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since became an American citizen and has devoted his attention to
teaching for years.

His conference which follows is particularly interesting, as from the
vocal standpoint he is almost entirely self taught.

THE VALUE OF SELF-STUDY IN VOICE TRAINING

GIUSEPPE CAMPANARI

So much has been written upon the futility of applying one method to all
cases in vocal instruction that it seems useless for me to say anything
that would add to the volume of testimony against the custom of trying
to teach all pupils in the same manner. No one man ever has had, has, or
ever will have, a "method" superior to all others, for the very simple
reason that the means one vocalist might employ to reach artistic
success would be quite different from that which another singer, with an
entirely different voice, different throat and different intellect,
would be obliged to employ. One of the great laws of Nature is the law
of variation; that is, no two children of any parents are ever exactly
alike. Even in the case of twins there is often a great variation. The
great English philosopher, Darwin, made much of this principle. It is
one which all voice students and teachers should consider, for although
there are, from the nature of things, many foundation principles which
must remain the same in all cases, the differences in individual cases
are sufficient to demand the greatest keenness of observation, the
widest experience and an inexhaustible supply of patience upon the part
of the teacher.

Please understand, I am not decrying the use of books of exercises such
as those of Concone, Marchesi, Regine, Panofka and others. Such books
are necessary. I have used these and others in teaching, suiting the
book to the individual case. The pupil needs material of this kind, and
it should be chosen with the greatest care and consideration not only of
the pupil's voice, but of his intellectual capacity and musical
experience. These books should not be considered "methods." They are the
common property of all teachers, and most teachers make use of them. My
understanding of a "method" is a set of hard and fast rules, usually
emanating from the mind of some one person who has the effrontery to
pass them off upon an all too gullible public as the one road to a vocal
Parnassus. Only the singer with years of experience can realize how
ridiculous this course is and how large is the percentage of failure of
the pupils of teachers whose sole clai