How long does it take to train a voice actor?
Educating the client about the lifestyle, diet, exercise and vocal habits that maximise vocal health and flexibility are also important, especially given voice change is highly vocally demanding. Voice training usually involves about ten individual sessions of 40 minutes to one hour supplemented by a small number of group sessions.
Why are there fewer transgender males undergoing voice therapy?
Far fewer transgender males present for voice evaluation and treatment than transgender females. This may be related to the reduction in pitch that transgender males experience as a result of hormone therapy. [38,39] As a result, the need for voice therapy for transgender men may be underestimated.
How can I change my voice as a trans person?
Voice change approaches Many trans people seek specialised services to assist them to feminise or masculinise their voices. Feminisation or masculinisation of the voice can be achieved through voice training, hormone therapy and/or laryngeal surgery.
How are the components of voice production addressed in voice therapy?
The components of voice production are primarily addressed through behavioral voice therapy. It is thought that the total number of voice therapy sessions, in addition to living full time as female might be predictive of response to behavioral intervention. [18] Two common voice therapy techniques include flow phonation and resonant voice therapy.
How to treat transgender voice complaints?
Treatment should be patient specific and can be accomplished through behavioral and medical/surgical intervention.
How does voice therapy affect gender?
Long-term gains have been reported related to listeners' perception of gender following voice therapy that targeted primarily pitch and resonance. [15] Voice therapy has also been shown to generate changes that significantly impact listener's perception of femininity; however femininity is perceived as higher immediately following therapy than 15 months later. [21] Trans women having varying voice goals and may choose to use feminine communication patterns all of the time or situationally. [1,17] The decreased perception of femininity over time, mentioned above, and the variable application of feminine voice may indicate the place for a maintenance program following voice therapy. While research is required in this area, intermittent ?checking-in' and recalibration of voice components may be warranted.
How to raise pitch of voice?
As previously stated, pitch of voice is related to overall vocal fold mass and the tension of the vocal fold while the patient is producing voice. We can all voluntarily increase the tension in our vocal folds to elevate pitch. This, however, requires continuous muscular effort. With attention, training and time, this increased effort may become habitual. However, even successful patients often complain of a sensation of vocal effort and/or fatigue at the end of the day. Therefore, surgeries have been designed to elevate pitch by either altering vocal fold tension, mass, or both. The tendency of biological structures to relax when artificially stretched or tensed represents a significant challenge to surgical approaches to voice modification. Furthermore, procedures which attempt to alter the tension by scarring the vibratory portion of the vocal fold, or reducing the overall vocal fold mass, risk inducing negative alteration in the delicate tissue of the vocal folds, which must vibrate at high frequencies to produce normal vocal quality.
What is the role of resonance in speech?
There is some discrepancy in the literature on the role of resonance, as studied through formant (harmonic) frequencies . Harmonic frequencies are multiples of the root speaking pitch; the combination and configuration of formant frequencies for any given sound determine its "tone." Contributors to vocal resonance include the length of the pharynx and size of the sinuses, which in transgender women who have undergone a male puberty are fixed in a larger size than with non-transgender women. One report suggests a primary role of resonance in perceptual identification of the speaker's gender. [10] However, another study reports that a combination of both pitch and resonance are found to contribute to perceived femininity and should be addressed. [4,15]
What is the pitch of a female voice?
Pitch may be perceived as the most important factor for voice and subsequently gender identification. [2,7,8] A strong marker for the perception of female voice is an average speaking pitch of 180 Hz in a range of approximately 140 to 300 Hz. [9,10] The average non-transgender female pitch is approximately 225Hz while the average non-transgender male pitch is approximately 125Hz. A pitch range that is considered gender neutral generally falls between 155-185Hz. [11] It has been demonstrated that increasing speaking pitch impacts the degree of voice feminization. [9,12,13] However, increasing pitch into the female range does not necessarily result in listener perception of the speaker as female. [7,14] Research indicates that other voice characteristics such as speaking pitch range, intonation, resonance, and voice quality play varying roles in the perception of femininity. [5] Similarly, pitch floor (the bottom of the pitch range) and the proximity of the usual speaking pitch to this floor is thought to influence the perceived maleness of voice, rather than the speaking pitch alone. [14]
How is voice production addressed?
The components of voice production are primarily addressed through behavioral voice therapy. It is thought that the total number of voice therapy sessions, in addition to living full time as female might be predictive of response to behavioral intervention. [18]
What are the components of voice production?
[6] The components of voice production include pitch, resonance, intonation and intensity.
When did transgender voice therapy start?
Transgender voice modification therapy dates back to the early 1980s but has garnered significantly more attention in recent years, thanks to public recognition and support for the transgender community.
What is voice modification therapy?
Areas of focus of voice modification therapy include: In addition to providing voice therapy services (verbal communication), SLPs working with transgender individuals also often work on the nonverbal aspects of communication, which can include everything from eye contact to facial expressions to physical posturing.
Why is speech language therapy important?
This makes speech-language therapy just as important as hormone therapy and other interventions when making the transition from man to woman or woman to man.
How long does it take to become an SLP at Emerson College?
Emerson College - Master's in Speech-Language Pathology online - Prepare to become an SLP in as few as 20 months. No GRE required. Scholarships available.
Why is voice important?
Few of us really think about it, but our voice is an important part of who we are and what we reveal about ourselves to the world. It is not only the medium by which we communicate, but it is also something that is fundamental to how we express ourselves and establish our identities with others.
