"I Sound Gay."

Many transwomen clients come to me with this complaint, but I have many clients who are happy to have this type of voice and speech style, because it appropriately expresses their femininity. There’s nothing wrong with a voice that has characteristics associated with gay men, but when you are a transwoman, then a gay man’s voice does not support your gender. 

Everyone has their own idea of the stereotypically “gay” voice, but what, exactly, makes a voice sound gay?

From an article by Daniel Villarreal, published on Queerty.com:

Researchers wrote that stereotypically “gay voices” in English-speaking men tend to have a higher pitch, wider pitch range, longer vowels, expanded vowel space, and a hissy “S” sound — all of which are perceived as more feminine and more submissive.

All these speech characteristics are widely considered to be more typical of cis female speakers.  In many instances, people who adopt more feminine styles of communication have had women as their role models.  Perhaps they were raised primarily by women or always had a special connection to girls and women in their youth.  Subtle differences in speech sounds are harder to consciously discern and measure. It stands to reason, though, that people who prefer a more feminine presentation would adopt these variations to speech and voice. 

Villarreal goes on to write:

In the 2014 documentary, Do I Sound Gay?, director David Thorpe said that gay voices also have typically over-exaggerated O sounds and hit final T sounds with more precision.  

I think Villarreal’s “over-exaggerated O” means the articulation of a precise, closed O that minimises the use of diphthong production.  (Think of the difference between the “Queen’s English” of Britain vs the drawl typical of speakers from the southern United States.)  Research indicates that cis women do articulate more precisely than cis men, hence more clearly articulated final endings of words are perceived to be a more feminine aspect of speech.

Personally, I perceive two further differences: a difference in speech rate and cadence and degree of breathiness. Most people who utilize a “gay voice” tend to introduce many more variations to pace of speech even within one sentence.  They more often oscillate between slower, longer word length (longer vowels) and fast-paced, clipped speech.  People who do not use a “gay voice” tend to speak with a more consistent speed and rhythm of speech.

I have noticed that many people who use a “gay voice” will create voice using a longer closed quotient of vocal fold vibration. This creates a sound that is strong and heavy on the vocal folds with little breathiness.  There is a distinct lack of gentleness to the vocal timbre.  This vocal quality is often mistaken to be nasality.  In my opinion, this is one of the most defining characteristics that distinguish “gay” voice from “female” voice.  And, it has been my experience that gay men typically do not adopt a breathy quality that is more characteristic of cis or trans women.

In contrast to my observations, a study by Suire, et al (2018) found homosexual French men had greater breathiness as well as greater pitch variation in the vocal signal than heterosexual French men, but no significant difference in overall pitch.

So, it’s all about finding the perfect blend of vocal characteristics.  Too much of one or too little of another may result in not-quite-the-perfect-voice for you.  Refining a voice is difficult, but it is worth paying attention to the nuanced details of speech and voice if you want to develop a voice that is truly congruent with your gender.

What’s your vocal bouquet?

“A female voice is the voice of a person who is female”.   Sarah Hennies took the words right out of my mouth.  A woman’s voice (in the most basic sense of the word) is simply that which comes from a woman. 

I believe this statement because, over the course of my lifetime, I have heard so many voices that I can fully appreciate all the variations, qualities and uniqueness that is inherent in every person’s voice.  I have heard people who were AMAB sound like people who were AFAB and vice versa.  I have heard disordered voices.  I have heard pathological voices.  And, I have heard exceptionally distinctive voices.

Because voices are so variable, I tell everyone with whom I work that, for me, it is important to retain the unique qualities of a voice that makes it instantly identifiable.  I wish for them to sound like themselves, but a little different, perhaps.  For me, the goal is to help them develop a voice that is functional, sustainable, presents them to others as they wish and makes them happy. 

A woman’s voice is like a perfectly blended fragrance.  It has many components in varying proportions.  Some are heavier and made with more base notes, heart notes and only a few top notes.  Others are light and summery with a focus on top notes and few base notes.  For every woman, the voice is the same; it is like her own unique fragrance with her own unique blend of vocal elements.  So, when we begin to plan their therapy, I do ask what elements of their voice they like.  I also ask what aspects of their voice they think needs some attention. How do they need the voice to function?  What do they want it to do for them?

I encourage my clients to be open to discovery along the path of voice exploration.  That’s because, along the way, they may discover that the voice that makes them happy is not what they originally thought it would be.  It may be something different altogether.  Maybe a spicier, woodier fragrance suits them better than the floral one they’ve been trying to wear.

I happened upon an interview with Sarah Hennies about her experimental music/documentary film, “Contralto”,  which “explores gender and sound with a cast of trans women, performing vocal exercises and reciting fragments of speech therapy texts all alongside a score of percussion strings and found instruments”.

In an interview on radio station KBPS, Hennies states, “I do not find the practice of teaching, uh, components of cis-gender female speech to trans women to be a bad thing.”  But, she goes on to share her opinion that voice therapy for transwomen “should be… to help someone based on their own unique needs and characteristics find a voice that makes them feel comfortable rather than telling them here's what CIS women do”.   She implies the former approach to voice therapy sets transwomen up for failure, because “it sets up this internal monologue that the thing that you are trying to do is unattainable.”

