This came up in conversation recently and I wanted to address it formally. For the context of this piece I’m defining male and female as it’s commonly understood in terms of anatomical differences, but there are many more nuances beyond what is physiologically visible.
"Do male singers use their pelvic floor differently than female singers?"
The short answer is they probably don’t have to.
When you look at the anatomy between male and female pelvises you’ll see the same muscles in mostly the same places, the only real difference is that the female pelvic floor has a third opening for the vagina. As my pelvic floor physical therapist likes to say, "It's the same pieces, just arranged a little differently."
Now there are some differences in structure of the muscles because a female pelvis has a separation for the vaginal opening, but the reality is the male pelvic floor also has two separate columns of muscle fibers… There's just no separation.
(I’ll add that these muscles aren’t quite as clearly defined in real life as they are in anatomy illustrations and there’s a lot of room for differences in the size and shape and structure of the muscle tissues.)
Other possible differences include the size and shape of the pelvis itself. Female pelvises tend to be wider and longer, but as with anything human there is room for variation.
We are bioindividual!
So I really don’t want to paint a picture that there are big differences or that there are exact differences because differences exist between all individuals regardless of sex. What I want to highlight is the similarities. If you really zoom in on the muscle structures you’re going to see more similarities than not. And this, in my opinion, should transfer over to how you use and talk about the pelvic floor for singing.
In my mind the question isn’t “do male and female singers use their pelvic floor muscles differently” but “should they?”
It’s my personal opinion that the pelvic structures are similar enough that good coordination of pelvic floor movement will serve male and female singers equally - so there shouldn’t be much if any difference between how male and female singers use their pelvic floor muscles.
Whether that comes across in practice is a separate issue.
We aren’t just creatures of biology, we are creatures of social conditioning and I’m willing to bet there are many differences in how singers view and interact with their pelvic anatomy. The differences between sexes are so ingrained in our society that there are going to be differences in how singers interpret and use their pelvic floor muscles. How we see ourselves and the experiences we have personally all have drastic impacts on our pelvic floor function regardless of anatomy.
Having a functional understanding of the pelvic floor muscles can help ALL singers.
I know that the work I do translates seamlessly for all the singers I work with. I know they get better results in their breathing and singing. I also know that my experience with my pelvis is vastly different than many singers and since I’m not a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist I'm observing the actual functioning of the pelvic floor muscles of my clients.
What I can observe is their bodies, their singing, their breathing and their emotional state and I use all of those as a framework for whether we’re getting the desired results.
Do you like it? Is it easier? Does it feel good?
In this way, my approach to singing is the same as my approach to anatomy study:
We are mostly the same in the basics of our functions.
We have more in common anatomically than not.
We are all bioindividual.
It's less about finding the one correct way to do things and more about finding the approach that works for you. And this is vocal pedagogy in a nutshell, right? There’s no one way to describe singing that is universal. If we are speaking in absolutes about male vs female anatomy or function then we’re selling ourselves short as humans and as artists. The bigger point is that having a practical and precise understanding of this area get results, regardless of the physiolgical differences.
The beauty is not in what sets us apart, but in what brings us together.
I’d personally love to see less dynamics between male vs female singers because scientifically, biologically, anatomically, neurologically, and anthropologically we know [now] we have more in common than not. We are shades of the rainbow, not black and white. The more we can view the individual and not depend on averages of a group the more nuanced our teaching will be, the more nuanced our healthcare will be, and the more inclusive our art can be.
In my experince, the discussion of Pelvic Floor anatomy and function in vocal study has been extremely limited. While some teachers discuss "connection to the pelvic floor" it's usually without much context or undestandng of the full range of movements and muscular activation available in these muscles. Working knowledge of these muscle groups, how they function, and first hand experience in developing your own awareness of their movements can be a game-changing experience for many singers.
With a little bit of practical knowledge you can be more precise in how you work with a critical piece of the breathing (and singing!) anatomy.
I'm hosting a Pelvic Floor & Singing Workshop live on November 16 to go deep into the pelvic floor muscles and how they function in singing so you can start to build in a better awareness of them in both your singing and your daily life. This is information that has been gathered from multiple sources over the last 6 years and, as far as I can tell, simply doesn't exist anywhere else. It's time we pull the curtain back on this area of taboo and start working with it practically - your whole body will thank you!
The workshop will be recorded and available to you in perpetuity so that you can revisit this work as much as desired. Registration also includes a 30min one-on-one session to integrate the materials directly into YOUR practice. Details can be found below and feel free to message me with any questions.
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