Music Teaching Tips

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." . . .

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. . . .