Can transgender people damage their voice?
There is the potential for transgender clients to cause damage to their vocal folds if they try to push out sounds that their voices can’t make, so the work of SLPs in this field also includes identifying any underlying vocal pathologies, educating clients on proper vocal care, and overseeing the process of making gradual and subtle voice changes over time.
How does surgery affect your voice?
Surgery and hormone treatment may change how your voice sounds. You may also choose to have gender affirmation services with an SLP. This may involve working on not only your voice, but also your overall communication. You will let the SLP know how your voice should represent you and how you wish to express yourself across different settings.
How to find a transgender SLP?
To find an SLP near you, visit ProFind (select “Transgender Voice” in “Areas of Expertise” on the left side of the page) or the World Professional Association for Transgender Health ( WPATH) Provider Directory Search.
What does a SLP listen to?
The SLP will listen to your vocal pitch, or how high or low your voice sounds. The SLP will also listen to the words you use and watch how you communicate nonverbally. In addition, the SLP will talk about behaviors that may hurt your voice and teach you safe ways to speak.
Can speech pathologists help with voice?
At times, people may want to change the way they talk and sound. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can help with these changes. You may feel that your voice does not represent who you are. You may want change the way you speak so that your voice is more aligned with your gender.
What is voice training for trans women?
Voice training for trans women. Targets for voice training are based on the woman’s personal goals, the findings of the speech pathologist’s assessment of the woman’s current voice and vocal capabilities, and how research says people perceive gender from voice.
What is the purpose of voice training?
The aim of voice training is to assist the woman to modify her voice so it becomes congruent with her gender identity and sounds authentic to others.
How does gender transition affect trans men?
Trans men are fortunate in that their gender transition involves hormone (testosterone) therapy that normally results in considerable masculinisation of the voice through increasing the size of the vocal cords and consequently lowering the pitch.
How do trans people feminize their voices?
Many trans people seek specialised services to assist them to feminise or masculinise their voices. Feminisation or masculinisation of the voice can be achieved through voice training, hormone therapy and/or laryngeal surgery. Trans men are fortunate in that their gender transition involves hormone ...
How does surgical voice feminization work?
For trans women, surgical voice feminisation methods involve shortening the vocal cords and/or reducing their mass and/or increasing the tension on the vocal cords. Each of these approaches is designed to increase the speed of vocal cord vibration and therefore increase the voice’s pitch.
What does gender nonconforming voice mean?
A gender-nonconforming voice not only has impacts on a person’s gender identity, but holds the potential to betray the individual’s sex assigned at birth and to attract negative societal reaction and stigma.
What are the features of a voice?
Voice features such as pitch, voice quality and inflection can signal the person’s gender to others. Feminine-sounding voices, for example, are generally perceived as higher pitched, slightly breathier and with more varied inflection than masculine-sounding voices. A gender-nonconforming voice not only has impacts on a person’s gender identity, ...
Where to see a transition specialist?
At the beginning of the transition process, you will continue to see your regular doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. You will also see transition specialists who are here to help you and your family make a smooth transition to adult care.
What age can you transition to Children's Hospital Los Angeles?
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles offers a Transition Program for teens between the ages of 15 and 21. Our specialists have expertise in teaching young people to actively participate in their own health. They empower teens to take control of their health issues and support them in transitioning their care from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to an adult medical center, as they reach young adulthood.
Introduction
- Voice and communication are crucial aspects of daily life for all humans. Within the transgender community voice and communication are often brought to the forefront when the incongruence between gender identity and voice/communication style are greatest. Aspects of voice and communication are highly related to gender and culture. These include pit...
Approach to Voice Complaints
- Transgender people may present with voice complaints related to quality change or fatigue that are unrelated to gender transition. This could be non-organic, organic, iatrogenic, or idiopathic in nature (Table 1). It is important that a comprehensive voice evaluation is completed, including voice and communication needs related to gender transition, by a laryngologist and voice traine…
Voice Feminization
- In a study of self-perceptions of trans females, it was found that the strongest contributor to communication satisfaction was voice. The components of voice production include pitch, resonance, intonation and intensity.
Voice Masculinization
- Far fewer transgender males present for voice evaluation and treatment than transgender females. This may be related to the reduction in pitch that transgender males experience as a result of hormone therapy.[38,39] As a result, the need for voice therapy for transgender men may be underestimated. The hormone induced pitch change is not always without problems and it re…
References
- Davies S, Goldberg JM. Clinical aspects of transgender speech feminization and masculinization. Int J Transgenderism. 2006 Sep 1;9(3-4):167-96.
- Thornton J. Working with the transgender voice: The role of the speech and language therapist. Sexologies. 2008 Oct;17(4):271-6.
- Coleman E, Bockting W, Botzer M, Cohen-Kettenis P, DeCuypere G, Feldman J, et al. Standard…
- Davies S, Goldberg JM. Clinical aspects of transgender speech feminization and masculinization. Int J Transgenderism. 2006 Sep 1;9(3-4):167-96.
- Thornton J. Working with the transgender voice: The role of the speech and language therapist. Sexologies. 2008 Oct;17(4):271-6.
- Coleman E, Bockting W, Botzer M, Cohen-Kettenis P, DeCuypere G, Feldman J, et al. Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender-Nonconforming People, Version 7. Int J Tra...
- Carew L, Dacakis G, Oates J. The effectiveness of oral resonance therapy on the perception of femininity of voice in male-to-female transsexuals. J Voice. 2007 Sep;21(5):591-603.