I am totally in agreement with Hennies’ philosophy. I consider all voices, containing a myriad of vocal characteristics, as valid.  And yet, I see the merit of discussing with my clients the characteristics that differentiate cis male and cis female voices.  Many of my clients feel they benefit from this knowledge, and consider it helps guide them in discovering their ideal voice.  It helps them to create their own perfect blend.

I’m more optimistic than Hennies, perhaps, in the potential that each person holds for modifying their voice.  Although each person may possess tangible or intangible limitations, the vocal instrument is flexible, and change is not impossible for anyone.

Authentic Voices Evolve

Everyone creates a voice.  Few people are perfectly happy with the sound that comes out when they speak.  If a voice doesn’t work well for any reason – doesn’t deliver the message well, isn’t unique enough, isn’t appealing enough – the speaker alters it.  The new, improved voice is still an authentic voice.  It’s just improved.  And rightly so.

 Opera singers, orators, lecturers – anyone who uses their voice professionally, intentionally creates their voice.  Creation requires experimentation. Trial and error.  In Seth Godin’s blog, he comments on the process classic rock musicians endured in order to create “a hit”. 

 Not one of them sounded the way they thought they would when they started… the act of making a hit involved abandoning some of what they said they believed in. These hits weren’t ‘authentic’ or the work of native talent. They were evolved, tweaked and changed in response to feedback from the world.

 These words could easily apply to people who are developing a voice that is congruent with gender, supports their sense of self , keeps them safe and functions in a way that makes them happy.  Everyone works on and develops their voice.  It’s nothing new.  It’s nothing strange. 

 Bravely join the crowd!

"My voice sounds nasal."

This is a common complaint.  A nasal sounding voice is the result of air passing through the nose when we speak.  For a pleasant and functional voice, we want air to simultaneously pass through both the nose and mouth in a balanced proportion.  Too much through the nose results in nasality and too much through the mouth creates a woolly sounding voice without brightness and brilliance. 

Often, people who complain of nasality don’t really have nasality.  Instead, they have what I refer to as “effortful voicing” or “pressed voice”.  Excessive tension within the larynx creates a voice quality that mimics nasality.  Although laryngeal tension is common throughout the entire population, it is particularly prevalent amongst trans-women who are learning to use their voices differently. 

Many things can cause laryngeal tension – emotional upheaval, compensatory behaviours when voicing becomes challenging or using your voice in ways that are detrimental to its function.  When people experience highly emotional states, such as anxiety, sadness or fear they may hold tension within the larynx (and other parts of the body).  Tension may cause pain; reduction of power and vocal pitch range; and ultimately, unhealthy changes to the larynx.   

Tension may manifest in a slightly longer ‘closed quotient’ of the vocal fold vibratory movement.  When the vocal folds stay closed a fraction longer than usual (image g below), the quality of the voice becomes more “reedy”.  I often use the analogy of an oboe sound quality vs a clarinet sound quality.  Sometimes people intentionally adopt this sort of vocal production because it makes their voice feel stronger and/or more controlled.

Simple diagram of vocal fold vibration. Drawing g shows vocal folds fully closed.

Another cause of apparent nasality is the mechanical lifting and holding up of the larynx.  This change shortens the vocal tract and changes the quality of the voice.  Some people refer to this quality as “bright”, but many people consider this quality to be “nasal” sounding.  There is usually little breathiness in the vocal quality.

If you have any of these concerns, there are some things you can do to change it.

Yawn/Sigh

In order to reduce this reediness or excessive brightness in quality, we need to relax the larynx and allow it to float upward and downward within the throat.  One way to relax the larynx is to yawn.  When we yawn, the larynx lowers within the throat, the soft palate rises, the pharyngeal space widens and the oral cavity opens to create a very large resonating space.  When the vocal tract is in this open, relaxed position, we can still create voice.  A gentle audible, voiced sigh - with lots of air - as we exhale allows us to hear how that release changes the quality of the voice – it lessens the reedy (nasal) quality.

Silent Gasp of Joy (I know…)

Another way to create a relaxed laryngeal position is to pretend someone has surprised you with a delightful gift of some sort.  When this happens, we naturally take in a quick inhalation (usually with a smile on our face).  This achieves the same position as the yawn, but in a much faster time frame.  We can set the vocal tract in this more relaxed position and use the exhalation to create voice that is less pressed, yet still clear and bright.

An additional benefit for some trans-feminine voices is the opportunity to allow a little bit of breath to enter into the vocal signal.   A bit of breathiness is a very feminine characteristic - but beware – if you overdo it, you will lose functionality as you won’t be able to be heard easily.

Whether your voice is “nasal “or “effortful”, these two exercises (which are based on how our bodies naturally move and function) are useful in developing your desired vocal timbre.  Added benefits of muscle relaxation and perfecting the salient characteristic of vocal breathiness are also possible with practice. 

Remember – tension is our enemy!

For the Trans Masculine singer - Voice Trans*formed!

I was thrilled to find this short video on CBC Music about two singers who risked the changes that testosterone would bring to their voices to be free to have their true identities.  It includes short clips of voice coaching sessions and explains a bit about what happens to the larynx on testosterone.  Enjoy!

What Men Want

A quick Google search will bring up numerous newspaper and magazine articles along with several scientific studies that investigate the effect of men’s speaking voices on listeners.  In general, these writings attest those men with lower average pitch are more successful in all aspects of life, because they are perceived to be stronger, more virile, more authoritative and more attractive overall.  This perception gives men with lower speaking voices an advantage in everything from partner selection and procreation to career progression.

