he spot.
Caruso's present art, of course, is the result of much training that
would fall under the head of "coaching," together with his splendid
experience upon the operatic stage itself.

I trust that I have not by this time given the reader of this page the
impression that teachers are unnecessary. This is by no means the case.
A good teacher is extremely desirable. If you have the good fortune to
fall into the hands of a careful, experienced, intelligent teacher, much
may be accomplished; but the teacher is by no means all that is
required. The teacher should be judged by his pupils, and by nothing
else. No matter what he may claim, it is invariably the results of his
work (the pupil's) which must determine his value. Teachers come to me
with wonderful theories and all imaginable kinds of methods. I always
say to them: "Show me a good pupil who has been trained by your methods
and I will say that you are a good teacher."

Before our national elections I am asked, "Which one of the candidates
do you believe will make the best President?" I always reply, "Wait four
years and I will pass my opinion upon the ability of the candidate the
people select." In other words, "the proof of the pudding is in the
eating."

SINGERS NOT BORN, BUT MADE

We often hear the trite expression, "Singers are born, not made." This,
to my mind, is by no means the case. One may be born with the talent and
deep love for music, and one may be born with the physical
qualifications which lead to the development of a beautiful voice, but
the singer is something far more than this. Given a good voice and the
love for his music, the singer's work is only begun. He is at the
outstart of a road which is beset with all imaginable kinds of
obstacles. In my own case I was extremely ambitious to be a singer.
Night after night I played 'cello in the orchestra at La Scala, in
Milan, always wishing and praying that I might some day be one of the
actors in the wonderful world behind the footlights. I listened to the
famous singers in the great opera house with the minutest attention,
making mental notes of their manner of placing their voices--their
method of interpretation, their stage business, and everything that I
thought might be of any possible use to me in the career of the singer,
which was dearest to my heart. I endeavored to employ all the common
sense and good judgment I possessed to determine what was musically and
vocally good or otherwise