Singers have an advantage over instrumentalists in that they have an added dimension: text. Beautiful music is made even more beautiful by beautiful words.

However, with this comes an additional responsibility: the singer has to make the text believable to the audience. Here’s one way to get started-by learning how to emphasize certain words over others.

Below you will find the text to "America" (My Country, 'tis of Thee). Words to be emphasized are in BOLD print. Say this text aloud into a tape recorder and listen to yourself. See if you can understand the meaning of the text. Or, speak it to a friend or teacher.

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From ev'ry mountainside,
Let freedom ring.

Here's an excerpt from "Battle Hymn of the Republic." No bold print this time! Experiment by emphasizing different words and phrases. There is no single correct way to interpret the text-two singers might have two completely different approaches to the same words.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea;
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on!