Manuel Garcia 11 (1805-1906) is perhaps the greatest teacher of voice in history, and his approach, stated in A Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing, Parts One (1841) and Two (1847), became one of the principal methods of vocal instruction during his time. By tracing Garcia 11's methodology, based on the Italian Schools of Singing and be1 canto opera, it will become clear that his type of voice building holds many of the keys needed to unlock the voices of singers today. Analysis of Garcia II's vocal treatises, combined with first hand research conducted with faculty throughout three prominent Canadian university voice programs, will further substantiate the claim that Garcia 11 is a pivotal figure within the landscape of vocal pedagogy, also putting to rest several misconceptions (i.e. vocal onset and the coup de la glotte, and vocal registers) concerning his teachings. Respected internationally for his contributions to the worlds of classical voice and opera, performance practice, voice science, and pedagogy during his lifetime, Garcia II's theories on vocal production remain intact in current vocal pedagogy, despite shifts in the paradigms of musical, cultural, social and vocal aesthetics.