Resonance in Singing and SpeakingFillebrown, Thomas
Science
Resonance in Singing and Speaking
Fillebrown, Thomas
Voice culture
After the child begins to talk, the sooner his vocal education begins
the better. Even at that early age he can be made to understand the
merits of head vibrations and by simple exercises produce them, and
once taught will never forget them. Vocalizing, like every other art,
is most easily learned by imitation, and the advantage of the early
years, when that faculty is most active, should not be lost. In olden
times the importance of this was fully realized. More than three
centuries ago, old Roger Ascham wrote: "All languages, both learned
and mother tongues, are begotten and gotten solely by imitation. For
as ye used to hear so ye learn to speak. If ye hear no other, ye speak
not yourself; and of whom ye only hear, of them ye only learn."
Nineteen centuries ago Quintillian wrote: "Before all let the nurses
speak properly. The boy will hear them first and will try to shape his
words by imitating them."
If the right way of using the voice is early taught it will be a guard
against the contraction of bad habits which can only be corrected
later with infinite trouble. It certainly would be unwise to put a
young child under continued training; but even in the kindergarten the
right method of voice production can and should be taught. Teachers of
kindergarten and primary schools should be familiar with the
principles of voice training and be able to start the pupils at once
on the right road.
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The sooner this branch of education is made a part of the curriculum
of our common schools, the sooner shall we produce a race of good
speakers and singers.
If, during the pupil's school life, proper attention is paid to these
primary principles and to _correct articulation_, a large majority of
students will graduate from our common schools prepared to advance in
the art of elocution or of singing without being obliged first to
unlearn a vast amount of error and to correct a long list of bad
habits.
If each day in the public schools a few minutes only are devoted to
the subject by a teacher who understands it and who will call the
attention of the pupils to the proper applications of the principles
in their daily recitations, it will be found amply sufficient to
develop and establish a good speaking and singing voice.
ARTISTRY
If artistry is to be attained, every organ must be individually well
trained. Yet, during performance, no one part should be given undue
prominence. The voice should be the product of all the organs equally
well developed. Continued practice will enable the performer to
correlate the whole--blend the strength of all in one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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