Preparation For Teaching
There are many who become teachers of singing without knowing what they
are doing. No one who wishes to enter the profession should be kept out
of it. There is room in it for many times the number engaged. It is to
be earnestly recommended, however, that he who intends to become a
teacher should decide beforehand what kind of work he intends to do, and
after he has begun, he should bend his energy to make that branch
s
ccessful. There are, at least, three distinct specialties of the
singing teacher. First, rudimental music; second, voice culture; third,
artistic singing. He who thinks he can excel in all has very great
confidence in his own ability. Perhaps most of those who become teachers
have no adequate knowledge of what the profession is, but enter into it
for the purpose of making a living. After becoming a teacher he
discovers that something is wrong, and the last person whom he thinks
wrong is himself. Probably he has never decided on a specialty and
properly prepared himself for that. Thus we see men who know something
about music, teaching singing. They know nothing of practical voice
culture, but attempt to teach singing. They ruin voices and wreck their
own happiness. The first duty of a singing teacher is to study enough of
anatomy and physiology to enable him to know exactly what parts of the
body enter into voice culture, where they are and how they work. The
dentist makes his specialty, filling teeth. But he would not be given
his diploma if he did not know anatomy. His course in the medical
college is the same as that of the physician. It differs in degree, but
not in kind. Such should be the education, to a certain extent, of the
vocal teacher. This education cannot be had from any books now
published. Plain anatomy can be given in books, but the student should
also see the parts described in the subject. He should then examine, so
far as may be, the action of these parts in the living body. He must
then make his own deductions. It may seem strange that that is
necessary, but such is the subtlety of voice culture, that hardly two
theorists agree in their deductions. Until some recognized body of men
decides on definite things in voice culture, reducing one's theoretical
study to practical uses must stand.
As important as such study, too, is the preparation of the artist mind.
One can teach voice culture mechanically and obtain good result, but be
very deficient in the art of music. It is often said that "Artists are
born, not made." That is a mistake. No man was ever an artist by birth.
Some men may be more appreciative of beauty than others but all men have
enough within them to serve as the basis of artistic education. That
education should be carried to a considerable distance before teaching
is commenced. Almost as soon as the voice is capable of making any tone,
music must be put into study. Appreciation of music itself as an art,
must be a part of the good teacher's preparation. Knowledge of greater
and better music comes from that appreciation with the years of
experience in teaching. If the artist mind has not begun to assert
itself before business is attempted, business will be likely to absorb
the teacher, and he stands the chance of never being an artist. One who
combines scientific knowledge of voice culture and an understanding of
the art of music is well equipped for entering the profession of
teaching vocal music. Only such should enter it. With that as
foundation, the experience of each year will make him a better teacher.
Without that as foundation he will probably remain, vocally and
musically, about where he was when he began. Financial success may come,
but musical success never can.