Based on the research of Leif Lundberg: David L Jones and the Swedish-Italian School of Singing

“Based on the research of Leif Lundberg”. That phrase, found in various materials by David L Jones (voiceteacher.com), was the clue that eventually allowed me to untangle the web of claims supporting Mr Jones’s mythical tradition of singing. Until I contacted Mr. Lundberg directly, I was unable to find any documentation that wasn’t based on something David L Jones had written himself. And I really mean NOTHING. I did find a lot of inconsistencies, and while those did suggest a completely invented “lineage” and tradition, it was conceivable that the main ideas and history could still be true. There was no metaphorical smoking gun. Nothing to show clear intent to deceive and to cover the tracks of his deception.

I decided to contact Mr Lundberg directly to get to the bottom of things, since he’s referenced not only in supporting materials but also in the book recently published by Mr Jones. . I was expecting a partisan answer, since Mr Jones has managed to build his concept into a veritable fiefdom of devotees. Leif not only wrote back to me, he agreed to an interview and expressed a strong desire to correct the record regarding the “fairytales” told “in America”. It’s no wonder then, that Mr. Jones attempted to dissuade me from contacting him. Leif essentially confirmed my suspicions: there was never a Swedish-Italian school, and Alan Lindquest was not trained in Sweden (he did go for a year or so, but he was already an established teacher). Lindquest was an American vaudeville singer from Chicago, of Swedish descent but thoroughly American. There is no record showing that he ever trained successful dramatic voices, and no reason to associate him with Garcia, Italy, Sweden, or dramatic singing. There’s also not much basis for associating Alan Lindquest with David L Jones, since the two only met for a handful of lessons.

What we have, according to all available evidence, is an American school of singing based on the popular music styles of the early 20th century, with just about every legendary operatic name you can think of sprinkled on to give an appearance of legitimacy as a method for training dramatic voices. Kirsten Flagstad, Birgit Nilsson, Jussi Bjorling, Enrico Caruso, Manuel Garcia, Giovanni Lamperti, Jenny Lind, and the list goes on and on – none of these people can be said to have anything to do with the techniques advocated by Mr. Jones. They serve a single purpose: they help strengthen a taboo against asking Mr. Jones to demonstrate the technical ability he has claimed to possess. We must take his word for it because he’s the respected torch-bearer for an important and established lineage.

My own experiences as a student of David Jones mirror much of what I’ve heard from those attempting to dissuade me from reporting the truth. I enjoyed our lessons, had a feeling that I was “on to something” great, that progress was just around the corner, and that I was a “special” student of his. I felt important and cared for, and that I was joining a great Old-World tradition of singing. As Mr Lundberg puts it, “they who know”. For years after my time as his student, I continued to credit him for my own vocal transformation. I even taught his method in a summer program, and I insisted that the techniques described in his articles were sound. Looking back now, I can see clearly I was not only incorrect. I was delusional. In particular I remember forcing students to take small breaths rather than deep ones to avoid “overbreathing” and “stale air”. This concept comes to us via one of the articles on the official website of David L Jones: “Enrico Caruso told Lindquest in 1917 that he took “no more breath to sing than to have a casual conversation with a friend.” The quote was most likely invented by Mr Jones, since Enrico Caruso co-authored a book with Luisa Tetrazzini in which they state “If the singer gives much of himself as well as of his voice to the public he should still hold his breathing supply in, so to speak, as he would guard the capital from which comes his income. Failure should thus be impossible if there is always a reserve to draw on.” What is apparent to me is that Mr Jones has not read the original sources he refers to, preferring instead to misquote or invent whole cloth whatever he deems fit, which he then credits to famous figures from operatic history.

In my interview with Leif Lundberg, I asked if it was possible Mr Jones is simply mistaken or has not been told that his claims aren’t supported by historical records or by the source materials. Mr Jones stated to me in a written interview that he was given a detailed history by Leif Lundberg, but when he sent me the “documentation” it was quite obviously (and poorly) written by David Jones himself. Once again the only citation given is Leif Lundberg, who has emphatically denied the veracity of almost the entire document. Moreover, in our interview Mr Lundberg stated that David Jones is in possession of some original source material sent to him from Sweden, but has shown no interest in pursuing any translation of it, which any literate Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian speaker would be able to accomplish (assuming they also speak English). Leif also claims to have told Mr Jones outright that he has his facts wrong, and that his reply was “I don’t care” (see episode 4 of our interview)

Once I began to seriously question and research the claims of David L Jones, something quite interesting happened. It became suddenly much easier to see that his articles are essentially word salads with almost no technical detail. If science is mentioned, you can be sure none will be cited. If a “function” is referenced, you can be sure it will not be described in detail. And yet, respected blogs and authors cite Mr Jones as an authority on singing, and his book will undoubtedly show up in academic papers as if the contents have scholarly value. There is even a vast network of studios, whose owners profess to be disciples of the self-styled “master of singing” who has yet to sing in public.

Alan Lindquest once said “I can’t transmit my production to a student unless I have it well in hand” (source: p. 241 of this dissertation). David Jones claims to have good ability in this regard, but as of yet has never demonstrated it. There isn’t a single recorded example, and when I asked him for one he immediately claimed he had to go, then stopped answering my messages. At time of publication, nobody seems willing to publicly defend the historical and personal claims of Mr Jones. They are as evasive as their master, and unwilling to even consider that they have been hoodwinked. They have their alternative facts, and don’t wish to be bothered with pesky things like the truth. It’s incredibly inconvenient to go back and undo the work that used the “Swedish-Italian” model as a foundation, but it is entirely necessary and a matter of duty for anyone interested in the truth.

In reality, Mr Jones has never been able to show that he has direct experience singing classical music at a professional level, nor has he spent any significant time training under someone who has. Alan Lindquest sang on the vaudeville stage but never had an opera career. Evelyn Reynolds failed to convert her pop career to a successful operatic career (she did sing some supporting roles). Martha Rossacker was the conductor of a children’s chorus. He did spend some undisclosed period of time with Dixie Neil, whose opinion was that he’s actually a baritone (apparently Alan Lindquest, Martha Rossacker, and Evelyn Reynolds could not tell the difference!). Jones has even stated in a published interview that he was began to teach professionally before he had any idea what he was doing, and in our personal written interview has stated that he’s “always been able to help singers”. This sense of entitlement not a disqualifying problem in and of itself. It ought to be, however, when taken alongside his claims of lineage, tradition, technical mastery, and education. It’s also a problem that he chooses not to disclose what he already knows about the errors in his claims. It’s dishonest, and the community of teachers and students of singing ought not to let such an abuse result in a thriving business and a good reputation.

We deserve the truth. It is not inappropriate to speak of it publicly.

Full disclosure: the author has no financial interest in this reporting, and does not teach voice professionally.

You can see my interview with Leif Lundberg and other reporting on the subject on YouTube. This playlist will be updated with fresh episodes as they are released.