masters considered them
singers or sent them forth as exponents of their art. Why all this
work to acquire the art of producing beautiful tones? We must use
intelligent understanding in the use of this instrument which is such
a rare gift to us. Thrice happy are those who are able to give to
listening humanity the full comprehensive and soulful touch of song
which the individual instrument is capable of producing. There is so
much more in singing than the mere possession of a beautiful voice.
The singer must be able to supplement the beauty of the voice with
intelligence in the exposition of the song. But few realize how much
skill this demands. No amount of intelligence will enable a person
rightly to interpret a song if he has not learned the elements of
singing or has not a complete command of the technique of his art. The
most important element of beautiful song is the lung capacity, and
thereon hangs the whole success; control of the breathing muscles. One
has infinite gradations of the power of this column of air to produce
the result in exquisite variations over the power and the coloring of
his tones. Attack and management of the air column is an art in
itself--a correct poise of the larynx. Upon the art of directing this
column of air the quality of the tones depends. The greatest marvel is
that those whom I have had to instruct do not know the first elements
of breathing. To breathe to live and to breathe to be a singer are as
far apart as the poles. Not one in twenty knows what lung capacity
they have. The general rule is to breathe through the nose. That is
all right if he is a gymnast or a ball player, but singing is just the
opposite of this sort of breathing. Everything is relaxed and natural,
the breath is inhaled through partly opened lips, slowly, evenly and
quietly and allows not a particle to go through the nostrils until the
lungs are completely filled and inflated. The large cells are in the
lower part of the lungs, and when they are inflated and the diaphragm
properly used so as to direct and control this column, one can sing as
long as there is a particle of air to use. For seventy years I have
used this method of breathing, and I am a perfect example of the
preservation of the voice now in my seventy-sixth year, and have every
note I ever used and can sing with as much power and breath control as
I ever could. I feel no weakness or lack of strength in any part of my
tone production.

I taught