I’m on a trans voice teacher training intensive this month, which I’m enjoying SO much! Excited, hopeful and thoughtful about what I’ll offer people afterwards. This course feels very much like right place at right time.
Had an informative, affirmative 5 hour session today – which flew past! – with the brilliant Renée Yoxon & wonderful cohort of gender affirming voice teachers in training I’m learning with.
This training has already given me lots to reflect on, as well as the start of some great tools for gender affirming voice coaching and vocal exploration – and there’s lots more learning ahead! Always be learning.
Here’s a few insights to share from what I’ve been thinking about lately.
I hope these reflections are helpful for you, and/or affirming or thought-provoking. Feel free to let me know if there’s something you think I should be aware of in relation to anything I’ve shared.
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Thoughts:
It can have a profound & positive impact to align your voice with your identity.
It can have a negative impact to feel misaligned, or be perceived by others in ways that don’t fit your identity, and this relates to voice too.
Developing your voice in ways that feel like you, and affirm your identity, can be a source of happiness, gender euphoria and gender comfort.
Gender comfort – a great phrase from Renée, as gender euphoria is not everyone’s experience all the time / can feel like a high bar to achieve.
Being perceived by others in a way that aligns with your identity, and also keeps you safe, can also be very important, and voice work can be a part of this.
The voice that fits the way you want to be perceived by others, may not be the same as the voice that makes you feel most comfortable in and expressed as yourself (though it may be).
We often use our voices differently in different contexts, regardless of gender. Some people may also wish to develop and practice different voices to express different aspects of their identity.
Expanding into a different voice can be a varied experience that evokes emotions. Supportive vocal practice involves having tools in place to process these, inside & outside practice time.
Building a practice is a life skill in itself. Finding ways to practice that work for you is paramount.
Practice can be playful, disciplined, reflective, transformational, varied, a journey. Proper breaks from practice are an important part of progress too.
Some people’s voices (trans or cis) may be affected by their hormones and/or surgeries.
I’ve learnt lots of helpful words on this course, here’s a few:
– Endogenous (eg endogenous hormones, coming from the body).
– Exogenous (eg exogenous hormones, coming from outside the body).
– Lots of gender identity words such as: Maverique, and Genderflux – go look them up!
The course is also giving me an affirmative space in which to reflect further on my own gender identity, which I’ve been thinking about lately, as well as throughout my life in a fairly private way.
Discovering there are lots of gender identity words and things people mean by them, some of which reflect in part my own experience, is moving, delightful and very affirmative.
I feel that, for some, aligning one’s inner and outer self or selves could be said to be important to the journey of the soul. While some people might not relate to that concept, word or experience (which is totally fine!), some people may experience a spiritual aspect to this exploration.
I’m also interested in the intersections between disability, gender and voice and how these three things influence each other. My voice use has changed since I became disabled and affected how I experience and express my gender, in ways I don’t always enjoy. Food for thought!
There’s my small essay of thoughts to share! I’m so excited to be doing this work and supporting trans, non-binary and gender non conforming voices – this is just the beginning!
I have big dreams for how I’d like to offer trans voice coaching and alteration accessibly in our city and beyond, and I hope to make those come true next year – or sooner, let’s see!
Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts.
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We have fallen into the place where everything is music - Rumi 