There are some potential pitfalls for men who cultivate a very low speaking voice.  As described in a blog post on the male voice, sometimes limiting the upward pitch results in a monotonous voice.  Besides being just boring (in my opinion), according to Hodges-Simeon, et al (2010) these types of voices may be perceived as unfriendly, emotionless, intimidating or even aggressive.  In their journal article, they write “…variation might be the vocal equivalent of a smile…” I really like that analogy.

I often listen to male presenters with a range of emotional responses from ennui to annoyance.  Sometimes, even though I may be interested in what the speaker has to say, I cannot bring myself to listen to their voice for the duration of the presentation because I find the voice so distasteful. 

Amazingly, I happened to overhear the presenters of NFL This Week, which my husband watches to keep up with American Football.  I was stopped in my tracks, not because I follow football of any sort (I do not), but because of the appealing and emotive voices of the two male presenters, Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora.  

Few would argue that these men do not exemplify masculinity, even though neither of them spoke in a low, rumbling voice.  Both spoke with an incredibly free-sounding mid-range voice with plenty of rise and fall of the pitch to create the expression of enthusiasm, emphasis and ultimately, friendliness.  I liked them immediately.

Isn’t that what men want in a voice?  

“I feel like I’m putting on a voice. Like it’s fake.”

Bigstock/Olivier Le Moal

So many of my clients say this to me at some point along the path of their voice development.  They are feeling voice production that is different to what they are accustomed and they are hearing a voice that sounds foreign, as well.  The changes create a crisis of identity.

To help resolve this crisis, I encourage my clients to view their voice as an instrument and therapy work as learning to play it in a different way.  I often use the analogy of playing a guitar. 

When playing the guitar, most of the time the left hand is at the furthest, smallest end of the neck.  The fingers are comfortable there, easily reaching across the fretboard for all configurations.  If the player moves the hand further down towards the body of the guitar, the neck widens.  Playing further down the neck increases the pitch emanating from the strings, but it feels more awkward to play there.  The frets are much closer together and the height of the strings above the fretboard is much higher, so increased precision and pressure is required.  The fingers must stretch further, perhaps the angle of the hand needs to change and practice is needed to develop ease and fluidity of motion.  It feels clunky and it sounds different – but it is still the sound from that guitar, just a different sound from that guitar.

I was happy to come across an article in Scientific American in which an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon wrote “the human voice is our musical instrument.”  He suggested the voice box is both a wind and string instrument at the same time, as airflow initiates the vibrations which create sound.  He also shared the story of a patient who had vocal fold surgery to reduce oedema of the vocal folds (and roughness of the voice) caused by smoking.  The resultant voice change created a crisis of identity because “She no longer recognised herself when she spoke.”

This is how some people feel about their voice modification, at first.  Producing voice differently feels awkward and even difficult.  And it sounds strange, at first.  With practice and time, however, one becomes more comfortable playing their vocal instrument differently and begins to recognise themself in their new voice.  The voice begins to feel good and sound good.  It becomes a part of who they are and strengthens their identity.

 It's your instrument.  It’s still your voice.  Give it time.

"I don't know what's possible."

When I ask someone why they have come to me for voice therapy, so often the response is, “I don’t know what’s possible.”  Well, guess what?  Neither do I.

What I do know is that change is possible.  A word of warning:  It’s important that possibilities not become expectations.  Possibilities give you a beacon of direction of travel. Expectations imply a destination which may not ever be reached, despite a long journey.

I also know that there are factors that impact upon how quickly or easily change is made.  For me, these factors fall into two categories:  Tangible and Intangible.  Every person has their own set of both types to consider and every person’s response to these factors will affect what’s possible for them.

Tangible factors are simply advantages/limitations and your priorities.  

1.     What do you have to work with?  A person who wishes to feminise their voice will be at a natural advantage if they are young and petite in stature.  These same people may find it more difficult to masculinise their voices.  Likewise, tall and middle-aged trans women are likely to find it easier to achieve the same types of voices as tall middle-aged cis women – ones that are naturally lower in pitch.

2.     How much time and energy do you have and are you willing to dedicate to voice work?  We all must balance the demands of everyday life.  We have jobs, families, and social demands on our time and energy.  It’s hard to be available for everyone and everything whilst carving out time for your own interests, like fitness, socialising and yes, voice work.  You must ask yourself how much you are willing prioritise voice work over all the other demands?  

3.     Do you have financial constraints that reduce what money you can invest in voice work?  Can you afford sessions with voice specialist SLTs?  To purchase Voice Apps and Textbooks?   Will you choose to prioritise budgeting for these investments over other discretionary expenses?

Intangible factors are more psychological in nature.  Your personality will have a part to play in how these factors support or inhibit your voice change.  

 1.     Fear.  Fear manifests in many ways.  It can keep you from pushing your vocal boundaries, thus inhibiting growth.  It can prohibit you from speaking to others and revealing your new, improved voice.  It can even keep you from ever beginning the exploration of voice change for fear of failure in achieving that to which you aspire.  How each individual deals with fear is a major factor in determining what’s possible.  One can overcome fear with support, safe spaces and emotional detachment.

