CHAPTER III

VOICE

VOICE is an extraordinary sound in the larynx, produced by the expulsion of the breath over the vocal chords. There are four chambers of resonance in the voice, the nares, the roof of the mouth, the trachea, and the chest. In the production of tone, which is vocalized breath, the naris is the principal resonant chamber, or the center, where all tones should begin. The mental and physical condition of the speaker always shows itself in the voice; for instance, various emotions, such as joy, anger, sorrow, thought, surprise, are unconsciously expressed in the voice. The voice also responds to physical weakness. Consequently, the voice is the reporter of the mind. We often hear snappy, disagreeable, irritable voices, which are invariably the result of a mental condition, occasioned by some nervous disease. Correct the mental and physical condition, and the voice will resume its natural free state. Frequent practice in deep, diaphragmatic breathing will also give strength and power to the voice. To acquire a full, rich, elastic voice, practice the following exercises. Think of the tone before producing it, and place it in the front of the head, or nares.1

1 The pupil should not be left to his own discretion in practicing these voice exercises, as they require careful attention from the teacher to see that the instructions are followed in the placing of the tone.

EXERCISE I. Hum, using the sound of mn, through the middle octave of the piano, with lips closed. It will be observed that, in order to hum, the tone must necessarily be formed in the head. Repeat this exercise several times.

EXERCISE II. Repeat the same exercise with the lips open. Care should be taken that the tone does not drop down in the throat.

EXERCISE III. Practice yo in the same manner. EXERCISE IV. Practice the sound of ng in like manner. EXERCISE V. Practice ring in the same manner. EXERCISE VI. Repeat each exercise, going as low in the scale as possible, taking great care to avoid all throaty tones.

EXERCISE VII. With the tongue in the roof of the mouth, sing the final sound of the letter 7 the full length of the scale. Prolong each sound, taking care to make it full and round.

EXERCISE VIII. After these exercises are practiced many times, repeat the following sentence in the same manner, "Yold men sing well.”

The above exercises demand a great deal of repetition, to take them at least once a day. By constant practice the tones will soon become full, round, and properly placed, also there will be no such thing as tired voices, and the speaker can talk at any length without having what is known as speaker's sore throat.

The question has often been asked by pupils, “What tone of voice should I use here?" "What kind of voice should this be said in?" etc. They would scarcely have to be told what tone of voice to use if they saw a mouse running across the floor, or if they wished to tell something very mysterious and secret to a neighbor. So, as has been said before, place the right thought before the mind, and the voice will properly respond.

CHAPTER IV

GESTURE

"Suit the action to the word - The word to the action."

From

GESTURE is the mind acting through the muscles. It is not a subject by itself, to be taught independently of expression. It is simply a form of expression. the beginning of time, the hands were used to express thoughts. We find the savages and Indians using this sign language to convey their meaning. The gesture is a response to the mind. One gestures with the eyes, the mouth, the shoulders, and, in fact, the entire body, without being conscious of his actions; so, also, should he gesture with his hands. A child never has to be told to clasp his hands together when something pleases him, nor to shut his little fist tightly when he is in a temper; no more should the older person. This is bound to grow with the "development of expression." The teacher should not draw attention to the hands by telling the pupil how to use them, but should leave them to the owner, and soon he will be using them as naturally and gracefully as a child.

The Physical Culture and Delsarte exercises are a great aid to the pupil, as they give grace and freedom to the body. They will eliminate all awkwardness. A suggestion might be given here to the teacher who is obliged hurriedly to prepare a pupil who has had no

early training for a public entertainment. It is not the intention of the writer to lay down a certain set of rules to be followed, as the pupil will become very mechanical and settled in his gestures, but there is often a necessity for quick work in this line, and therefore a few hints will be given for the same. For instance, put before the pupil's mind the idea of rejecting or pushing something away. His hands will go out at the side and away from him, palms out. Let him say, "I refuse to take it," and the right thought will bring the gesture. Again, if the thought is an entreaty, "I appeal to your mercy," we will find the arms and hands extended toward the person to whom the appeal is made. If supplication is made to the Deity, "Father in Heaven, I ask Thy help," we find the arms extended, but on a higher plane. If the thought is a simple statement, the gesture will be on a level with the hands; as an illustration, "I set the facts before you." The hands will be apt to move outward for the above statement. In making a declaration to the public at large, such as, “I give to you all a hearty welcome," the arms are apt to be extended out in front and wide open. In ordering any one from you, the thought will cause the arm to be extended, and the hand to point in the direction you wish him to go; for instance, "I command you to leave my presence."

The hand itself is very expressive, and we find it, in many cases, giving vent to the feelings even before the speaker has uttered a word. The different positions of the hand have various meanings, and these are found by watching a person under these different emotions, who unconsciously uses his hands. For instance, the hands open suggest "Life" or "Spirit." This is strongly