Experience

A very good reason, but one which individuals can attend to, why we have

so few artists among singers, is that so few take time to gain

experience. There must be many appearances before audiences before the

amateurishness is worn off. Singers often think, when they hear a

noted singer, that they could do just as well as that and perhaps

better, and yet they cannot get professional engagements. It may all be

true, that hey can do just as well as the artist, but in appearance and

self-command they may be deficient. Experience cannot come in a day or a

season. If it could what a crowd of singers would become noted. It takes

much time--years of time. One cannot safely feel that he has had

experience enough to place himself among the professional singers until

he has appeared at least fifty times. How many of our readers have done

that? Many visit the large cities and seek engagements who have great

talent and have the probability of complete success in them, but who

have had so little proper experience that their first appearance in the

large city, would be a failure. Managers of experience perceive this

state of affairs and refuse to give engagements on that account. Gain

that appearance necessary to the artist by singing before public

audiences everywhere, at church festivals, benefit concerts, parlor

receptions, college recitals, anywhere where an audience can be

entertained. Study your influence over your audience and learn how to so

express your art in your voice and singing that your audiences are your

subjects. Concert after concert must pass before you know your own power

in song. Year after year will go bye, before it is safe to approach the

critical audiences of large cities.