Dear Cisters: How to ignore losers and harassers while practicing your trans voice
If a tree falls in a forest and a bigot isn’t around to hate how it sounds…
Welcome to Dear Cisters, the column that’s more like Dear Abby than the Savage Lovecast. I’m your host, transgender writer/editor/nerd Stephenie Magister.
TOPIC
Today’s topic is taken from several members of the trans community facing a common challenge during transition: developing a voice that passes as your actual gender
QUESTION
Dear Cisters,
How can I feel confident about practicing my voice? I so often feel uncomfortable. Awkward. Embarrassed. Humiliated.
Even to the people who say they support me.
Sincerely,
Your Imaginary Pen Pal (yay)
ANSWER
Dear YIPPY,
I’m so glad you asked!
WHAT IS A VOICE?
Do you know what a voice is? It’s just the sounds your voice box makes.
Do you know what a word is? It’s just a collection of sounds grouped together.
Do you know what a female voice is? It’s just a collection of sounds grouped together that we perceive as feminine.
Do you know what a male voice is? It’s just a collection of sounds grouped together that we perceive as masculine.
Do you know what a trans voice is? It’s just a collection of sounds grouped together that the speaker can adjust depending on how they want to be perceived.
IF YOU END YOUR TRAINING NOW…
Once you start trans voice vocal training, you’re not just training to “pass.” You’re training to master your voice as an instrument.
That means making all sorts of sounds. Some of these will be culturally feminine sounds. Some of them will be culturally masculine. Musical. Animalistic. Nonsensical. See where I’m going?
If you were learning how to play the guitar, would you care if someone badgered you about experimenting mostly at the top of the fret bar? Of course not! Who cares? You just like playing high notes.
If you were learning how to sing, would you care if someone persecuted you for singing the high parts? What if that’s just, like, where you feel most comfortable singing? Even on low notes, you add a softer/brighter resonance. It’s just what’s right for your voice. It’s what’s right for YOU.
What if you like playing the guitar in a non-conventional way? What if you’re the first person to hook it up to an amp? What if you’re the first person to add a whammy bar?
What I’m saying is — what if practicing a trans voice is the equivalent of Eddie Van Halen perfecting the Tapping technique so well that when he unleashed it on “Eruption,” only a moron would criticize what it took to get him there?
YOUR VOICE IS AN INSTRUMENT
People might not understand what you’re doing with your voice, but if you talk about it as an instrument, the topic won’t cause your entire self worth to come into question anymore just because it’s part of your transition.
Your voice isn’t your gender. It’s an instrument.
And here’s some ammunition if people are curious as to who inspired you to master your voice.
EXAMPLES OF VOCAL ARTISTS (some trans, some not)
Point to people like Terry Fator — an incredible ventriloquist with dozens of unique SINGING voices across the gender (and animal!) spectrum.
Point to beatboxers like Doug E fresh and Kid Lucky, pioneers of the genre who could imitate any sound, any voice — any gender. Their truth ruled their sound wave spectrum.
Point to incredible female vocal savants like Brizzy Voices (YouTube star of a thousand voices), Tara Strong (animation vocal actor of a thousand voices), and Kim Petras (transgender pop singer of a thousand killer songs).
Point to trans voice vocal coaches like AmaRoseLessons from Scingusitics, Zoey Alexandria, and Zheanna from TransVoiceLessons, each with their own indelible sound and unique approach to helping you cultivate yours, too.
These are all people who use their voices to thrive in their lives and careers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You never need to feel embarrassed or ashamed about practicing how to use your voice. You’re just making sounds. That’s what a voice box does!
This is true whether you tell people you’re practicing vocal work as a hobby or because it means something more personal.
I hope this helps each of you feel more comfortable using your voice in all of the situations you feared were forbidden. Practice really will help — but most of all, enjoying the process of practice so much that you soon find yourself inhabiting whatever voice you want.
Especially your own :)
NOTE: If you’re looking for a trans voice vocal coach, check back soon for my guide on picking a trans voice vocal coach. They’re all amazing, but I’ll help you pick which one is right for YOU. Following me here on Medium and subscribing to my Patreon really will help me get the content to you faster!
The end
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