Arnold Henry Wagner (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1949) was a musicologist and linguist who helped pioneer the improvement of voice and musical vibrato and advanced the theory of the psychology of music. He developed techniques to correct bad vibrato in singers' voices and in string and woodwind instruments, which was previously thought impossible. Over four decades he taught music and foreign singing language at the University of Southern California. Personal life Wagner was the son of William Henry Wagner, a farmer and American Civil War veteran, and Harriet Parmelia Arnold. He was the youngest of seven children born in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York, and raised in nearby Ogdensburg. His father conducted local choruses and community singing events and greatly influenced the young Arnold. Arnold Wagner married Pearl Carlotta Comer, a concert pianist and the daughter of Levi Calvin Comer and Hattie Sheets, on June 28, 1915, in Los Angeles, CA. The couple had no children. Education Wagner attended rural schools and at the Odgensburg Grammar School and Free Academy. He earned his lifetime teaching certificate at the State Normal and Training School in Potsdam, New York. In 1904, he traveled to Europe to study the French, German and Italian languages. He returned to the United States in 1906. By 1911, he resumed his education in Los Angeles. In 1919, he earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree at the University of Southern California (USC) and a Master's Degree in 1924 in music. He continued his studies at the Teachers College at Columbia University in 1925-1926. He spent summers from 1924 to 1928 at the State University of Iowa where he received his doctorate degree in music. Career With his Potsdam Normal School teaching credentials, he began his career as a teacher in 1900 in Adirondack, New York. However, he quickly accepted a position offered by the United States government to teach English and music in the Philippines. He was part of the first batch of 100 students in 1901 to go overseas to teach English, music and art. He initially taught in the provinces before moving to Manila. He returned to the United States in 1904 and became a music supervisor for the public school systems in Douglas and Bisbee, Arizona. Returning to Los Angeles in 1911, Wagner taught at local schools before joining the Santa Monica Unified School District in 1913 to teach music and language.