Arthur Lessac, who died at the age of 101 on April 7th at his home in Los Angeles, said that the human voice was a symphony, if only we knew how to use it and listen to it.
Some people are exceptional because they notice what they see. Arthur Lessac was exceptional because he listened to what he heard.
Here is a passage from his obituary in the New York Times on Monday, April 18th.
With their sustained, purring timbre, the consonants “m” and “n” are stringed instruments. Luxuriant “w” and “zh” are woodwinds, raucous “r” a trombone. “L” is a mellow saxophone; “ch” a clash of cymbals; and the small explosions “p,” “b” and “t” are percussion.
To train this symphony, Mr. Lessac believed, one must train the entire body, itself an instrument – a resonant Stradivarius waiting to lift its voice in song. As a result of such training, he maintained, not only euphonious speech but also physical well-being, emotional balance and longevity could be attained.
His techniques engaged the whole person. He taught his clients to speak from the soles of their feet. He got actors, singers, athletes, celebrities and politicians to recognize that the voice is a wind instrument with a variety of resonating surfaces, an instrument that has a range of two-and-a-half octaves, an instrument that has the power to shape life, both public and private, through its capacity to communicate feeling as well as thought.
Any one who has an interest in voice and speech owes him a debt of gratititude. He made a great contribution to many people.
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