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Voice Training to Sound More Feminine
I have just read an interesting article from Smithsonian.com titled “How Transgender Women Are Training Their Voices to Sound More Feminine” by Angela Chen on 15 December 2015. It asks the question “Does striving for some ideal female voice just reinforce stereotypes?”
In one section of the article Christie Block, a speech-language pathologist who runs the New York Speech and Voice Lab and has coached transgender clients, says “It’s a myth to think that voice training for trans people is just perpetuating stereotypes, but we are definitely dealing with cultural norms like word choice and intonation. It’s about helping people understand what the norms are and how to work around them and find the right combination of patterns that make it congruent with their identity and within the biological constraints that they have.”
I another part of the article, Alex Ahmed, a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University who is currently developing a voice training app as part of her doctoral research says. “Personally, as a trans person I know that having a very gendered and very binary interface turns me off, because it presents this idea that there is just masculine and feminine,” she says. “My idea is that people should be able to use my app to further their own goals, which may push them toward different locations on the masculine-feminine spectrum.”
In an ideal world, the pitch and intonation of a person’s voice and/or their word choice shouldn’t pigeonhole them into either a male/masculine or female/feminine category. But unfortunately, we have people making comments on the article such as Morgan23 who said “Why is this magazine promoting this Transgender nonsense? This is a mental condition that needs treatment, not promotion.” It is therefore understandable that there will be transgender women who will endeavour to conform to the community expectations of how cis women talk.
If you are interested in this discussion, the full article can be found at the following web address:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-transgender-women-are-training-their-voices-sound-more-feminine-180957537/?no-ist -
10 Replies
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On a couple of occasions well meaning acquaintances have let me know that I should “work on my voice”. Although I try to avoid shouting (hard in a noisy club) I’ve been reluctant to talk in what I see as an affected way. My journey is one of becoming “me” and so changing “me” to suit the cultural sensitivities of others doesn’t seem genuine.
The urge to change ourselves to fit more comfortably into cultural norms of male and female is something we all experience to a greater or lesser degree. Is the need to “blend in” driven by a insecurity and a lack of confidence, or is it the other way round? Does the presentation of a more conforming binary image lead to improved confidence? Probably a bit of both.
If I’m going to be brutally honest, on reflection, many of the obsessions of contemporary trangender life look a lot less like “expressing your true gender” and more like “acting out a culturally accepted role”.
I started my journey crossdressing convinced that all I was doing was acting – the wig, the nails, the heavy makeup, the deliberately female costume. Acting is fine for an occasional evening out, but if expressing your self becomes a part of your life then acting isn’t the way to go.
If your gender expression actually causes embarrassment and distress to others then perhaps there is a strong case to change your image. Voice training in such circumstances is probably a valuable exercise. But it shouldn’t just be one of the tick boxes on the transgender journey – something you do because you think it will make you a better, more genuine, person.
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I totally agree with Adrian. Just what is wrong with being one’s self? I think it runs along the age old line of self acceptance. I used to terribly embarrassed about voice (mines a little on the deep end) but then what’s wrong withe voice you have? Nothing.
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There are times that I regret not putting in the effort to train my voice to be more feminine. Those times are mostly when not drawing attention to my male origins would be advantageous e.g. the ladies toilet.
Most times though my male voice portrays an honesty and with friendly confidence has led to many enjoyable interactions. It took me some time to overcome the fear that folk would shriek if I spoke with a male voice and to develop the confidence to talk with people. My expectation now is that they know I am male and still happy to talk.
The world of a CDer can be lonely, so confidently interacting with the world is empowering.
Michelle
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I have thought about this topic a number of times. When Sammie, I wish to blend in. I want to go out as the woman I think I should have been born. I guess my preferred style of 50s dresses and pinup fashion, my idea of a woman however has been stereotypically re-enforced by conservative and sexist society. In saying that, once dressed I feel empowered. Empowered in a way I struggle to when in life in male mode. Albeit until I need to open my mouth. Due to my fear of being recognised or even made an example of in a public place, I would probably venture out more often if I could communicate freely without my deep masculine voice. I realise the world shouldn’t judge, but it takes much will power to be confident.
