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Music is a crafty art.

To stir the hearts of men,

Merely mastering the notes won't chart,

One must learn to enchant then.

A dear student of mine from the music school brought these charming lines. I'm unsure of the author, yet I wholeheartedly resonate with them, for speech is music.

From the very first touch of a child with English literature, we completely eliminate formal, indifferent reading. We seek colors in the voice – an extensive palette – and we select the most precise shades to express and convey the emotions we ourselves feel when reading the text, aiming to evoke them in the listener...

- So, children should read expressively right away?

Now that these words have been mentioned, allow me to address my compatriots with a proposal, even a plea, to retire the phrase "with expression," as it's devoid of meaning, saving it perhaps only for folklore: "A darling sits on the porch with an expression on the face..." The Russian language, grand and powerful! How sharply this ditty mocks the emptiness of the phrase "with expression." A person can convey a myriad of feelings: fear and pain, ecstasy and joy, anger and despair. Imagine if a director told an actor or a conductor told a musician: "Perform with expression." One might argue I'm nitpicking words, but this erroneous phrasing indeed mutilates the essence! Look! Every time a mother (or teacher, or mentor) says these words - "read with expression" - a child invariably interprets it as a command to read louder, enunciating every syllable and shouting every word. And the worst part? Often, they hear an adult praise: "Now that's good, well done."

Let's circle back to our magical artistry. The aim, set from the very beginning, is such: an imagined listener (you could seat dolls as the audience) should listen to you, spellbound, mouth agape, and understand, even without knowing the language. Our voice conveys empathy, fear, amazement, and joy.

For instance, a student (8 years old) reads the tale "Mr. Miacca" seemingly correctly, beyond reproach.

But one day Tommy was a very bad boy and he went out of the street. He turned the corner and…

Yet, something felt amiss. I missed the rising tension in her voice, for around the corner, he would meet Mr. Miacca!

A musician would say that this forte should be prefaced with a crescendo in the preceding phrase.

My response:

You're reading beautifully, Nancy, but I can't sense any fear in your tone! Look! It should sound something like this...

He turned the corner, and there was... a stunning princess, with...

(I jestingly parody with an elated, sugary voice – there's a crescendo in my tone, but of a different hue!)

Meaning, instead of Mr. Miacca, a lovely princess appeared around the corner with a bouquet of flowers. Drawing laughter from the children, I swiftly shift the tone to its opposite and depict the emergence of Mr. Miacca. The kids quickly grasp the desired expression, and soon a contest ensues to depict the most menacing Mr. Miacca lurking around the corner.

In this example, we've showcased a technique – seeking voice colors through antonyms.

A road straight and wide – a narrow, winding path;

Ran fast – walked slowly;

It turned pitch dark – suddenly it became bright.

Each time, drawing from the opposite, we find the desired shades, and using them, we ensure a translation into concepts.

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