How wonderful is your feminine voice?

MtF transsexuals can create a passable feminine voice!

How wonderful is the human voice.

It is indeed the organ of the soul.

The intellect of woman sits enthroned visibly on her forehead and in her eye,

And the heart of woman is written on her countenance, but

The soul reveals itself in the voice only.

Henry W. Longfellow (1850s)

[Gender change mine]

How wonderful it would be to simply speak, to open your mouth and speak in a way that matches the essence of who you really are. How wonderful it would be to be recognized and treated just like the woman you really are. How wonderful it would be to have confidence in your voice, so that every time you speak you don’t fear being read.

Well, that wonderful time is now. It is time to finally put the energy and effort into feminizing your voice.

In graduate school, the anatomy, physiology and science of the human voice was expertly taught and we speech pathologists incorporate these concepts and theories all the time when we provide voice therapy.

However, what they didn’t teach us in graduate school was the voice-soul connection.

Mr. J. had been experiencing a weak, hoarse voice for about one year and was referred by his otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat physician). The patient had been enrolled in voice therapy for about two weeks when he came in one day and handed me the above poem. He read it to me, and then said that it perfectly expressed what he was experiencing—that his physical voice did not reveal his inner voice (the voice of his soul). He said he felt strong and vital, yet his physical voice was that of a weak old man and he didn’t feel like a weak old man. He was still on the bench as a judge at 86!

Many years later, a single phone call changed the course of the focus of my practice as a speech pathologist/voice therapist. The inquiring voice sounded like a man with a very bad cold. Yet, quickly I learned it was, Eva (not her real name). She said she was having a problem with her voice--which was quite evident and asked if I could help. As the conversation unfolded, I learned she was a transsexual and had been living as Eva for many years, but was not happy with her voice. Some time previously, she went to a physician who surgically altered the length of her vocal folds (or cords, but NOT chords). This surgery did increase her pitch, but she still did not sound like a woman and she was permanently hoarse as a result. Let me hasten to add at this point (maybe a topic for another newsletter) that I’m not commenting either way right now about the benefits and risks of phonosurgery. Over the course of her treatment, Eva taught me many things about the transgender world. She improved her voice somewhat, but did not greatly. It had been too damaged by her voice surgery.

Now, it’s been some years and thousands of people later. Voice feminization therapy is an emerging sub-discipline of speech pathology and a growing number of speech pathologists around the world are providing this service.

A very common question I’m asked is, "Can I really change my voice?" The simple answer is yes, but there are some very critical factors that will ultimately determine how your own feminine voice will sound. One hopefully obvious factor is practice. You can not get anything without working for it. If you don’t practice you won’t improve. Simply "trying to speak in a feminine voice" won’t do it. You must PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE.

Your general physical health will also affect the sound of your voice. The vocal folds (of course) reside in your body, so when you’re not well they aren’t. People who suffer from allergies, asthma, and acid reflux (to name a few) might have trouble adjusting their pitch, vocalizing without tension, and breathing effectively.

Emotional well being is another factor. Let’s face it; transitioning can (and often is) difficult. When you’re stressed many things happen—some include holding your breath, tightening your jaw, throat and shoulders—muscle tension affects the voice. Sleep, hydration, what we ingest, how much we talk (or don’t talk) all affect your voice. Most voice therapists provide a vocal hygiene program for their patients. One such voice care program that has been adapted for MtF transgender women is called "Top Ten Tips for the Transgender Voice" and can found at www.exceptionalvoice.com/voicefemininzation.html

Back to the question: "Can I really change my voice?" Let’s saunter for a moment through the forest of laryngeal anatomy/physiology (the structure and function of the larynx; pronounced "lair-inks").

A recent and extraordinary article in Scientific American, The Human Instrument, by Ingo Titze (January 2008), expertly discusses anatomy and physiology of the voice and for the voice enthusiast it really is worth the read. The average length of the vocal folds in an adult female is 14 mm, which gives an average pitch of 200-220 Hz (that’s about A3 or the "A" below middle "C" on the piano). Don’t become alarmed if none of this makes sense, you’ll learn over time how to tune your pitch and maintain it when you speak.

The average length of the vocal folds in an adult male is 20 mm; nearly 30% longer than the female vocal folds. This length results in a pitch at about A2 (the "A" an octave below the A3 on the piano) or 100-110 Hz. Not only is the length an issue, the thickness (or mass) of the vocal folds also determines pitch. In brief, male vocal folds are longer and thicker and female vocal folds are shorter and thinner. This length and mass of the vocal folds roughly correlates with physical size. Large men (height and girth) have lower pitched voices. Small women have higher pitched voices.

How do we make the adjustment so the pitch gets higher? There’s a wee little muscle on the side of the larynx (actually all the laryngeal muscles are wee little) called the cricothyroid muscle (referred to from now on as the CT muscle) and when it contracts the vocal folds lengthen. As the vocal folds lengthen they thin. Thinner vocal folds will create a higher pitch.

But, "Can I really change my voice?" Yes, begin with your pitch. Slide your voice higher on certain sounds like "ha" or "hoo". Listen to your voice. Are you higher in pitch? Say simple words and phrases in a higher voice. Find a method that will work for you. Stick to it. Don’t give up. It takes time to make these changes.

Do just a little something every day.