The too common vulgar striving for power rather than for beauty or purity of tone induces unnatural effort and strain that both directly and sympathetically affect the throat with stiffness.
Unnatural effort in breathing, over-effort in breath control, as well as singing without adequate breath, all induce tension that is reflected at once in the sensitive throat.
Impatience of results, American hurry, beget unnatural effort and tension.

"Unclasp the fingers of a rigid civilization from off your throat." The student of the violin or the piano soon learns that only by a long and patient preparation can he fit himself to entertain even his admiring friends.

The embryo singer, on the contrary, expects with far less expenditure of time and effort to appear in public.
The human voice is a direct expression of the man himself; it registers spontaneously his mental and emotional states, even when he would wish them hidden.

Mental conditions tinged with impatience, with fear, or with anything that begets tension of any sort are reflected instantly in the voice, robbing it of its better qualities and inducing stiffness in the throat.
Reduced to its lowest terms voice culture to-day is a struggle with throat stiffness.
The causes indicate the remedy.

Foremost, then, is dropping all throat consciousness, all thought of the throat, all drawing of attention to it.