David Clark Taylor, Part 1

Abstract

David Clark Taylor, Part 1 Kimberly Broadwater (bio) PROVENANCE prov·e·nance (prǒv´ ə nəns) n. Place of origin, source. [Lat. Provenire, to originate.] David Clark Taylor (1871–1918) is a mystery. He was an author of at least four books and is widely cited in academic voice science publications. That, however, is where it ends. I consider myself somewhat of an accomplished investigator, but with David Clark Taylor, I have not been successful in retrieving any additional information. I have perused all my reliable search engines, trudged through the depths of the internet, and yet found no proof of his existence except from the four known books for which he is the author. Nevertheless, Taylor's work is widely cited. I have read all of his books and highly recommend them, with the caveat that I do not agree with all he espoused, nor do I endorse all of his statements. But the one thing that stood out to me about his writing is that if you erased the date of publication, some of his writing could be accepted as having been written today. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was a "battle" between science-based and nonscience-based teaching of singing. Each side valiantly defended its position, and a great number of writings document this heated debate—one that exists to this day. After graduate school, I was an avid disciple for voice science. Upon finding employment I waited with bated breath for the semester in the rotation to teach voice pedagogy. The time arrived and, as the semester unfolded, I experienced a rude awakening. By the time I taught all of the science I felt they needed, there was little time for much else. (My apologies to that first class.) I quickly learned there needed to be a balancing act and that I needed to look at the needs of the students above my need to proselytize for the importance of voice science. Most of our students would eventually become music teachers. Did they really need to understand the pressure/volume curve of breathing? The dance between "how much science" and "everything else" in teaching voice is delicate and demands careful attention and adjudication. The excerpt below provides a well researched opinion and should be used as a tool in our attempt to make an informed decision and in our quest to be effective teachers. From The Psychology of Singing: A Rational Method of Voice Culture Based on a Scientific Analysis of All Systems, Ancient and Modern, by David C. Taylor, The Macmillan Company, 1908 In the present state of Vocal Science, the subject of tone-production overshadows everything else in difficulty. When once the correct vocal action has been acquired, the student's progress is assured. Every other feature of the singer's [End Page 273] education is simply a matter of time and application. But, under present conditions, the acquirement of the correct vocal action is extremely uncertain. On account of its fundamental importance, and more especially of its difficulty, the subject of tone-production is the most prominent topic of instruction in singing. The term "method" is therefore applied solely to the means used for imparting the correct vocal action. This use of the word is in accordance with the accepted theory of Voice Culture. The general belief is that tone-production is entirely distinct from vocal technique. Technical studies cannot profitably be undertaken, according to the prevailing idea, until the correct management of the vocal organs has been established. This idea is supposed to be followed out in modern instruction. It is generally assumed that the voice is brought under control through a definite series of exercises; these exercises are supposed to follow, one after the other, according to a well-defined system. The term "method" implies this systematic arrangement of exercises. It indicates that vocal training is a matter of precise knowledge and orderly progression. This represents the accepted ideal of Voice Culture, rather than the actual condition. The idea that the vocal management should be imparted specially, as something preliminary to the technical training of the voice, is not carried out in practice. Teachers generally...