CNN
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Think about all the ways you show the world who you are. The way you dress, the way you look, the name you prefer to give to those around you, the people you spend time with, even the way you speak: these are all reflections of your unique identity.
When transgender people look for ways to share their true identities with the world, they often think about these things on a deeper level. Something as simple as the voice they were born with may not ring true or be right. It may not reflect their true identity.
That’s where gender-affirming vocal coaches come in. These professionals have training in speech pathology, vocal performance, or other types of vocal practices, and use their expertise to help people change the quality of their voice in safe and lasting ways.
For some transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming people, a new voice is a gateway to a new type of self-expression.
Kevin Dorman is the owner of Prismatic Speech Services in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their journey into the highly specialized world of gender-affirming vocal coaching began with a love of performance and, at the suggestion of their high school drama teacher, they took speech therapy classes in college.
After exploring their own gender identity, Dorman realized a few years later that they were trans. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place for Dorman.
“At the same time, I was taking a voice disorder course, and there was only one item on gender-affirming voice work,” they told CNN. “But that was enough for me to go out on my own and seek further education.”
There are different approaches to gender-affirming voice work. In speech-language pathology, it is viewed in the same way that voice disorders are treated. Practitioners may also have training in areas such as vocal performance.
“Transgender voice training, as it’s sometimes called, was born out of the marriage of speech therapists, voice teachers, theater specialists and their techniques. So it’s a really fascinating mix of science and art,” Dorman says.
Dorman begins by asking each client what their goals are and how they want to sound, then shows them how to use their voice differently by adjusting factors such as pitch and tone.
In addition to helping align voices and identities—possibly avoiding uncomfortable questions or interactions—gender-affirming voice coaching can also help people move more comfortably in the world, with enough confidence to do things that previously seemed too difficult to attempt.
“We want to know what works best for you, what feels most engaging, what helps you engage in daily activities that other people take for granted, like feeling comfortable ordering at a drive-thru, calling a doctor’s office or talking to neighbors,” Dorman said.
Kim Chandler/AP/Archives
People participate in a rally outside the Alabama State Capitol on International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2023.
Voice actress Alexis Vandom has always had fun with her voice, even as a child. When she began her transition as an adult, she trained with several specialized voice coaches to feminize her voice. It was a process that took several years, with physical and emotional challenges.
“I had to focus on not getting in my way at first,” Vandom told CNN. “Like many transgender women, the vocal training itself sometimes created additional dysphoria. I learned to give myself the grace and space to develop my voice over time.”
Since Vandom had a natural ability and interest in voice work, she was able to combine what she had learned about voice acting with what she had learned specifically about vocal feminization.
However, despite her experience, the jargon of speech therapy and singing techniques sometimes eluded her. She hopes that a more accessible language around gender-affirming vocal coaching will develop as the practice evolves.
Some vocal practices, she says, have fallen out of favor because they can damage the voice in the long term. Overuse of the larynx, for example, can cause vocal tension dystonia, a speech and swallowing disorder.
“Instead, many coaches these days focus on developing muscle memory exercises, so the voice can come naturally and effortlessly,” she said.
In addition to receiving professional training, Vandom also sought out YouTube tutorials and advice from others interested in vocal skills. It’s a path many trans people choose when they can’t afford or find a qualified vocal coach. Other professionals CNN spoke to cautioned that such tutorials could cause harm if used incorrectly, but for many, Vandom said, it’s the most accessible option.
“For me, changing my voice wasn’t just about identity. It was about safety. I was living in the South at the time, and I think transgender people who live in particularly hostile places are pushed to develop their voices so they can interact without feeling unsafe.”
Bryce Chambers, who has a background in acting and singing, said he knows many transgender people who work on their voices without professional help. He was fortunate to be connected with a vocal coach after college who helped him lower and darken his voice by encouraging diaphragmatic breathing and throat positioning, among other techniques. He wasn’t specifically a gender-affirming vocal coach, but he knew the processes needed to achieve Chambers’ specific goals.
“Any singer or actor needs to take care of their voice for many years,” he told CNN. “So concerns about trans or nonbinary people changing their voices in healthy ways are legitimate, but not unique. Many people need to practice vocal hygiene, stay hydrated, and take vocal rest if they need it.”
The point is, Chambers says, if a transgender person feels the need to change their voice – whether for personal, social or safety reasons – they will do so.
“Transgender people have been changing their voices for as long as they’ve existed, I’m sure,” he said. “Maybe some of the processes aren’t ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I just hope we continue to see progress in this area.”
Anna Freya began her career studying vocal performance and now teaches gender-affirming singing and vocal methods in the Seattle area.
When working with voice, Freya points out that there are many ways to adjust the way the throat, mouth, lips and tongue produce different sounds.
“Pitch and range are very important,” she said. “The quality of the voice, whether it’s light or dark, is also important. The anatomy and physiology of the voice are important, and in a different way than conventional singing. It’s almost like reverse engineering, looking at the elements that make up the voice and which ones need to be replaced or put together in a different configuration to get a different result.”
This work can get very technical and has some of the challenges of other styles of vocal training. For example, to achieve a clearer, more feminine sound, Freya may encourage clients to reposition their larynx, which, short of putting a hand down the throat, is accomplished by communicating to the client how things feel or sound in the throat as they are adjusted, and which muscles are working.
“But in this particular example, sounding feminine, or sounding a certain way, also depends a lot on how you pronounce things and the cadence of your voice,” Freya said.
Dorman takes a similar approach.
“I like to think of it as changing the flow of air through the throat, through the larynx where the sound is produced, and then everything above that, like the size and shape of the access area between the mouth and the nose,” they explained. “That’s called resonance. And then through that work, we can get a darker, warmer resonance, or a brighter, buzzier, brassier resonance.”
Because this type of coaching is meant to be lifelong, gender-affirming vocal coaches also place a high emphasis on good vocal hygiene so that clients don’t damage their vocal mechanisms over time or develop uncomfortable habits. This includes practical tips like staying hydrated and avoiding certain actions that put strain on the voice, like shouting.
Then there is the broader question of what sounds are associated with gender.
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