nsations caused by throat tension.

Throat stiffness always tends to become greater in degree; it is a
self-aggravating condition. Even though very slight in its beginnings,
the state of stiffness obliges the singer to put forth more than the
normal effort in order to secure the desired effects. This increase of
innervation is not confined to the muscles which need to be more
strongly contracted. As Prof. Scripture points out, it also extends to
the associated and antagonist muscles, that is, to all the muscles of
the throat. Thus the stiffness is increased in degree. Still greater
exertion is then required, resulting in still greater stiffness. This
may go on for years, the voice gradually becoming less responsive to the
demands of the singer.

Individual personal characteristics are an important factor in
determining a singer's experience with throat stiffness. Some singers
are so fortunately constituted as to be almost entirely free from the
tendency to stiffen the throat. Others detect the tendency in its
beginning and find no difficulty in correcting it. Still others
habituate themselves to some manner of tone-production, and neither
increase nor diminish the degree of stiffness. Even under modern methods
of instruction, many artists are correctly trained from the start and so
never stiffen their throats in any way.

Several traits of character are concerned in determining the individual
tendency to throat stiffness. Nervous temperament, keenness of ear,
artistic and musical endowment, each has its influence in this
connection.

The great prevalence of throat stiffness among present-day singers is
due primarily to the idea of mechanical vocal management as the basis
of instruction in singing. Not only are modern methods intrinsically
worthless, in that a correct use of the voice cannot be attained by the
application of mechanical rules. Worse than this, the means used for
training the voice are such as to defeat their own purpose. At every
instant of instruction the student's attention is expressly turned to
the vocal organs and to the mechanical operations of the voice. The only
possible result of this kind of vocal instruction is to stiffen the
throat and so to render the correct vocal action an impossibility.

A peculiar contradiction is presented by the modern vocal teacher; his
artistic conception of singing is utterly at variance with his ideas of
mechanical tone-production. It may safely be said that th