of the
philosophers for ages. That the idea is the controlling, governing force
is equally well understood. Therefore, inasmuch as the aim of all voice
building is to produce beautiful tone we must start with the right idea
of tone. This is where the first and greatest difficulty appears. To
most people a tone is intangible and difficult to define. One will
rarely find a student that can formulate anything approaching a
definition of a musical tone and I fancy many teachers would find it far
from easy. Unless one has a grasp of the psychology of voice, and a
great many have not, he will begin to work with what he can see. Here
enters the long dreary mechanical grind that eventually ruins the temper
of both teacher and student, and results in nothing but mechanical
singing, instead of a joyous, inspiring musical performance.

In studying the pure singing tone we find the following: It is _smooth_,
_steady_, _firm_, _rich_, _resonant_, _sympathetic_. We shall also find
that all of its qualities and attributes are mental. It must contain the
element of freedom (mental), firmness (mental), security (mental),
sympathy (mental), enthusiasm, sentiment, joy, compassion, pity, love,
sorrow (all mental). These are all qualities of the singing tone. They
are not intangible. On the contrary, to the one who has them they are
definite and are the things he works for from the beginning. They are
basic and fundamental. All are combined in what I call _tone concept_,
which is another word for musical ear, or musical taste. This tone
concept is by far the most important thing in voice training. The
student will not sing a tone better than the one he conceives mentally,
therefore the mental concept of tone, or tone concept must be the basis
of voice placing.

This tone concept, or mental picture of tone qualities controls the
vocal instrument by indirection. True tone color does not come as the
result of trying by some physical process to make the tone light or
dark, but _from the automatic response to musical concept or feeling_.

In leaving this subject I wish to pay my respects to that company of
cheerful sinners--the open throat propagandists. I was taught in my
youth that the punishment for a sin committed ignorantly was none the
less pungent and penetrating, and I trust that in administering justice
to these offenders the powers will be prompt, punctilious and
persevering. It is a worthy activity.

No mistake of greater magnitud