The Effects of Heel Height on Head Position, Long-Term Average Spectra, and Perceptions of Female Singers

Female singers often wear high heels for auditions and performances. Heel height research in non-singing contexts indicates that wearing heels can affect body alignment and head position. Studies in orthodontics, sleep apnea, and voice science suggest that head and neck positioning can alter the vocal tract. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects, if any, of heel height (barefoot, 10.16-cm stilettos) on three angles of singer head position (calculated from C7–tragus–nasion), long-term average spectra data, and perceptual data (questionnaire) acquired from female (N = 30) soloists during alternating periods of silence and singing.

http://ift.tt/2oZCjfT