science has been erected. There is no possibility of
conflict between empirical and scientific knowledge. The discovery of a
single fact, at variance with the supposed general laws bearing on any
subject, is sufficient to overthrow the entire structure which had been
accepted as a science.

In the accepted Vocal Science the terms empirical and scientific are
used in a sense entirely different from that which properly attaches to
these words. Present knowledge of the operations of the voice is called
scientific, solely because it is derived from the sciences of anatomy,
acoustics, and mechanics. The term "empirical knowledge of the voice" is
used as a name for knowledge of the subject drawn from any source other
than these sciences. Yet so far as the modern vocal world seems to be
aware, it possesses no knowledge of the voice other than that commonly
called scientific. It is supposed that the old Italian masters had some
"empirical understanding of the voice." But, if this was the case, their
empirical knowledge has apparently been utterly lost.

Thus far in the present work, the usage of the terms empirical and
scientific, accepted by vocal theorists generally, has been adopted. A
distinction has been drawn between knowledge of the voice obtained
through the study of the vocal mechanism and that obtained through
observation of any other kind. The purpose will best be served by
continuing this same usage.

It must be apparent to the reader, from the analysis of modern methods,
that no real Science of Voice has thus far been erected. This is due to
the fact that the general principles of scientific investigation have
not been applied to the study of the voice. Under the influence of the
idea of mechanical vocal management the attention of all investigators
has been turned exclusively to the mechanical features of
tone-production. Meanwhile the empirical knowledge of the old masters
seems to have been forgotten. As a matter of fact, as will now be seen,
this empirical knowledge has never been lost. Every modern teacher of
singing shares the empirical knowledge which formed the sole material of
the old method. But this knowledge is not applied effectually in modern
instruction for two reasons. First, modern teachers do not realize the
importance of this knowledge; indeed, they are practically unaware of
this valuable possession. Although in fact the basis of nearly all
modern instruction in singing, empirical knowledge is