"And if you're still within the sound of my voice, watching this video,
I just want you to know that it always made me rejoice,
Just to have you so near, there's a place for you here,
If you're still within the sound of my voice."
-- Linda Ronstadt, Still Within the Sound of my Voice
Video documentation, ZOMG!
I wanted to show the progress that I've made on my voice over the last year, and the only way to really do that is to record it, so voilà! Just a heads up, I switch in to my old voice-- or at least, as close as I can get to my old voice-- which may look/sound a little weird. ;)
Something else that really helped in figuring out my new voice is the fact that I've always done a lot of impressions. It took me about three months of reading and watching videos about the human voice to get the basics of it down, but about seven or eight months before I stopped having to think about my voice every time I spoke. I also took a vocal feminization class, which ended up not helping me in the slightest. These days, the new voice is habit; it's the way I talk when I wake up, and it's the voice my internal monologue uses. =)
Wow I'm impressed. Good job Vivi. I need to work on my voice. Any pointers on where to start?
ReplyDeleteHey Katie!
ReplyDeleteI think different things will work for different people, but here are some ideas. I'll hopefully expand this info in to a more comprehensive blog post later:
- Research general info on the voice, voice box, vocal chords, and differences between most male/female speech through videos on YouTube, Wikipedia, Google, etc.
- Watch videos from other trans people talking about how they did it (CandiFLA on YouTube was helpful for me, though she also tends to wander a bit).
- Find a class or vocal therapist who works with trans people, but get as much info as you can before committing, and walk away if you don't feel completely comfortable and confident that the class is beneficial to you.
- Watch 'Finding Your Female Voice' by Andrea James.
- Observe women (friends, coworkers, celebrities) whose voices you like and try to emulate them for ideas.
- Practice whenever you can. I did most of my practicing while driving to/from work.
- Record yourself often and play it back. If you have a smart phone, you should be able to find a free recorder app.
- Find someone you trust to give you honest feedback without judging you. Play your recorded voice for them, or find a time to talk for them, and try not to get upset or hurt if it takes a while to get it right.
- Remember that resonance is key, then pitch and speech patterns. You want to find a voice that fits your looks/personality, and that feels comfortable.
- If your voice hurts at all, REST. You don't want to over do it.
I hope this helps! =)