▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁sevent een , ▁studying ▁harm ony ▁and ▁composition ▁with ▁Pr out , ▁organ ▁with ▁Charles ▁Ste gg all , ▁and ▁piano ▁with ▁Walter ▁Mac far ren . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁clear ▁whether ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Manuel ▁Gar cia ' s ▁singing ▁class , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁certain ▁that ▁he ▁became ▁its ▁accompan ist ▁and ▁was ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁by ▁Gar cia . ▁Wood ▁also ▁accompanied ▁the ▁opera ▁class , ▁taught ▁by ▁Gar cia ' s ▁son ▁Gust ave . ▁Wood ' s ▁amb ition ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁teacher ▁of ▁singing , ▁and ▁he ▁gave ▁singing ▁less ons ▁throughout ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁classes ▁of ▁as ▁many ▁singing ▁teachers ▁as ▁he ▁could , ▁although ▁by ▁his ▁own ▁account , ▁" I ▁possess ▁a ▁terrible ▁voice . ▁Gar cia ▁said ▁it ▁would ▁go ▁through ▁a ▁brick ▁wall . ▁In ▁fact , ▁a ▁real ▁conduct or ' s ▁voice ." ▁ ▁Opera ▁On ▁leaving ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁of ▁Music ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁Wood ▁taught ▁singing ▁priv ately ▁and ▁was ▁soon ▁very ▁successful , ▁attract ing ▁" more ▁singing ▁pup ils ▁than ▁I ▁could ▁comfort ably ▁deal ▁with " ▁at ▁half ▁a ▁gu inea ▁an ▁hour . ▁He ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁rép ét ite ur . ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁mem oir s , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁that ▁capacity ▁for ▁Richard ▁D ' O y ly ▁Car te ▁during ▁the ▁re he ars als ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁production ▁of ▁The ▁Ye omen