Before a student can sing a song the voice must have developed sufficient flexibility, via the proper exercises, to meet the various technical demands of that song. There are voices, although they are rare, which have a naturally correct placement. Their owners, without having studied, sing with a good tone quality and much charm, under certain favorable conditions. But unless a singer has been correctly trained, so that he has an adequate and fully understood technique upon which he can rely with perfect confidence, any sudden mental stress, any physical strain, any untoward circumstance may disturb him so badly as to completely incapacitate him.

Every teacher of singing wishes his pupils to acquire this vocal technique by his particular method, which he, quite naturally, feels is superior to all other methods. But, as I mentioned before, there are almost as many methods as there are teachers, and even though many of these methods are basically sound, they fail of the desired result for one or more of these three reasons:

a. The teacher’s ear is not sufficiently keen to detect the fault in the tone and the fundamental cause thereof.
b. The teacher’s method is difficult, complicated, or basically incorrect as to the mental or physical processes of singing.
c. The teacher is wholly unable to impart whatever knowledge he has. One may know a subject thoroughly and yet be unable to present it in such a manner that the pupil will learn quickly or easily. Teaching is a highly specialized profession. A kindly, ever-encouraging manner, unlimited patience, and endless perseverance must accompany a complete knowledge of the subject.

Too few teachers are able to diagnose correctly the cause of their students’ difficulties. One may work for years with such a teacher without the slightest progress, simply because the teacher is unable to understand the reason for the difficulty and to correct it. I remember a soprano who once came to me, explaining that after years of study she had abandoned hope of a career because she had an incurable tremolo. None of her teachers had even mentioned it to her, obviously because they had no idea how to correct it. When I showed her that her breathing was at fault and that with proper diaphragmatic breath-control her tone would become smooth and firm her gratitude was pathetic.

Another singer told me that for years she had worried over her inability to sing pianissimo. Her first teacher had dismissed the question with a shrug of the shoulders and the vague comment that "it was nothing to worry about." Another had replied that "it was a matter of practice and would come with the passing of time." Another had the effrontery to tell her that since her voice was a very light one at best she had no need to worry, for even her forte was little more than pianissimo!

Fortunately this student had the intelligence to see through these evasive answers and to recognize the ignorance that prompted them. But what of those students who either because of a false sense of respect for their teachers, or a too humble opinion of their own judgment, accept unquestioningly all such preposterous statements? Good old-fashioned common sense is at all times of vital importance to the student and at no time does it prove of greater value than in coping with just such dilemmas. Only the highly intelligent student will realize when he is being correctly trained and when he is being "taught" by someone who knows even less than he does. The others will plod along, somehow, until the voice is completely wrecked.

Singing Lesson Reviews