What Every Singer Should Know

Ryan, MillieProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 82K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.What Every Singer Should Know by Millie RyanAuthor: Ryan, Millie,Language: English, Class: MT: Music: Musical instruction and study, Composition, Release Date: May 30, 2010

Editor's review

This book is a practical guide for singers, falling into the category of music instruction and vocal study. The author addresses common issues in vocal training, offering advice on voice production, practice points, and performance preparation, with content aimed directly at practical exercise rather than theoretical exposition. For readers seeking a systematic introduction to vocal basics, it offers clear directions for practice; for singers with some foundation, it can serve as a reference for self-checking and adjustment. Because it was written in an earlier era, some ideas and terminology bear the marks of their time, and readers would do well to compare them with contemporary vocal pedagogy. Overall, it is a short, clearly focused utilitarian volume, suited to being dipped into before and after practice and tried out as one reads, rather than read straight through in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Vocal enthusiasts just beginning their study who need entry-level practice directions
Singers with some performing experience who wish to check their voice production and practice methods
Vocal teachers who may use it as supplementary material, selecting practice points for reference
English-language readers interested in early texts on vocal pedagogy

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic study of music theory or composition technique
Professional readers looking for contemporary voice medicine and scientific research on voice production
Those unaccustomed to reading English originals and unwilling to use reference tools

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents, mark chapters relevant to one's own vocal problems, and read those closely first
Read only a small section at a time, then immediately do the corresponding exercise and note one's feelings and changes
When encountering old-fashioned terminology, first understand it from context, then compare it with contemporary textbooks
After finishing, compile a personal practice list and review and adjust it regularly

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for complete beginners studying voice on their own?

It can serve as an introductory reference, but it leans toward point-form suggestions rather than a step-by-step course. Complete beginners would do best to work alongside a teacher or a systematic textbook, treating the book's suggestions as practice prompts rather than the sole basis.

Are the methods in the book still applicable today?

Many of its reminders about practice attitude and basic voice production remain useful for reference, but because it was written early, some terminology and ideas differ from contemporary vocal pedagogy. Read it with a comparative awareness, and when in doubt, defer to modern teaching and knowledge of vocal health.

What if I have difficulty reading English?

This is a public-domain e-book of modest length, and it can be read section by section with the help of a dictionary or translation tool. Focus on the passages related to practice; there is no need to scrutinize literary expression word by word—simply grasp the actionable points first.

Comments

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About the author

Ryan, Millie Author

Millie Ryan is an author about whom little public information is available. The only work by her recorded in the library is What Every Singer Should Know. Judging from its title, the book is aimed at singing learners and vocal enthusiasts and belongs to the practical category of introductory vocal music and singing common sense, likely covering such basic matters as voice production, singing habits, and stage preparation. Since the author's biography, nationality, and educational background cannot be confirmed, any assessment of her writing style and influence can only be based on this work itself. Framed around what "every singer should know," the book carries an instructive and popularizing tone and is suitable as a reference for self-taught vocal study. Overall, in the available materials Ryan appears as a writer concerned with singing practice, and the value of her work lies in presenting basic vocal knowledge in an accessible way for general readers rather than for professional research.