2.     Failure.  Probably the most influential factor on determining possibilities is how a person copes with failure and setbacks.  The path to voice change is fraught with opportunities for failure.  For example, it is extremely challenging to generalise skills that are acquired within therapy sessions to life outside the safe space of the therapy room.  As it is not typically an instant change to “a perfect voice”, but a gradual one, most people experience reactions from strangers that reveal surprise or confusion when their voice is not as expected. At this point, the choice is to either take this setback in stride and continue to work on the voice or to give up.  One can overcome failure with resolve, resilience and acceptance.

3.     Frustration.  Failures and setbacks, lack of encouragement and support from family and friends, fatigue and frustration all lead to feelings of discouragement.  Again, the choice to carry on with the process or to give up is yours.  The first reveals more possibilities; the latter buries them.  One can overcome frustration with mindfulness, trying a different approach or taking a break.

In my experience, what is possible is less constrained by what a person has than by what they invest.  

The Wizard of Voice Therapy - Acoustic Analysis

In the famous film, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sets out on a journey to find inner strength to face her problems.  On the way, she encounters three characters who feel inadequate and incomplete.  There’s the Scarecrow who considers he isn’t intelligent because he doesn’t have a brain – only straw in his head.  The Tin Man thinks he’s missing a heart and the Cowardly Lion, well, is simply missing the ability to feel courageous.  This small band of down-and-outers join Dorothy on a journey to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz – a mysterious man who is reputed to be able to solve all problems.

At the end, we all learn that what each character thought they were missing was actually inside them all along.  The Wizard (himself nothing but a fool…but actually himself in possession of great wisdom) only needed to give them each a ‘seal of approval’ of some sort.  He gave a diploma to the Scarecrow; a testimonial (a token of esteem and affection) to the Tin Man; and a medal of bravery to the Cowardly Lion.

This little acknowledgement of the powers within each one was all they needed to feel complete and worthy.  The Wizard does not solve Dorothy’s problem, but Glenda the Good Witch.  Glenda shows Dorothy that running away is not the answer and that she had the power within her to control her life, all along.  (Along with a few other lessons, to be continued…)

Often, I have people with marvellous voices come to me asking for help.  They feel dysphoria regarding their voice, even though their voices are congruent with their gender, are functional and able to meet the demands of their daily lives and with which they are not misgendered, either in person or on the telephone.  Now, I am not a wizard, but I do have a magic wand. 

My magic wand is Acoustic Analysis.  With a basic acoustic analysis of voice samples, I can offer indisputable objective evidence that these voices are as wonderful as I consider them to be.  The numerical data can be compared to “normative values” taken from the general population.  This comparison serves to, without bias, illustrate how well my clients’ voices perform as compared to the voices of the cis population.  One may argue against my opinion, but it’s more difficult to argue against the numbers.  Acoustic analysis is the Wizard who provides the “seal of approval” needed by so many people who are not vocally confident.

 I think I’ll go as Glenda the Good Witch this Halloween, so I can wave my magic wand.

Why avoid the "Fry"?

Even though ciswomen do it, trans women should beware the “vocal fry”. 

Both men and women, in fact all of us, do it sometimes.  We allow our voices to dip down as low as they can go and produce a sound that sounds rough and uneven.  Usually, this happens at the ends of sentences or at the end of multi-syllable words.  This sound is known as ‘vocal fry’ or ‘creak’.

 Producing voice at this lowest vocal register has become a popular vocal style amongst young women, made popular by Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears.  It results from compression of the vocal folds for an extended time during the vibratory cycle, but the vocal folds are relatively loose and thick.  That vocal fold position, combined with insufficient airflow (I call it “Lazy Voicing”) lowers the rate of vibration of the vocal folds and creates the crackling and popping sound of the voice as the vocal folds vibrate aperiodically.

 There is some disagreement amongst voice professionals as to whether this type of vocal production is harmful.  Cate Madill of the University of Sydney writes,

 This type of vocal cord vibration results in increased collision force of the true vocal folds…This increase in force during vibration of the vocal folds can be traumatic and cause injury to the vocal folds if it occurs a lot – injuries such as laryngitis, vocal fold swelling, and vocal nodules, to name just a few. 

Young women seem to have adopted this style of voicing for several reasons.  It is perceived as a lowering of the vocal pitch, and even though the sound is uneven, it has come to be associated with power.

 The reason I warn against adopting this vocal style for transwomen is that the lowering of the fundamental frequency may result in the voice being perceived by listeners as a more masculine voice.  This idea is supported by the UCSF Transgender Care Guidelines, which reads:

 Similarly, pitch floor (the bottom of the pitch range) and the proximity of the usual speaking pitch to this floor is thought to influence the perceived maleness of voice, rather than the speaking pitch alone.

 In addition, a study in 2016 which looked at whether gender made a difference in how vocal fry affected listeners’ attitudes toward the speaker revealed that 

both male and female speakers were found to be less intelligent, less educated, less feminine, more masculine, less confident, and more hesitant when using creaky voice phonation as compared to the modal register.

If you want to avoid the fry, you need to be mindful to maintain your average pitch and sustain your airflow all the way to the end of your utterance.  Energy within the vocal signal carried by appropriately supported airflow is the key – you can’t afford to be lazy.

“I hate the sound of my voice. When I hear it on recordings, I cringe.”

Nearly every one of my voice clients make this complaint.  Why are we so surprised when we hear our own voices and why do we not like them?

I happened upon a website called “Wonderopolis” where I found the most simple explanation for why recordings of our voices sound different to what we expect.    

