The impression prevails that art is something far off, something that is within the grasp of the favored few only.  We say of a man, he is a genius, and we bow down to him accordingly.  The genius is an artist by the grace of God and his own efforts.  Nature has given some men the power to easily and quickly grasp and understand things which pertain to art, but if such men do not apply their understanding they never become great or useful artists.  Talent is the ability to study and apply, and is of a little lower order than genius; but the genius of application, and the talent to apply that which is learned, have made the great and useful men, the great artists of the world.  As someone has said, “Art is not a thing separate and apart; art is only the best way of doing things;” and while this is true of all the arts, it is eminently so of the art of voice and of song.

Artistic tone, as we have found, is the result of certain conditions demanded by Nature.  These conditions are dependent upon form and adjustment; and form and adjustment, to be right, must be automatic.  All writers and teachers agree that correct tone is the result of form and adjustment; but here, as we have said, comes the parting of the ways.  One man attempts, by directly controlling and adjusting the parts, to do that which nature alone can do correctly; result—­hard, muscular tone.  Another attempts, by relaxation, to secure the conditions of tone; result—­vocal depression, or depressed, relaxed tone.

If artistic tone be the result of conditions due to form and adjustment, and if form and adjustment, to be right, must be automatic, if these things are true, and they are as true as the fact that the world moves, then there is only one way under heaven by which it is possible to secure these conditions; that way is through a flexible, vitalized body, through flexible bodily position and action.

The rigid, muscular school cannot secure these conditions, for they make flexible freedom impossible.  The limp, relaxed school cannot secure them, for there is no tone without tonicity and vitality of muscle.  Vitalized energy can secure these true conditions, but through flexible bodily position and action only.

The rigid school is muscle-bound, and lacks life and vitality.  The limp school, of course, is depressed and lacks energy.  The world is full of dead singers,—­dead so far as vitality and emotional energy are concerned.  Singing is a form of emotional or self-expression, and requires life and vitality.  Life is action.  Life is vital force aroused.  Life in singing is emotional energy.  Life is a God-given, eternal condition, and is a fundamental principle of the true art of song.