"As you may know, my father was a great singer; he was my first teacher.
After I lost him I studied for several years with Dr. Carl Duft and
later with Arthur Mees. In all this time I had learned a great deal
about music from the intellectual and emotional sides, music in the
abstract and so on. In fact, I thought I knew about all there was to be
learned about the art of song; I settled back on my oars and let the
matter go at that. At last, however, I awoke to see that I didn't know
it all yet; I discovered I couldn't put the feeling and emotion which
surged within me across to others in the way I wanted to--in the way
which could move and impress them; I could not make the effects I
wanted; I was getting into a rut. This was seven years ago. At that time
I went to Percy Rector Stevens, who has done me an immense amount of
good, and with whom I constantly keep in touch, in case there should be
anything wrong with my instrument anywhere. Mr. Stevens understands the
mechanics of the voice perhaps better than any one I know of. If I go to
him and say: 'I made some tones last night that didn't sound right to
me,' or 'I couldn't seem to put over this or that effect; I want you to
tell me what is the matter.' He will say: 'Sing for me, show me the
trouble and we'll see what we can do for it.' So I sing and he will say:
'You are tightening your throat at that place,' or 'your diaphragm is
not working properly,' or there is some other defect. He can always put
his finger directly on the weak spot. He is my vocal doctor. Your whole
vocal apparatus must work together in entire harmony. We hear of
teachers who seem to specialize on some one part of the anatomy to the
exclusion of other parts. They are so particular about the diaphragm,
for instance; that must be held with exactly the right firmness to
support the tone. That is all very well; but what about the chest, the
larynx, the throat, the head and all the rest of the anatomy? The truth
is the whole trunk and head of the body are concerned in the act of tone
production; they form the complete instrument, so to say. When the
singer is well and strong and in good condition, all the parts respond
and do their work easily and efficiently.