The last time I went out – chaperoned by a cis female friend to Birkenhead outlet shops, the initial part of the day I felt highly self-conscious, not of my appearance but how my voice sounds. It wasn’t until I was in a couple of the fashion shops being helped by enthusiastic open minded sales women that I finally no longer cared of my voice and was able to relax. The confidence was short lived when going on to another shop and greeted by a manager who didn’t seem impressed with my presence.
Logically, I really do agree with everyone in this topic, but emotions win… I wish I had the confidence to be at one with my voice (hopefully with time), but in the interim I will continue to try to make the pitch slightly higher with less resonance, and hopefully with practice I can become louder. I hope that the places I go continue to be mostly accepting and if not accepting, at least respectful and not make a scene.
Hugs and Merry Christmas,
Sammie -
ive given it thought, and I do have a different female voice to my male voice. trouble for me is sometimes when I’m Kim, I slip back into my male voice, and I can hear the difference, and then I correct myself back to female. so in the new year, I’m seeing someone to give me a few tips and how to control my voice a bit more. training my voice, like getting my ears pierced and going onto hormones is all part of my journey…………..
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I am agreeing with Liz and Adrian – be yourself. Sammie, the ignoramus who isn’t impressed with you being in their store is the problem. Why they don’t want your money is beyond me.
Juleitte
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I struggle with this more than anything else almost to the point of having a phobia of using the telephone for fear of being called mate or buddy. I don’t care when I am the customer, but in terms of work or career is when it gets more difficult.
For me working on changing my voice is not about conforming to what other people around me want or expect it is about helping myself to have a more enjoyable passage through my life. Or to put it another way reducing friction.
Strangely however I seem to always put off working on my voice even though it is important to me and if I am really honest I go through my life speaking very quietly and sounding very unconfident and this lets me down a lot of the time.
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I have been assured in the past that, generally, my voice isn’t particularly masculine, deep and Orson Wellesian. But when I get annoyed or frustrated, I can almost feel the bass notes coming up.
Years ago I read an article that suggested an accent was effective in this regard. People listen to the accent rather than the tone or pitch. A Russian girl I worked with had a deeper voice as did a Dutch girl. Actually, when she, the Dutch girl, lapsed into her native language it was quite deep.
I don’t know how accurate this is but I have had long conversations with people in a social setting and their questions implied they did think I was genuinely female, at least for a while. Eventually though the penny dropped. -
Interesting – I will be brushing up my accents then. Only which one to choose.
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Sammie_1 wrote:I want to go out as the woman I think I should have been born. I guess my preferred style of 50s dresses and pinup fashion, my idea of a woman however has been stereotypically re-enforced by conservative and sexist society.
Sammie,
My journey of gender exploration is littered with things that I latched on as being critical to my being gendered in public as female.
It started with a fixation that ‘everyone’ would see my adam’s apple and gender me male – this lead to a vast collection of neck scarves. But this was in a time when few people wore scarves and so it only served to attract attention.
Continuing the list would really be more appropriate in fun stuff than here, but it finished (I hope) with a fixation on makeup being ‘essential’.
At the time, each thing was of the ultimate importance when I went out, and was critical to my feeling confident. In time each fixation was exposed as being far more an issue for me than it was for others.
Fixation on voice is just one thing I’ve discarded on the way.
The reality is that we don’t know what clues people use to gender others. And whilst society persists in gendering as male or female we are bound to give a few surprises when the initial choice doesn’t match a later experience (such as when we open our mouth).
I would suggest that the more unusual your appearance, the more critically people will look at you before gendering you, and so the more likely it is that they will latch on the unusual (such as that deep voice).
If you want the confidence that flows from others recognising and acknowledging your femininity in public then give strong visual clues that are consistent with contemporary fashion and lifestyles. 50s dresses and pinup fashion is a great look – but with less style you may find the voice is less of an issue.
And on a fun, seasonal note.
I have always enjoyed singing – I’m a pretty competent bass.
So on Xmas day at church I’m dressed in a nice top and slacks – singing con gusto the bass line to the carols.
Do I care – no!
Voice training could never make me into a coloratura!