When you speak, your vocal cords create sound waves that travel through the air to reach your inner ear. The bones and tissues in your head, however, also conduct those sound waves directly to your cochlea, so that the voice you hear in your head when you speak is the result of both methods of transmission.

When you hear your voice on a recording, you're only hearing sounds transmitted via air conduction. Since you're missing the part of the soundthat comes from bone conduction within the head, your voice sounds different to you on a recording.

When you speak and hear your own voice inside your head, your head bones and tissues tend to enhance the lower-frequency vibrations. This means that your voice usually sounds fuller and deeper to you than it really is.One may think this should be good news for transwomen, who typically aspire to have voices that are perceived as higher and brighter in timbre, but still it most often is not.  

Now, the problem is that you are used to hearing your voice through a mixture of air conduction and internal conduction through the bones and tissues of your face and skull.  It’s important to remember that the voice from the recording is not necessarily worse than that to which you are accustomed, it’s just different.  It’s also a good idea to remember that, if you’ve never had negative feedback about your voice, then your voice is pleasant to other people.  You should be reassured by that, because you are the only one who thinks your voice sounds different than it does.  No one else hears your voice through the added layer of internal sound conduction.

If you want to change your voice in any way, if you want to change the rest of the world’s auditory perception of yourself, then you need to embrace the practice of recording your voice and listening to it.  In this way, you can explore what your voice can do and identify elements of your voice that you like and learn to capitalise on them.  But there are inherent risks with this practice.  You may become accustomed to the unique qualities that make your voice original and instantly identifiable as yours.  You may be able to silence your inner critic. You may learn to love the voice you already have.

I Can See Your Voice

Preconceived notions.  We all have them.  The trouble is, more often than not, they are wrong.  

Now, I am the first to maintain that one should never judge a book by its cover; but I must confess a bit of a guilty pleasure in watching a reality television show based on how we expect a person’s voice to sound – “I Can See Your Voice.”  This show constantly reminds me how flawed my preconceived notions can be. 

It’s To Tell the Truth for voices.  It’s the exact opposite of another popular show, The Voice.  Instead of eliminating the bias from judging voices by keeping the appearance of the singer hidden, I Can See Your Voice exploits the tendency to be influenced by how a singer looks.  

 Basically, there are 6 people trying to fool two contestants and a celebrity panel into thinking they are good singers.  The panellists offer their professional opinions to help the contestants decide who to eliminate in the hopes their selections are ‘bad’ singers.  These decisions are based solely on:

• how a person should look in order match their back story

• how a singer should look (style, confidence, physique) 

• whether the recorded voices match well the physical performance of the person who is lip syncing

• but mostly, whether the recorded voice seems like it could possibly come from the person who is lip syncing 

ALL PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS

I must say this is a very entertaining show and I enjoy playing along.  I particularly like it when I’m wrong.  I find it much more entertaining than shows like Britain’s Got Talent because the people who are the impostors embrace the fact that they cannot sing.  They unabashedly wail into the microphone and take joy in revealing to the world that they cannot carry a tune in a bucket.  No one is embarrassed and no one’s feelings are hurt.  

The problem with preconceived notions that are not part of a fun set-up is that they can lead us to negative and critical beliefs about ourselves and others. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent when it comes to voices.  

 Many people are not happy with the way their voices sound and they come up with all sorts of derogatory ways to describe them – nasal, cringe-worthy, shrill, too high, too low – the list goes on and on.  I can only surmise their disappointment arises from their own preconceived notions of how a voice should sound and they consider any deviation from that notion unacceptable.

Back to the book and its cover:  I work with many gender non-conforming people.  I work with them on designing the cover of their book.  They want and need to illustrate their book’s cover with details like appearance and voice that suggest to others the story of their true identities that lie beneath the cover.

So, when it comes to Trans voices, there is a lot to be said for having a voice that roughly meets society’s preconceived notions of how a voice should sound based on appearance – on factors such as height and age.  People expect a tall woman to have a deeper voice than a petite woman.  We expect a young person, both male and female, to have a higher, clearer voice than an older person.  A voice that deviates too far from what is expected would most likely be perceived as incongruous and perhaps even fake.  When working on developing a voice that is congruous with gender, it is helpful to consider the instrument with which you are working along with the type of sound outsiders and strangers would expect from it.

 Even so, how boring would it be if everyone’s voice was ‘perfect’?  If everyone’s voice ‘matched’ their appearance.  If there were never any surprises.  

 I, for one, like to be surprised.  

Your voice. Your choice.

A trans woman made a comment about another trans woman’s voice that made me think.

She said she did not find this person’s voice to be “convincing”.

My question is, “it’s not ‘convincing’ of what, exactly?”  A cis woman?  Womanhood?  Femininity?

I understand many trans women may feel the need or desire to have a voice that is perceived by others to be the voice of a cis woman.  It makes their lives easier.  Some people may feel at risk of exposure to not only disrespect and rudeness, but to hate induced violence.  So, yes, an extra layer of safety is gained by a voice that is perceived as cis.  This is quite an achievement and for some, may require months to years of work and practice.

But, this type of voice is not what every trans woman needs or wants.  Some women (trans or non-binary) prefer to have the voice of a trans person – one that may be perceived as very feminine to some people, or less so by others.  After all, what is a “woman’s voice” but a voice that comes from a woman?  A man’s voice is a voice that comes from a man.  They are all unique and representative of infinitely varied sets of characteristics.  The voice of a trans person is simply another set of vocal characteristics.  Most importantly, they are all valid.

