s years and years of
study--constant study, to learn how to sing, before attempting a big
part in opera.

"There are so many organs of the body that are concerned in the process
of breathing and tone production; and most of these organs must be, if
not always, yet much of the time, relaxed and in an easy pliable
condition when you sing. There is the diaphragm--then the throat,
larynx, the lungs, nose, lips--all of them help to make the tone.
Perhaps I might say the larynx is the most important factor of all. If
you can manage that, you have the secret. But no human being can tell
you exactly how to do it. Some singers before the public to-day have no
notion of how to manage this portion of their anatomy. Others may do so
occasionally, but it may only be by accident. They sometimes stumble
upon the principle, but not understanding how they did so, they cannot
reproduce the desired effects at will. The singer who understands her
business must know just how she produces tones and vocal effects. She
can then do them at all times, under adverse circumstances, even when
nervous, or not in the mood, or indisposed.

SELF-STUDY

"How did I learn to know these things? By constant study, by constant
listening--for I have very keen ears--by learning the sensations
produced in throat and larynx when I made tones that were correctly
placed, were pleasing and at the same time made the effects I was
seeking.

"Milan is my home city--beautiful Milano under the blue Italian skies,
the bluest in the world. As a young girl, the daughter of well-to-do
parents, I studied piano at the Royal Conservatory there, and also
musical theory and counterpoint. I shall ever be grateful I started in
this way, with a thorough musical foundation, for it has always been of
great advantage to me in further study. When my father met with
reverses, I made good use of my pianistic training by giving piano
lessons and making a very fair income for a young girl.

"But I longed to sing! Is it not the birthright of every Italian to have
a voice? I began to realize I had a voice which might be cultivated. I
had always sung a little--every one does; song is the natural,
spontaneous expression of our people. But I wished to do more--to
express myself in song. So I began to teach myself by singing scales and
vocalizes between my piano lessons. Meanwhile I studied all the books on
singing I could lay hands on, and then tried to put the principles I
learned in