"By nature the expression of man is his voice, and the whole
body through the agency of that invisible force, sound, expresses the
nobility, dignity, and intellectual emotions, from the foot to the head,
when properly produced and balanced. Nothing short of the whole body can
express this force perfectly in man or woman."
These movements develop in a common-sense way the power of natural forces,
of all the forces which Nature has given to man for the production and use
of the voice. Rigid, set muscles, or relaxed, limp muscles dwarf and limit
in every way the powers of the singer, physical, mental, and emotional; the
physical action is wrong, the thought is wrong, and the expression is
wrong. A trained, developed muscle responds to thought, to right thought,
in a free, natural manner. A rigid or limp muscle is, in a certain sense,
for the time being, actually out of use.
An important point to consider in this connection is the fact that there is
no strength properly applied without movement; but when right movements are
not used, the voice is pushed and forced by local effort and by contraction
of the lung cells and of the throat. This of course means physical
restraint, and physical restraint prevents self-expression. Singing is more
psychological than physiological; hence the importance of free
self-expression. Direct physical effort produces physical effect;
relaxation produces depression.
All artistic tone is reinforced sound. There are two ways of reinforcing
tone.
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