Something's afoot

Maybe high heels and kinky boots look fabulous, but can they impact your singing?

To help find out, Dr. Amelia Rollings of Western Kentucky University conducted a study that has been published in the Journal of Voice called "The Effects of Heel Height on Head Position, Long-Term Average Spectra, and Perceptions of Female Singers." (Available free at this link until March 31st.)

For her study, she asked 30 university voice students to sing an excerpt of “Climb Ev'ry Mountain” from THE SOUND OF MUSIC while barefoot and again while wearing 3.8 to 4 inch high heels (Mossimo Vivian Pointy Stiletto heels from Target, if you must know). Dr. Rollings then measured their head angle, analyzed the acoustic output of their sound, and had the students fill out a questionnaire about what they felt while singing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the results show that every single participant significantly changed the angle of her head when singing in high heels compared to singing barefoot. The acoustic data indicated "significant spectral energy differences" between barefoot and high-heeled singing (meaning there was a notable change in tone quality). And the questionnaire revealed that 70% of the singers were most comfortable—and felt they sang their best—while barefoot.

So, does this mean that singers should never wear heels while singing? Not necessarily.

Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, co-author of What Every Singer Needs to Know About the Body, believes singers can perform in high heels, but to do so requires some extra attention and practice. He writes:

Luckily, snowshoes are pretty flat.

"Adding height to the heel of a shoe will change the arc of the arch through which the weight of the body is delivered to the floor; the heel of the shoe becomes an extension of the heel of the foot. The ankle joint must rebalance so that it still remains the fulcrum at the apex of the arch, which will of course be taller and narrower. (The higher the heel of the shoe, the taller and narrower the arch.) The ankle joint must adjust so that weight is still being delivered equally back through the heel of the foot and subsequently the heel of the shoe to the ground, and also forward through the ball of the foot to the ground. (If too much weight is thrown onto the balls of the feet, the toes often grip in compensation, which is counterproductive.)" (What Every Singer Needs to Know About the Body, p.256)

There are many performance factors that may interfere with our best singing, like staging, choreography, and even costuming. The point of a "dress" rehearsal is to allow actors to get used to moving and singing in costume (shoes included) to work out any peculiarities before being put in front of an audience. It takes practice and experimentation to find out how to keep vocal efforts balanced and expressive within these potential limitations.

Being aware of how high heels may unconsciously impact your singing can help you make appropriate adjustments to your approach. Then you're better able to get your performance off on the right foot.

How has your singing been this week?

Now go practice.

Vocal load

This week I had an appointment at the University of Utah's Voice Disorders Center. For the last year I had been noticing that my top notes were not as clear as they used to be and that it would often take a lot more effort to create those sounds than it had previously. After dragging my feet for a year, I finally made an appointment to get seen by an otolaryngologist (also known as an ENT—an ear, nose, and throat doctor).

It turns out, I have two things going on with my voice.

1) I have been experiencing laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD). If you don't know what this is, check out my blog from last February. It is quite common among singers and can cause many of the vocal symptoms I have been experiencing. To help combat this problem, the doctor prescribed some medication and we outlined ways I can adjust my diet and lifestyle to reduce the occurrence of reflux.

2) The other issue I have been experiencing is significant vocal load or vocal dose. Essentially, it means I have been using my voice more than is good for me.

As a professional voice user (which, as actors and singers, all of you are, as well), we have to constantly be conscious of how much we are asking of our vocal muscles. Even athletes who are using their muscles efficiently will run into occasional issues or injuries from overuse. It is the same for singers.

The speech-language pathologist at the clinic helped me outline some areas in my daily routine where I can reduce my vocal load.

Sometimes you just gotta go see the doc.

• Demonstrate less while teaching (if the students know what I'm asking, I don't have to sing it for them first).
• Don't practice to the point of being vocally fatigued. Stop singing or transition to cool-down exercises before getting to the point of fatigue. 
• Be aware of loudness in conversation. Louder sounds require more vocal fold collision. Use only as much volume as is needed for the situation (this includes loud laughing).
• Be aware of loudness levels while singing. Vocal practice should not always be at ff. Balance in dynamics is key. 
• Encourage a CT-dominant (head-voice) sound in singing whenever possible. Limit TA-dominant (chest voice) singing. 
• Use more airflow while speaking and singing, especially if the voice is tired.
• Take time throughout the day for vocal rest and for straw phonation to reduce vocal fold swelling. 

We may discover that my previous vocal load levels would have been fine if I had not also been experiencing reflux. Regardless, it has made me aware of some of the ways I have been needlessly asking more of my voice than is necessary.

Examine your own daily vocal load. Do you have any habits that could be adjusted to make sure you aren't overtaxing your instrument?

And how has your practice been going?

Now go practice.