When it comes to gender-affirming voice modification, many people think that it’s mostly about learning to use a different pitch. I often hear new clients say that they want to get their pitch to around 220 Hz in order to achieve a more feminine voice. But the fact is, it’s not all about pitch. My own (cisgender female) voice is around 180 Hz, which is fairly low but still within the "normal" pitch range for women, both trans and cis. So how else can you modify your voice if your goal is to make it more feminine? Depending on the person and their goals, we could modify resonance to make it higher and brighter, change articulation and inflection patterns, word choice, nonverbal communication, and an aspect of voice we call vocalics. This includes areas like coughing, laughing, sneezing, and throat clearing. If your goal is to make your voice more masculine, we would work on the same areas but in a different direction. We could work on a darker chest resonance and more staccato inflection patterns, increasing tension on certain speech sounds, etc. So, while pitch can be an important aspect of gender affirming voice modification, it’s only one piece of the puzzle! Call or email to schedule a free consultation if you're interested in learning more!
Comments