"Men become offended at their
opinion of things, not at the things themselves." We can scarcely
imagine any one taking offense at the multiplication table, neither is
this interesting page from the arithmetic any longer considered a fit
subject for debate in polite society, but so far as we know this is the
only thing that is immune.

Our musical judgments, which are our opinions, are governed by our
experience; and with the growth of experience they ripen into solid
convictions. For many years I have had a conviction that voice training
is much simpler and less involved than it is generally considered. I am
convinced that far too much is made of the vocal mechanism, which under
normal conditions always responds automatically. Beautiful tone should
be the primary aim of all voice teaching, and more care should be given
to forming the student's tone concept than to that of teaching him how
to control his throat by direct effort. The controlling power of a right
idea is still much underestimated. The scientific plan of controlling
the voice by means of mechanical directions leaves untouched the one
thing which prevents its normal, automatic action, namely tension.

But, someone inquires, "If the student is singing with rigid throat and
tongue would you say nothing about it?" I would correct it, but not by
telling him to hold his tongue down. A relaxed tongue is always in the
right place, therefore all he needs to learn about the tongue is how to
relax it.

It has been hinted that he who subscribes to Dr. Fillebrown's declaration
that [A]"The process of singing is psychologic rather than physiologic"
has nothing tangible to work with. Now tone concept and musical feeling
are absolutely essential to singing, and they are definite entities to one
who has them. All musical temperaments must be vitalized. Imaginations
must be trained until they will burst into flame at the slightest poetic
suggestion. Musical natures are not fixed quantities. They are all subject
to the law of growth. Every vocal student is an example of the law of
evolution. Few people find it easy in the beginning to assume instantly a
state of intense emotion. These things are habits of mind which must be
developed, and they furnish the teacher with definite problems.

[A] _Resonance in Singing and Speaking_, by Thomas Fillebrown.

To repeat, _the tone is the thing_, and _how it sounds_ is what
determines whether it is right or wrong. And so we com