Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) [Illustration: image of Millie Ryan] What Every Singer Should Know [Illustration: music-harp] Published by FRANKLIN PUBLISHING CO. OMAHA, NEBR. Copyrighted 1910 by MILLIE RYAN DEDICATION. I LOVINGLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY SON, EDWARD RYAN, JR. TABLE OF CONTENTS. "Is it Worth My While to Have My Voice Cultivated" 1 "Can I Become a Grand Opera Singer?" 8 "At What Age Shall I Take Up the Study of Voice Culture?" 12 Singing Lessons as a Health Culture 23 Advice to Parents 25 "Is it Necessary to go Abroad to Study?" 28 Chorus Singing 34 Stage Fright 36 The Accompanist 42 Selecting a Teacher 45 Art for Art's Sake 52 Educating the Masses 57 Hints and Helps 64 What and How to Practice 73 The Breath 83 A Few Practical Exercises and Illustrations 88 INTRODUCTION. This book is not for the purpose of instruction in singing, as singing is an art which cannot be taught from book or correspondence. Neither is it a technical treatise on the voice, but instead I aim through the medium of my book to have a "heart-to-heart" talk with the beginner, and with those who contemplate the study of voice culture. Books abounding in technical terms are valueless to a beginner, and the finished artist does not need such a book. There are many valuable books published, but very few which are written in a manner simple enough for the beginner to grasp. I wish to give all the valuable "hints" and "helps" that it has taken years of experience to gather, covering all the questions that are absolutely necessary to know, making it brief, simple and =understandable=. [Illustration: MADAME LILLIAN NORDICA Who is carrying out her plans of establishing a conservatory of music and festival house for operatic performances, at Neal, N.J. Mme. Nordica says: "I am confident that there is a crying need in this country for this sort of musical establishment. Present conditions make it impossible to enable the public to enjoy opera in English or to hear the singing of that great host of talented Americans who are forced to address their efforts to European audiences.] "IS IT WORTH MY WHILE TO HAVE MY VOICE CULTIVATED?"