STUDIO TALKS ON SING NO. S—CREATIVE ABILITY By JOHN W. PHILLIPS Before these articles are com pleted the student and layman will feel that there is considerable more U> the art of singing than appears on the surface. The remark more heard than any other after a song recital or concert, is,"l liked her \ oice" or " I didn't like her voice." Not a word, mark, you know how ihe artist sang; the interpretation or the style. It would be, like going to an art exhibit and 'exclaiming. "I certainly like the quality of paint that artist used." Paint is the ve hicle used to make up a visible, charming picture, just as voice is the vehicle used to convey a melody. A nice speaking voice does not make .in orator. A public speaker must have ideas, and deliver them in a convincing manner. Good voices are plentiful; good singers arc scarce. Possibly the most important re quirement for the successful singer is creative ability: imagination put into motion and practice. The lack of this one quality has defeated more than one beautiful voice. The great landscape paintings are not judged solely by the tech nique and composition displayed, but the judges always look for at mosphere—the something that is there, that tells you what kind of a day it represents nature's mood, rather than nature's dress—the sub tle thing that does not seem to be represented by paint. This we would call creative ability. Draw ing well, handling brush an dcolors well is merely skilled artisanship which can be developed to a high degree. But the other thing, the something not painted, but conveyed to the onlooker—the suggested thought, rather than the painted idea—this is surely creative ability, or imagination put to work. Now, real singing has in it this same element of creative ability. The landscape painted takes as a model a bit of nature. He has a model. The singer has in a song, a model to inspire and work frc|n. The model is usually the result of the inspiration of two persons—the poet and the musician. The poet is entitled to first recognition, because he. in an inspired moment, wrote the words —the musician is inspired because of the poem, and is second ary as far as original inspiration goes. In short, the poem inspires the music, and both should inspire the singer. The poet may not be a musician, and the musical composer may not be a singer; in any event it is exceedingly difficult for the com poser to indicate on the music just how the song should be sung. He can suggest the key, rythm, tem po and certain variations of power, but, he must trust considerable to the singer; and here is where crea tive ability is of prime importance^ Tonight a March Victor To-night the new Victor Records will be on sale here. We invite all Victor owners to call and hear them play ed in the quiet of our sound-proof rooms.. Be sure and hear the following good ones: 64760—Capricieuse Tascha Heifetz 64748—Marriage of Figaro Ameliate Galli-Curci 4 5148—Lorraine Reinald Werrenrath Chimes of Normandy Lambert Murphy 18430 —.U S. Field Artillery March Sousa's Band Liberty Loan March Sousa's Band 18427 —Sweet Little Buttercup Shannon Four Homeward Bound Peerless Quartett 18432—Maytime Waltz.... Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orch. American Serenade Waldorf-Astoria Orch. 18434—Liberty Bell (Ring Again) Peerless Quartet There's a Service Flag Flying at Our House New Patriotic Rolls i for player-piano owners. The words of the song are printed on each roll so that you may sing as you play. Here are a few of the best: Keep the Home Fires Burn- I Don't Want to Get Well. inK ' Homeward Bound. Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Wc „ Xakp „ le s , A Hcre - From William. Bring Hack the Kai.ser to Me. Liberty Bell STORE OPEN UNTIL 10 P. M. J.H. Troup Music House Troup Building 15 SOUTH MARKET SQUARE SATURDAY EVENING, , AXBIUSBURG TELEGRAPH ♦ MARCH 2, 1918 ' | The singer must get the ideas, the 1 j fervor, the atmosphere—in other 1 words, he must see the picture—or feel the mood, otherwise it cannot possibly be conveyed to the audi ence. The singer with creative ability knows that sentiment, emotion and : intelligence are three vital factors in singing. He knows that they have i to be mixed in proportion to create ! a particular mood. He knows that j sentiment and emotion should al \ ways be under control. Creative ability knows how to mix these qualities, where to add the poetic, the dramatic, or the subdued inde finable, velvety imaginative tone, that is almost mysterious, but al ways charming. The tone that might