ANN ARBOR—The Michigan Marching Band works at getting in shape months before an appearance at the season’s first football game — a lot of hard work in hot weather to avoid the risk of injury to feet and ankles.

Members of the football team work all year to keep in top physical shape and concentrate on grueling workouts for 22 days before the season opener.

But how about the fans? They can work out and avoid injury, too, especially to their vocal cords, say the experts at U-M’s Vocal Health Center, who recommend some healthy vocal habits for football fans.

The first step toward producing a strong voice at a game is to be well hydrated. That means drinking plenty of water before, during and after the game. And it doesn’t mean alcoholic beverages or those that contain caffeine.

Fans can begin warming up before they even get to the stadium. Try some lip or tongue trills. Just let the lips or tongue flutter as though blowing bubbles under water or making a motorboat sound, all the while using a gentle voice. Once you find your section, row, and seat number, you can really impress those around you by doing some slow glides up and down the scale with the sounds of mmmmm, ooooooo, or aaaaaaaa. To get in the true Wolverine spirit, run the scale with: Gooooooooooo Blue!

U-M experts suggest that you take in a good breath and use plenty of airflow. Let just a slight sensation of breath escape with the voice when you give out those cheers. Be aware of your own voice and the effect of the noisy surroundings on it. It’s easy to lose track of just how loudly you are talking when there is a lot of background noise. Give your voice a break occasionally. Afterward, don’t forget a cool-down for your voice. Treat it gently by doing some soft humming on the way home.

“The Victors’’ will work well for this, but keep the volume on medium. Once home, rest your voice for the next 24 hours.

If you lost control of this vocal health program while at the game and are experiencing some vocal distress, U-M experts recommend soothing lozenges, but avoid those with eucalyptus, menthol or peppermint.

To make sure you are ready to cheer:

• Hydrate
• Warm up with lip/tongue trills and slow glides
• Use plenty of air flow
• Depend on the feel of your voice, not the sound

Cool down with soft humming The Rev. Tom Firestone, pastor at St. Mary’s Student Parish in Ann Arbor, suffered in his job after abusing his voice at a game. “I yell plenty,” he says. “I used to lose myself at games.” After Saturday games, he had trouble trying to preach homilies at Sunday mass. The strain on his voice led him to Leslie Guinn at the Vocal Health Center.

Now he does vocal exercises to strengthen his voice even while driving. “It works,” he says. “It keeps you more in touch with yourself.”

So Firestone, a former high school and Xavier University defensive back, didn’t have to relinquish cheering the Wolverines at home and away games to keep his job.

U-M’s Vocal Health Center is headed by Dr. Norman D. Hogikyan, surgeon and associate professor of otolaryngology at U-M. . The center includes Marc Haxer, a senior speech and language pathologist, and Leslie Guinn, professor emeritus of music, a professional bass baritone and prize-winning recording artist who has collaborated with otolaryngologists in the rehabilitation of the injured voice for the past 25 years. The center offers comprehensive care for the voice and voice disorders experienced by both the professional and non-professional voice user. Clients include internationally renowned performers, athletic coaches, teachers and public speakers.

For more information about vocal health and the center, call (734) 432-7666 or visit www.med.umich.edu/oto/vocalhealthcenter

Contact: Joanne Nesbit
Phone: (734) 647-4418
E-mail: mjnesbit@umich.edu