Italy. Each one interpreted the aria a little differently, and I am positive each thought he was the nearest to the composer's idea. Which one was correct?

"When you sing you are delivering a message, and you must make your audience understand and feel it, as it is our 'feelings' above all that are immediately affected by music."--Von Weber.

Do not be too anxious to realize financially. Consider that Wagner's salary as choir-master in the city of Warsaw was less than $12.00 a month. The great drawback to many of the students in America is the desire to work on the surface only--they don't seem willing to start at the beginning and work their way up. The matter of studying voice culture for a year does not make it possible for the singer to step before an audience and attain immediate success without other preparation.

It takes more than the studio to make a "star." No artist ever began as a master. In addition to being a singer, you must possess talent, character and the ability to manage. If there is one of these qualities lacking, you must remain only an "artist." It takes all three in accord to produce a "STAR."

"CAN I BECOME A GRAND OPERA SINGER?"

The average teacher, in fact, most teachers, will say, "Yes, if you study," but this is not true, as you have only about one chance in a thousand. Have you any idea of the requirements necessary in order to become a "star" of the Metropolitan Opera Company?

You must have a fine voice, a "big" voice, a voice of great power and endurance, fine enunciation, clear and correct p.r.o.nunciation, knowledge of the modern languages, have at least twenty-five operas committed to memory, fine dramatic ability, good physique, size, personality and "pull." And you must also be on the other side of the ocean to accept the engagement; and then, your acceptance by a director to "star" is about as difficult as an audience with a king.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ALBERT MILDENBERG

The well known composer who has enaugerated a plan to establish Munic.i.p.al Grand Opera in New York City. Mr. Mildenberg's experience as conductor in the Munic.i.p.al Opera Houses in France and Italy has fitted him well for this laudable undertaking which will pave the way for the training and placing of many talented pupils in this country, who have heretofore been compelled to go abroad in order to secure positions on the Grand Opera Stage.]

There is no reason why a person with voice and talent who has to make his own living, could not do so after several years of study. I have over one hundred pupils who are making a good living by singing, and as many more holding church positions paying them enough to enable them to continue their studies.

Show me a pupil who has to make his own living, and who has studied with one teacher for eight or nine years and is not making his living by singing, and you are showing me one who =never will=.

There is, of course, no end to the study of voice culture. I have studied more or less for over twenty years and am still studying, but if you have to make your own living, secure whatever position may be open to you. The church or concert position is =equally= valuable as the opera.

In Europe, where you hear grand opera all the year around, it becomes a second nature, but here in our western cities, until recently, grand opera was almost unknown; two or three performances a year was about all we could hope for. This was not enough to thoroughly acquaint the people with the operas, and not enough to create a demand.

In a western city of 200,000 inhabitants where five years ago it was impossible to draw an audience of a hundred persons unless heralded by spectacular advertising, I had the pleasure of witnessing this year "Standing Room Only" during the performance of the dear old operas, Il Trovatore, Faust and Carmen. The operas that the people have become acquainted with through the phonographs, the orchestras and the grand opera study clubs, organized by the more up-to-date teachers. Mr. Albert Mildenberg is taking up a most commendable work, that of establis.h.i.+ng the munic.i.p.al grand opera in New York City; he will eventually succeed, and, with Herr Andreas Dippel organizing permanent grand opera in the larger cities west of New York, it will not be long before the grand opera positions will be plentiful. Within the next year, through the efforts of Victor Maurel, the grand opera sung in English will also gain ground, and divide honors with the French, German and Italian, giving those who have not studied the foreign languages, but who are otherwise prepared, a chance for positions on the grand opera stage.

Some cranks insist that the days of the old Italian opera, with its arias and glorious coloratura work, are pa.s.sing in order to give place for the new =music drama=. This is not correct, and will not be possible as long as there are excellent singers who can sing these operas. We have room for both the grand opera and the music drama.

To be an "artist" is the aim the student has in view, and "study" is the means to that end.

"AT WHAT AGE SHALL I TAKE UP THE STUDY OF VOICE CULTURE?"

Mrs. L. and her 15-year-old daughter called at my studio. The mother explained that her little girl had been "leading the singing" in school ever since she was eleven years old, but that her voice was not as good as it used to be, and that she would like to have her study, but thought she was too young. I tried the girl's voice and found two registers used so differently that a person sitting in the next room would think they were listening to two persons singing. She had a terrible break between the chest and head tones, and for =four= years had been developing in this bad way of singing. Now, this child should either have taken up voice culture at eleven years of age or not "lead the singing" in school.

Children, with very few exceptions, in going from chest to head tones, will sing =with= the throat, not understanding how to make the change, or rather how to place the tone; in this way producing a break, which later in life, when they take up voice culture, will cause endless, and in some cases, permanent trouble.

I know of many children who sing at entertainments, school, church, etc., and you will hear their parents say, "Scarcely a week pa.s.ses that my daughter does not sing at some entertainment. If she were a little older, we would have her take up voice culture." Now, if your daughter is old enough to sing at entertainments, she is old enough to study.

Either do not let her sing, or put her under the care of a good teacher.