be defined as spiritually beau tiful —that exalts —can only be pos ! sible to those having creative abil ity. This creative ability can be de veloped in the student by right teaching. Where a student is ushered into a studio for thirty minutes of vocal gymnastics—where the teacher has intense interest in the clock —where no ideas are expressed—where, what is known as vocal drill is the cus tom and method —there can be little chance for really artistic develop ment. The student would gain more by stopping lessons and attending ! all the recitals possible. us get I over the idea that a good voice il means a good singer—Julia Culp has i not a great voice, or an even scale — yet she is a great singer; Wither spoon has not a wonderful voice, but he is a wonderful singer, and the same could be said of many others. | Caruso has a great voice and is a great singer—a happy combination This combination secures hint the modest income of a quarter million dollars per year. We, as a nation . have been indolent in the matter of teaching self-expression and ap preciation of the beautiful. It is true we have developed crea ' tive ability in a commercial way, ' but not to the same gratifying ex i tent in an artistic way. The ■! at-war and those not at war are ' ried about future business; the fine j arts may suffer in the mad com mercial readjustment; not that pic tures will not be painted, or litera i ture written or music composed; ■ but that they will not get the recog nition or encouragement due them. ■ It will be well, therefore, not to let business absorb all our attention. We must hold to the finer things: they must be on exhibition at all times in all places. The younger generation must be able to see and feel them and know their value. These finer things must become a great part of our national life. Th£ student of singing has an tin- | usual opportunity in the develop jment-of creative ability. Let us I take at random Buck's "Fear Not : Ye, O, Israel," which opens with the voice of prophecy or warning, 'Be | hold there shall be a day when the | watchman upon the mountain top j shall cry aloud. "Arise ye, get ye up j unto Mount Zion, unto the Lord your God," for thus saith the Lord! The singer with imagination will know that he must sing this with the authority of a prophet. He will see the prophet—dignified, earnest, impressive and convincing—as he talks to the multitude. The singer will strive to picture mentally how the prophet would declaim these words—why they would impress the listeners and what kind of a tone is required to convey the scene and the message. Again, the singer with c reative ability is not content to let the tone make itself. He makes it. He adds depth or mellowness—he creates tone to fit the text. He catches the inspiration of the poet, and the fervor of the musician, and in doing this becomes a greater sin ger. MUSIC QUERIES Q. —Is the story true which is printed on copies of Gottsehalk's "The Last Hope," telling why he played the selection nightly? 2. Could Gottschalk be included ip a list of the world's greatest mu sicians? Miss A. R. B. A. —Authorities say the story is correct. 2. —There is some difference of opinion on this point. He has 1 com posed a number of fine salon pieces, of which the one you mention is probably better known than a num ber of his other selections. One would hardly include his name with Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin or others of those schools, but his mu sic can easily be classed as of the best of its kind. Q. —Recently I heard a record of a waltz played by a marimba band. I was told that Strauss was the composer. Could you tell me the name of the selection? R. B. T. 'The Beautiful Blue Danube, and "Thousand and One Night," both waltzes by Strauss, arc played by marimba bands. As you probably know the former well, the latter is the one you have reference to. Q, —Would like to make a study of native music of foreign countries, preferring national airs. Where can I find a collection of these? MUSIC LOVER. A.—Sousa, compiled a number of national songs of all countries some years ago. You will probably find a copy of the book in one of the li braries in the city. (The Harrisburg Telegraph will be pleased to publish answers to any questions on musical subjects. Com munications should be addressed to Editor, MUSIC QUERIES, care of the Telegraph. and should l>e in this ofH< Prayer.'' Mrs. Gobin Vallerchamp soprano, will sing the obligato solo in this number which Includes thf well-known "O For the Wings of a Dove." 9