Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 edition. Excerpt: ... TRAINING OF THE VOICE INTRODUCTION. There seems to be in this day but verylittle realization of the relation that a well trained voice sustains to successful public speech. So few of our public speakers today have trained voices that it seems that one is justified in the conclusion that they do not consider the training of the voice as necessary to successful speech. There are a few public speakers who are known to have put no little time and training into the development of the speaking voice. But the frequency with which the voices of public speakers break down and the lack of sweetness, beauty, flexibility, and power in these same voices indicate that there has been little training applied to them. And yet, it would seem that a little reflection upon the subject would show that one cannot hope to produce the greatest and most effective results in speech except as the voice is trained. The study of the oratory of the great speakers of past ages shows that many of them spent much time in putting the voice under thorough vocal discipline. The voice is the most wonderful of musical instruments. Just as all musical instruments made by the brains and skill of man are made according to certain well known scientific laws, so the human musical instrument must have been made to operate according to well known scientific laws. Therefore, if the instrument fails to operate according to established law it will fail to produce the qualities of tone desired. Environment, education, modes of living, tend to a breaking of these laws, and poor voices result. When one considers the vast number of ideas in the world, the great number of feelings or emotions which the human race is capable of experiencing, and further that men communicate or attempt at least to...
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