I hope to embrace, appreciate and celebrate people whose voices do not align with the typical vocal characteristics and standards set by the gender binary.

Easy, free breathing = easy, free voicing

Breath and airflow are essential for healthy voicing but breathing can be a tricky business.  Our bodies know how to breathe well.  Our bodies want to breathe well.  The problem is our brain, our emotions, and the way we go about our daily lives often get in the way.

The stresses of life contribute to the development of detrimental physical habits.  We sit for too long in one position at work, labouring over a desk or at a computer, so we develop poor postural habits.  Difficulties with relationships – with our colleagues, our children, our partners – create emotional upheavals which manifest in tension within our muscles.  Fear and anxiety take hold of us and we hold ourselves tight in our necks, shoulders, backs, torso and sometimes, we even hold our breath.  This tightness becomes habit.  We often don’t even realise the amount of tension with which we live on a daily basis.

All these ramifications of psychological, emotional and physical stress stop us from allowing the body to breathe the way it was designed to breathe.

How were we designed to breathe?

There are many supporting muscles involved in respiration, but the star of the show is the diaphragm.  This large muscle, which essentially divides our torso in half and separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity, is primarily responsible for inspiration (drawing air into our lungs).

The diaphragm is a large slow-twitch muscle that is dome-shaped and rests just under the ribcage.  This type of muscle never fatigues or gives out; it works non-stop from the moment we are born until the minute we die.  When it works, it contracts and flattens, moving downward on top of the abdominal cavity.  This movement, paired with contraction of the external intercostal muscles of the ribcage, create a reduction in pressure in the area surrounding the lungs.  The air moves into our lungs as a result of this drop in pressure.  The motion of the diaphragm also creates more room for the lungs to expand.  This movement, along with contraction of some abdominal muscles, can be seen as the rise and fall of the abdominal wall. 

As the air leaves our bodies during exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and naturally recoils back into its resting dome shape, tucked high under the ribcage.   The action of the diaphragm, both contraction and recoil, is autonomic and we don’t need to think about it.  We can indirectly exert some control over how the diaphragm moves, by contracting abdominal muscles and intercostals.  That’s ok, because sometimes we want to exert some control over our airflow (singing, yoga, meditation, etc). But, inhibiting the movement of the diaphragm with excessive muscle tension in the thoracic and/or abdominal cavity is not good.  Less movement = less breath. 

Image from azopt.net

We need to be aware of our physical, psychological and emotional states and how they affect our breathing.  Mindfulness, relaxation strategies and focusing on our airflow can help us to allow our body to breathe as it was designed to breathe.  Breathing should feel easy and free.  Only then will we have voices that are easy and free.

The Snakes and Ladders of Vocal Health

In the popular game of Snakes and Ladders, luck plays a large part in whether you rise up and advance towards your goal of reaching a score of 100 or whether you slither downward away from your winning score.  When it comes to vocal health, you are more in control.  You choose between behaviours that have a positive effect and support healthy voicing and those behaviours that are detrimental to your overall vocal health.  Here are some “Ladders“ to embrace and some “Snakes” to avoid in order to support your voice.

LADDERS

Hydration:  Drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day.  Historically, this total was restricted to include herbal and fruit teas and water flavoured with squash or fresh fruit infusion.  This total was not inclusive of caffeinated beverages such as black teas, coffee and colas.  Current studies do not support the widely accepted notion that drinking caffeinated beverages results in fluid loss greater than that which was ingested; however, it is still considered healthier to consume caffeine in moderation, due to other negative effects it may have on your body.

Steaming:  There is some debate as to how effective steaming is for directly hydrating laryngeal tissues, but applying moisture in this way is certainly soothing and helps to loosen mucous in the upper respiratory system when one is suffering from colds, sinus infections, etc.  Decongestants are drying to the tissues in the nose and throat, so not as helpful in maintaining that much needed moisture.

Good posture:  Maintain good posture when speaking.  Pay special attention to your posture when seated for lengthy periods of time or when on the telephone.  Have a workstation assessment to ensure you have a supportive chair, computer at the correct height and keyboard at the right level.

Breathe well:  Breathe through your nose, especially when outside.  Your nasal passages help to warm and filter the air, which is healthier for your throat and lungs.  Relax your abdomen to allow your diaphragm to move as it was designed to move.  You should feel your abdomen move forward with each inhalation and back with each exhalation.  If you are heaving your chest and shoulders, you are not breathing efficiently.

Manage stress:  Use mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing and talking to people you trust to help manage stress and emotional tension.  Not managing stress leads to poor breathing and tension in the neck, shoulders, jaw and laryngeal structures, all of which are detrimental to healthy voicing.

Rest your voice:  If you must use your voice a lot during the course of the day, find times when you can be quiet to give your voice a rest.  If you lose your voice completely, do not try to keep talking.  Rest your voice until it returns.

SNAKES

Irritants:  avoid other types of irritants such as smoke, dust, strong smells and vapours, chemicals and excessive alcohol.  Environmental irritants harm the sensitive tissues of the larynx and usually trigger a cough response, which also damages tissues within the throat. And speaking of irritants…

Smoking:  Stop smoking.  Anything.  And vaping.  I’m afraid there’s nothing positive about smoking.  And just because you inhale fewer chemicals whilst vaping, you are still sucking carcinogens into your respiratory system, exposing your most delicate vocal tissues to toxins. 

