Do You Like Your Voice?

[KatieSC]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:23 PM, emeraldmountain said:

Does anyone know of a good free voice pitch analyzer?

Try voice tools. They have a free version and another paid version. I found it worth the money. 

 

As for voice, I always hated my male voice. I was not happy with it, yet people told me it was okay. One of the reasons I held off on transition for decades was that I thought I would be stuck with that voice and ridiculed if I had transitioned. Fast forward a bunch of decades, and we see speech therapy. We also have surgical options to alter the pitch of our voice. I have been through a lot of speech therapy, and I had voice gender affirmation surgery last January. 

 

My voice is a bit higher in pitch than I counted on in some ways, but I do not get misgendered. I have been fortunate to be able to get speech therapy at the university where I was teaching, and I was able to pay out of pocket for the voice surgery. Voice surgery can range from 10,000-20,000 dollars depending on where you go, and then there is the cost of transportation, hotels, and the fact you are unable to talk for 3 weeks or more. I was told 2-3 weeks, and in practicality, it was closer to 5 weeks before I could talk. it was hard at first, but a relief after all was said and done. 

[MaeBe]

6 hours ago, Audrey said:

I have Voice Tools on my phone but I find I am using it less and less as my confidence in my authentic speaking voice has grown.

Love this!

 

💜Mae

[emeraldmountain2]

To those feeling sad or hopeless about their voices, speech therapy can go a long way towards achieving a voice better aligned with your identity. There is hope!

[This Wreckage]

On 11/13/2023 at 5:55 PM, Ashley0616 said:

I have been going to speech therapy for about 4 months and it has really helped me. I still have a lot of work to do but I can pass by in public and by phone without someone questioning it. After I finish the vocal part, I'm going to attend a class on nonverbal communication. 

Can you pass on advice as to the techniques you are finding most successful? I've tried various methods that haven't made the differences I'm wanting.

[Ashley0616]

1 hour ago, This Wreckage said:

Can you pass on advice as to the techniques you are finding most successful? I've tried various methods that haven't made the differences I'm wanting.

You want to focus more on from where the voice comes from. Females usually come from the vocal cords not deep down in the chest. Smiling makes the voice sound lighter. Vowels are more pronounced. Resonance is important just as pitch. It comes from your nasal cavity. 

[KatieSC]

1 hour ago, This Wreckage said:

Can you pass on advice as to the techniques you are finding most successful? I've tried various methods that haven't made the differences I'm wanting.

Here are a couple of resources that you could consider. Developing a more female voice involves quite a few things. Consider developing a more female-sounding voice like developing your muscles for any sport. The other issue is think about speech or voice therapy. In any sport, to get really good, it requires an impartial coach. The speech language pathologists and voice therapists are well suited to helping you. Please note that some insurance companies will cover the cost and some will not. I had one insurance company claim that speech/voice therapy was (and I kid you not) Cosmetic. My reply to them was to provide me with a list of cosmetics that I could squirt into my larynx in order to change my voice. 

 

There is a textbook that you will find helpful. The title is The Voice Book for Trans and Non-binary People, by Matthew Mills, and Gillie Stoneham. This text will layout some principles with explanations of how all of the moving parts work. 

 

Another resource is to go to YouTube and watch the TransVoiceLessons channel. Zheanna Erose is quite talented and is a trans woman who really knows her subject well. I have had several speech therapists recommend Zheanna's channel. She is well regarded by many. 

 

The key is doing a lot of practice, but you need to practice in a manner that does not hurt your vocal cords. That is why I recommend some time with a coach/therapist who is knowledgeable of the right techniques to change your voice. 

 

As for voice feminization or voice gender affirmation surgery, there are approximately 15 surgeons around the world that do these procedures. There have been a number of techniques used, and most will raise your pitch, but not resonance. You need both to have a nice sounding female voice. The most common procedure is the Wendler Glottoplasty, which involves changing the structure of what is known as the glottic opening, and then roughening the cords to allow them to shorten/contract a bit while healing. You are looking at a total cost between 10,000-20,000 US dollars. 

 

Regardless of what you do, it takes a while. This will not happen overnight. There is nothing better than going somewhere and as soon as you open your mouth, say your piece, they say, "Thank you ma'am."

 

In case you wonder, I have used every method I have listed, and I had the surgery.

 

Good luck, and do not be too hard on yourself.

-Katie