nd against every wrong there is a right. We remove the
wrong by developing the right. Sing in a free, flexible manner, the natural
power of the voice. Make no effort to suppress the tone or increase its
power. After the movements are understood and all restraint is removed,
then study the tone on all degrees of power, but remember when singing soft
and loud, and especially loud, that the first principle of artistic singing
is the removal of all restraint.

ARTICLE TWO.

THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC TONE-PRODUCTION.

The second principle of artistic tone-production is

_Automatic Breathing and Automatic Breath-Control._

_Theory._--The singing breath should be as unconscious,--or, rather,
as sub-conscious,--as involuntary, as the vital or living breath. It should
be the result of flexible action, and never of local muscular effort. The
muscular breath compels muscular control; hence throat contraction. The
nervous breath, nervous control; hence relaxation and loss of breath.

_Devices._--_Expand to breathe. Do not breathe to expand._ Expand
by flexible, vitalized movements; control by position the level of the
tone, and thus balance the two forces, "pressure and resistance." In this
way is secured automatic adjustment and absolute automatic breath-control.

More has probably been written and said upon this important question of
breathing in singing than upon any other question in the broad field of the
vocal art; and yet the fact remains that it is less understood than any of
the really great principles of correct singing. This is due to the fact
that most writers, teachers, and singers believe that they must do
something--something out of the ordinary--to develop the breathing powers.
The result is, that most systems of breathing are artificial; therefore
unnatural. Most systems of breathing attempt to do by direct effort that
which Nature alone can do correctly. Most breathing in singing is the
result of direct conscious effort.

The conscious or artificial breath is a muscular breath, and compels
muscular control. The conscious breath--the breath that is taken locally
and deliberately (one might almost say maliciously) before singing--expands
the body unnaturally, and thus creates a desire to at once expel it. In
order to avoid this, the singer is compelled to harden and tighten every
muscle of the body; and not only of the body, but of the throat as well.
Under these conditions the first principle