Poor eating patterns:  Avoid foods that may promote reflux (chocolate, acidic foods, highly spiced foods, etc) or foods to which you may have a sensitivity.  Also, avoid eating late at night, so you can remain upright for at least 45 minutes after a meal.  By adopting these eating patterns, you reduce the risk of reflux, which can be damaging to the delicate tissues in the larynx.

 Throat clearing:  Avoid habitual coughing to clear your throat.  This violent action of the vocal folds causes micro-traumas to the delicate structure of the vocal folds, which promotes the production of secretions.  You can feel these secretions and want to clear your throat, again.  It’s the start of a vicious cycle.  Steam, swallow or have a sip of water, instead.

 Shouting or speaking excessively loudly:  If you are in a noisy environment, move to a quieter place to talk.  Walk over to a person rather than shouting to get their attention.  Avoid over-enthusiastic cheering at sports events and shouting/singing at concerts.

 Whispering:  Avoid whispering.  Believe it or not, whispering creates vocal tension that does more harm than good.

Joining the TransPlus Team

I am thrilled to join the amazing team at TransPlus @ 56 Dean Street as their Speech and Language Therapist.  I am providing voice therapy to trans/non-binary men and women as part of an innovative 3 year pilot project within the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Hospital Foundation Trust.  

For the last decade, 56 Dean Street has offered an award-winning sexual health and HIV service, located right in the centre of London’s vibrant Soho district.  Now, as one of three pilot projects funded by NHS England, the service has expanded to include an excellent team of highly qualified professionals who provide a full-service Gender Dysphoria Clinic.  

Clients of TransPlus are provided a ‘named nurse’ - someone to whom they can direct any question and who helps them access the support they need, whether it be specialist gender care or sexual health and wellbeing services.  The service is tailored to each individual’s needs and supports them to cope with gender dysphoria as well as their wider health and well-being.

The team is diverse, offering: 

• assessment and diagnosis of gender dysphoria

• hormone prescriptions and monitoring

• general psychotherapy

• psychosexual counselling and therapy

• social work support

• peer support

• referrals for gender-affirming procedures and surgeries

• specialist reproductive health services for trans/non-binary people

• voice therapy

• full sexual and HIV health service  

Why am I so excited about this opportunity?  This pilot project is innovative, inclusive and progressive.  I’m working withlike-minded people, for some of the world’s most brave yet most unrecognised people.  I am hopeful that my life experience, training and expertise adds real value to my clients’ lives.  And, I love meeting and working with them.  I get a buzz when they succeed.  I feel proud to be a part of the process. 

Although I work full time with TransPlus, I will continue to support the London Transgender Clinic, offering their clients voice therapy on a private basis.

“They broke their chains. They call me.” – Amanda Gorman

What do the two most inspirational people of the past week have in common?  President Joe Biden and Amanda Gorman, America’s first ever youth poet laureate, inspired the world with their words of hope, eloquence and passion.  And they both have communication difficulties.   

Gorman had the privilege of sharing her original poem, The Hill We Climb, at Joe Biden’s inauguration celebration on 20th January.  An interview with her by CNN’s Anderson Cooper unites three notable individuals who share the challenges presented by communication difficulties.  Both Biden and Cooper overcame the speech impairment of stammering.  Cooper also had dyslexia as a child.  Gorman reveals in her interview that she has a language impairment that makes formation of English language speech sounds difficult.  All three of these highly successful people had a communication hill to climb.

So, what positives can we take away from this interview? 

You are not limited – Communication difficulties, whether they be related to speech or voice, don’t define a person.  You can overcome the barriers presented by these challenges; they need not hold you back.  

You are not alone - Voice and communication problems do not discriminate.  People of any age, ethnicity, gender or socio-economic background may possess communication difficulties. 

You are not alone – People are there to help.  Amanda speaks of the incredible support she has received in nurturing her writing talent, not only from her family, but from numerous organisations, which she claims, “lifted me up to climb this mountain.”   

You have what it takes – Gorman spoke of her lingering difficulty pronouncing the /r/ sound.  She continues to work on that sound, even now.  During university, Gorman practiced rapping “Aaron Burr, Sir” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit rap musical, Hamilton, because the song was laden with that particular speech sound.  She explained, “the more that I recited out loud, the more in which I practiced spoken word in that tradition, the more I was able to teach myself how to pronounce these letters which for so long had been my greatest impediment.” 

The greatest inspiration from Amanda comes from her personal mantra.  She ends it with the phrase, “They broke their chains.  They call me.”  Follow Amanda’s lead and don’t let fear hold you back.  Dig deep.  Reach out.  Find the support you need.  Practice.  

Break your chains. Have your say. Have your voice.

New Year's Resilience

I was going to wish everyone a Happy New Year with ordinary, run-of-the-mill ideas about ways to accomplish change.  After all, making changes is what New Year’s resolutions are all about.  I was going to write about making changes that are beneficial to healthy voicing - the area of my expertise.  But instead, I have decided to discuss making a change to your way of thinking - a deeper, more difficult habit to break, but necessary in fostering personal resilience.

