There is a belief amounting to a solid conviction in the public mind
that the training of the voice is so difficult that the probabilities of
success are about one in ten. What is responsible for this? Doubtless
the large number of failures. But this calls for another interrogation.
What is the cause of these failures? Here is one. All students have done
more or less singing before they go to a teacher. During that time they
have, with scarcely an exception, formed bad habits. Now bad habits of
voice production are almost invariably some form of throat interference,
referred to as tension, rigidity, resistance, etc. Instances without
number could be cited where students have been told to keep right on
singing and eventually they would outgrow these habits. Such a thing
never happened since time began. One may as well tell a drunkard to keep
on drinking and eventually he will outgrow the habit. No. Something
definite and specific must be done. The antidote for tension is
relaxation. A muscle cannot respond while it is rigid, therefore the
student must be taught how to get rid of tension.