The Bound Breath: Transmasculine and Gender Nonconforming Singers’ Perceived Effects of Chest Binding on Singing

Chest binding is a gender-affirming practice used by many transmasculine and gender nonconforming individuals to achieve the appearance of a flatter chest without surgical intervention. While the potential harmful effects of chest binding are relatively well-established, the effects of chest binding on singing remain under-explored. This survey, the first of its kind, surveys thirty-eight Twin Cities-based singers of varying levels who have worn or currently wear chest binders while singing. Participants reported that binding gave significant mental health benefits while singing, as well as perceptions of physical limitations such as difficulty with inhalation, loss of singing stamina, and decreased voice volume. Despite the physical limitations, participants reported a preference to bind while singing. These findings highlight a need for binding-focused, gender-inclusive singing pedagogy, as well as further research into optimizing compression garments for singing and the physical and perceived effects of binding while singing on a larger population.