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Nandhu Radhakrishnan, an assistant professor of communication science and disorders at the University of Missouri, displays a model of the larynx in his lab in Lewis Hall. Radhakrishnan, who specializes in speech pathology and vocal problems, says simple exercises can help people who want to improve their voices.

If you’re a shower singer hoping to make the big time or a schoolteacher whose voice fails by the end of the day, you might want to consider vocal exercises.

Nandhu Radhakrishnan, an assistant professor of communication science and disorders at the University of Missouri, said exercises can help people who want to sing better or people who depend on their voices to earn a living.

"There used to be a notion that good voice is only for singers or people who have to show their voice off to people, but nowadays, voice is what you are," said Radhakrishnan, who specializes in speech pathology and vocal problems. If a person loses "their voice, or even if they have the slightest problem with their voice, they may lose their job or be unable to function adequately."

Laurie Spate-Smith, a freshman English teacher at Jefferson Junior High School, knows the feeling. Taking a two-week winter break means her throat will be sore by the end of each school day for the first week or so after she returns.

"It sounds strange, kind of raspy," she said. Students "might notice it and say, ‘Are you getting a cold?’ Some teachers, like in phys ed, who have to project over long distances, have to call in sick when they get laryngitis."

Spate-Smith said she drinks hot tea to soothe her throat but has never heard of teachers doing exercises to increase voice endurance. Radhakrishnan hopes voice seminars one day will be part of teachers’ curriculum.

"Teachers are the most commonly seen patients in voice clinics because … they’re not trained voice users," he said. "Singers may not go for concerts back-to-back, whereas teachers teach for several hours a day, several hours a week, and they end up with more problems."

Muscle tension dysphonia is the most common condition, Radhakrishnan said. It involves tension in the neck as the body reacts to voice over-use by restricting range. Those who depend on their voices will force their vocal chords to continue working, which results in damage. Calluses or blisters on vocal chords are some of the problems that might require surgery or therapy.

Radhakrishnan said the way to improve your voice is to understand voice production, know risk factors and vocal hygiene, and use vocal exercises. He recommends visiting VoiceProblem.org, taking his upcoming professional voice course - which is only open to MU faculty and students - or seeking professional help from a voice coach.

"I recommend at least 20 minutes of vocal exercises twice a day for professional voice users who use their voice a lot, who want to train their voice and withstand the work pressure," he said.

Radhakrishnan said a simple "yawn-sigh-hum" exercise - which is done by vocalizing a yawn, sigh and hum - can help with pitch range. He said voice exercises also can slow the aging of the voice.

Radhakrishnan said he became interested in helping people with voice problems in his native India because as a child he wanted to be a singer or actor. His parents pointed him to the medical profession, so he decided he wanted to help professionals who depend on their voice.

Alex Innecco, music director at Missouri United Methodist Church, has participated in Radhakrishnan’s research on Indian classical singers and other projects.

"Any research that helps you to understand how these muscles work is really very welcome," he said. "Many times we singers don’t know exactly how it works."

Innecco said not everyone who starts voice lessons will make it to the Metropolitan Opera, but a person might be able to impress friends at karaoke.

He told of a student in her 30s who he taught once a week for two years in his native Brazil.

"She just wanted to go to a party, and if she was singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone, people wouldn’t look at her," Innecco said. And after the lessons, "she really could sing. That was her goal. She wanted to show off."

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