masters we have received a complete
record of all that need be known empirically about the voice.

CHAPTER V

EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE IN MODERN VOICE CULTURE

It was pointed out in Chapter I of Part III that there is no possibility
of conflict between empirical and scientific knowledge. Modern Voice
Culture seems to present a direct contradiction of this statement. The
vocal teacher's empirical understanding of the voice conflicts at every
step with his supposedly scientific knowledge. No doubt the reader is
already aware of the real meaning of this apparent contradiction. It
only bears out the philosophic rule; an accepted science must be
abandoned so soon as its deductions are found to be not in accord with
observed facts.

Modern methods of instruction in singing can be understood only by
following out this idea of conflict between known facts and accepted,
though erroneous, scientific doctrines. As we have seen, the only
universally accepted theory of supposedly scientific Voice Culture is
the idea of direct mechanical guidance of the voice. Every vocal
teacher attempts to make his empirical knowledge conform to this
mechanical idea. As the empirical knowledge is correct, and the
mechanical idea a complete mistake, conflict between the two is
inevitable.

Every modern teacher of singing possesses in full measure the empirical
understanding of the voice. To this statement hardly an exception need
be made. Probably the most startling fact concerning the wide diffusion
of this knowledge is that the nature of this knowledge is so thoroughly
ignored. Because the psychological process is purely sub-conscious,
empirical knowledge is always indirectly and generally unconsciously
applied. In the teacher's mind the most prominent idea is that of
mechanical vocal guidance. His attention is always directly turned to
this idea. Empirical knowledge, consisting merely of a succession of
auditory and muscular sensations, lurks in the background of
consciousness.

To the intelligent vocal teacher there is something peculiarly
fascinating about the study of tone-production. In listening to any
faulty singer we feel with the utmost precision what is wrong with the
voice. Each imperfect tone informs us clearly and definitely just where
the wrong muscular contraction is located. It seems so easy to tell the
singer what to do in order to bring the tone out perfectly. Under the
influence of the mechanical idea we try to expre