Some people are naturally resilient, but others have very little natural ability to rise up after a fall.  Most, I suspect, are like me in that we are able to move past painful events that affect our lives in areas of small to medium importance.  We struggle with hurtful events that have a profound or life-changing effect on our beliefs, our reality or our existence.  I have always considered myself to be a resilient person, but recently, I have been challenged to the extremes of my capacity to be mentally positive and not allow negative thoughts to determine my behaviour and dictate my future.  After months of ruminating, counselling, reflection, and talking, talking, talking, I think I’ve nearly accomplished what I need to heal, move forward and create the future I want for myself.  

The structure for this blog post is based on a TedTalk by Dr Lucy Hone, who consolidated much of what my therapists have been suggesting to me over the last two years.  When I listened to her talk, it crystalised all the work I’ve been doing into 16 minutes.  I encourage everyone to listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWH8N-BvhAw

Dr Hone attributes being resilient to acceptance of three ideas, and I paraphrase: 

1.      “Shit happens”.  Bad things happen to good people, and if we are able to accept this reality, that suffering is part of everyone’s life and there is no avoiding it, we feel less discriminated against.   

2.     Focus your attention.  It is useful to focus on things that can be changed and accept those that cannot be changed in order to practice “benefit finding”.  Dr Hone describes this process as “hunting the good” or “accepting the good” in every catastrophe.  It’s hard to believe, but there is some sort of silver lining within every disaster.

3.     Always ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing helping or harming me?”  The answer to this question gives you control over your behaviours, thoughts and decision making.  I have tried to focus on this third and most important idea, with varying amount of success.  As an adjunct, I pledged to act in a way that reflects my values.  I am trying to be the person I want to be and not let my pain dictate my behaviour.  I am trying to act in the way I wish to be remembered.

In addition to the ideas expressed in Dr Hone’s talk, I believe one must practice forgiveness in order to develop resilience.  Forgiving others is so difficult, but so necessary.  My husband considers forgiveness has been granted when the pain goes away.  Pain goes away with time and healing.  I think Dr Hone’s three ideas promote self-healing, perhaps resulting in a decrease of the time required for forgiveness to happen.

Personally, I think forgiveness is an emotional and conscious choice.   One chooses to separate the person from the behaviour which inflicted such intense pain.  Often, resilient people choose to forgive those who have hurt them whilst still experiencing the pain.  Whatever you think is the path to forgiveness, it is made easier if the previous ideas have been embraced and internalised.

So, after the challenges presented to the world in 2020, during which we witnessed the resilience of mankind, I wish for you a new year in which you are able to focus and develop your own personal resilience.  I believe this attribute is the key to a lifetime of happiness, success and love.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Learning from the experts...

There is no doubt that conversation is much more difficult with the addition of a face mask.  Research indicates that everyone, even those people who are not hard of hearing, read the lips of their conversation partners to ensure they are getting the message straight – especially in a noisy environment.  According to an article posted on Technology.Org, this natural habit results from the links between our sight and hearing. 

When the sound that we are hearing is matching what we are seeing our auditory cortex in the brain increases the relevant sound. In other words, what we are looking at determines which sounds our brain focuses on. 

But there’s more to it than just hearing the words properly.  Listeners use the clues provided by facial expression to figure out the speaker’s true intent – detect sarcasm, irony, humour, etc.   Sandy Ong writes,

When it comes to studying faces, the eyes and mouth are the most informative regions because they tend to be the most expressive…The mouth region, in particular, is good for expressing feelings of happiness… Concealing this area can be problematic when wanting to come across as approachable and friendly.  

So, what can we do to make up for the loss of this powerful visual communication tool?  Two of the most expressive facial features are still accessible – the eyes and eyebrows.  And we have other non-verbal communication strategies at our disposal.  As Aleix Martinez points out,

Under normal circumstances, facial expressions form part of a coordinated package of cues – including hand gestures, body language, words, pitch and tone, and even face colour – acting together in a congruous way to convey message and intent.

Westerners have been most familiar with the Muslim religious tradition of wearing face veils.  These women reported to Ong that they exaggerate and read the non-verbal elements of their communication when veiled, but they also change how they use their voice.  They incorporate greater inflection and vary the tone and pitch to ensure their meaning is understood.   We need to learn from these women.  We need to manipulate our voices to increase expressiveness.  Increase all vocal characteristics:  pitch range, emphasis, inflection, variation in tone, changes in pacing, and of course, volume. The more varied the voice, the better. 

Make the most of your voice – it will make the most of your words.

Make it your own.

“When I first started the process of vocal coaching, I was genuinely worried that I wouldn't be able to adopt a more feminine voice, or that I would end up sounding like a caricature. I needn’t have worried though. Over the course of my time working with Lori, I have begun to find my voice. Not a voice that sounds forced or a caricature of what a feminine voice should sound like, but something that sounds natural and relaxed. It’s not been quick or easy, but nothing worth having ever is.” 
- Robin

I am repeatedly inspired by the people with whom I work. During conversation, they often express their thoughts in ways that are practically poetic and I find myself wishing I could share their words with my other clients. I was gratified and moved the day Robin first “found her voice”. It was an exciting day for us both and she expressed her satisfaction with the words above. This is what I wish for all my voice clients - a voice that is beautiful. Functional. Authentic.

Anyone who has watched the televised talent shows knows the value of authenticity. A true voice resonates and connects with listeners. It is so much more interesting than mimicry. The sound of your voice is an important component of your identity, so make sure it is yours alone.