When the following was first written (it is nearly two years ago now), I intended, at an early date, to publish a short treatise on the subject of the voice only. Since then, however, the same has assumed greater and greater proportions, embracing many other subjects. Still I have deemed it best not to change this introduction in consequence thereof. Though not quite ready for another publication (the subject is so great and my knowledge so inadequate), I do not know that I should have _ever_ been _quite_ ready, but for several incidents, all happening about the same time, which have induced me to break the silence I have observed since the publication of my book, _The Basic Law of Vocal Utterance_. These incidents, though in themselves apparently insignificant, have impressed me with the belief that I owe it to the public and myself to say something in explanation of what I have already said, and to add thereto (partly, at least) what has since been ascertained. In the November, 1896, number of _Werner's Magazine_, I noticed the following: "A good example of the inadequacy of expressional terms in discussing vocal topics is shown by Mme. Clara Brinkerhoff and Mr. Emil Sutro. Mme. Brinkerhoff has been a contributor to this magazine, and has addressed musical bodies, for many years. Mr. Sutro is author of the book, _The Basic Law of Vocal Utterance_. Both of them maintain that the voice is something more or other than an expiratory current of air set into vibration by purely physical agencies. Mme. Brinkerhoff thinks that the voice is the utterance of the soul, and that the soul has its seat in the solar plexus. Mr. Sutro scoffs at the theory that the voice is only out-coming air vibrated at or by the cords situated in the larynx. He thinks that the ligaments under the tongue also serve as vocal cords, and that speech is the product of vibrating ingoing air as well as vibrating out-coming air. Just what they think the voice is neither of these persons makes clear to others. Their failure to express their thoughts, however, should not be taken as proof that they have not caught glimpses of truths of the greatest importance. Still, our impression is that their concepts are too vague to be put into intelligible language even if the expressional terms at hand were adequate. But, all things considered, the fact still remains that discussion will continue to be largely useless so long as one person does not know what the other person is talking about."