Nature Seldom Jumps
Nature seldom moves by jumps, and a student who reaches the best use of
his voice learns that he must do that through natural laws. In other
words, that he must acquire all things through naturalness. What wrongs
have been done to students under the shield of so-called naturalness!
Many teachers who claim that they are cultivating the voice by natural
laws, know nothing of what it means to be natural. Naturalness means the
but points out to his pupils their true natures and holds them to that
correct use of such that they return to their normal condition. The
necessities of our modern living have made most of us feel that we must
put a side of ourselves outward which shows off well. In singing we
develop abnormally something which we fancy will please our hearers and
bring us applause. We try to hide our defects and admit that we do.
Aside from the question of honesty, is it policy to do so. Most firmly,
should be the answer, No! It destroys the naturalness of the singer and
substitutes artifice. Any spurious issue will be detected sooner or
later. Besides, is it not much more comfortable to have the real than
the counterfeit? Be natural, then. Many students are impulsive. It was
to these that the remark that "Nature seldom jumps," was made. In
natural action everything is deliberate and restful; controlled and
sure. Nature makes but few angles, but moves in graceful curves. Good
quality of tone on one note and poor quality on the next, is not
natural. Nature does not jump from one voice into another. Nature
demands symmetric cultivation of the whole voice, and not the display of
a favored part.
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