Developing feminine voice while still in the closet?

[Artemis]

My voice is one of the bigger things that keeps bugging me gender wise... 
I would really like to start to develop a feminine voice?

When do most people start with developing a feminine voice?

Is it posible to develop a feminine voice in private or is use in conversation essential?

Should I expect any change to my masculine voice as a consequence of developing a feminine voice?
Any advice on how to sound more feminine when sneezing, coughing, etc?

[rachl]

I presently spend about an hour or more each day practicing, and it's all "in the closet," as you put it. When I get my pitch where it needs to be, and my timbre closer to where I want it, I start reading from books, as if I'm in a conversation. Sure it's not totally extemporaneous, but a few months of this and it'll be easier when I come out and start using it in front of people.

I'll also start using it on xboxlive when I play multiplayer online games where we communicate

[auburnAubrey]

My voice is one of the bigger things that keeps bugging me gender wise... 
I would really like to start to develop a feminine voice?

When do most people start with developing a feminine voice?

Is it posible to develop a feminine voice in private or is use in conversation essential?

Should I expect any change to my masculine voice as a consequence of developing a feminine voice?
Any advice on how to sound more feminine when sneezing, coughing, etc?

With training, you "train" your muscles and chords to be able to hold a feminine voice.  You can learn and integrate all of this while being "in the closet".  even after training, you will be able to go back to your male voice if you choose.  I do voiceover work, and since I get booked by my voice (without ever seeing me), I will still work in male voiceovers when I am full time (which will start in August!!).  My coach also says that I will be able to do female voiceover work as well.....so I've just doubled my market penetration!

[rachl]

I presently spend about an hour or more each day practicing, and it's all "in the closet," as you put it. When I get my pitch where it needs to be, and my timbre closer to where I want it, I start reading from books, as if I'm in a conversation. Sure it's not totally extemporaneous, but a few months of this and it'll be easier when I come out and start using it in front of people.

I'll also start using it on xboxlive when I play multiplayer online games where we communicate

As I'm now fully out, although not presenting female full-time, I get the chance to gradually work on my voice. The pitch is about a half octave higher than it used to be (so, halfway there!) and the resonance sounds a little bit better (long way to go on this one). But being able to constantly use 'my' voice is nice: it doesn't feel forced. I'm looking to get some more official training from a speech pathologist in the coming months, though, to take it the extra step in advance of my August transition.

[sfgeek]

I do voiceover work, and since I get booked by my voice (without ever seeing me), I will still work in male voiceovers when I am full time (which will start in August!!).  My coach also says that I will be able to do female voiceover work as well.....so I've just doubled my market penetration!

Oh my god, someone else doing the same thing as me!  I'm really curious to see how this goes for you, since I'm trying to break into voice acting right now, a couple years before I'll probably go full time.

[auburnAubrey]

Oh my god, someone else doing the same thing as me!  I'm really curious to see how this goes for you, since I'm trying to break into voice acting right now, a couple years before I'll probably go full time.

It's funny, because I am actually voicing a character in these car commercials... and the client likes him. (The cartoon character).  With me going full time in less than two months, I have to think it'll be funny in the studio coming in fully as Aubrey, and doing this macho male voice.

On the other side of things, it would appear that doing voiceover work in the female range may take a while.  While I do have a voice that sounds female now, I don't really have the dynamic speaking range that I have as a male.  I see that this will take much longer to develop.... and kind of scares me.

[sfgeek]

Hmm.  I find that women generally use more dynamic variation in general, so maybe it's not so important to keep your pitch consistently high?  Maybe that would give you more options with dynamics?  I've been trying to hover around the A under middle C, but dropping down and coming up from that a lot.  It sounds pretty female to me, but then I could be imaging things.

I imagine the car commercial client's mouth is going to drop open when you go in to the vocal booth. 

Are you planning to be out in the voice acting community?  I ask because, when considering my own future options, I've been wondering how open they are.  Actors generally seem very liberal, so it seems like it might be a pretty safe area to be out in.

[auburnAubrey]

Hmm.  I find that women generally use more dynamic variation in general, so maybe it's not so important to keep your pitch consistently high?  Maybe that would give you more options with dynamics?  I've been trying to hover around the A under middle C, but dropping down and coming up from that a lot.  It sounds pretty female to me, but then I could be imaging things.

I imagine the car commercial client's mouth is going to drop open when you go in to the vocal booth. 

Are you planning to be out in the voice acting community?  I ask because, when considering my own future options, I've been wondering how open they are.  Actors generally seem very liberal, so it seems like it might be a pretty safe area to be out in.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that...  One VO casting director in LA knows what I'm doing, so she'll work with me if I'm able... and I may just have a male and female reel to submit.  A lot of work I do I do from home.  So if they book on the demo, they'll never know!

Had a great session with my voice therapist today, and she said that I will absolutely find that dynamic range.  It's all just a process.  She pointed out how far I came so fast, and she'll help me get there.  Just going to take some time.

[Suzette]

I have been practicing my female voice for a while now and one thing I found is a voice recorder is a necessity. I have been gradually feminizing my voice openly to my immediate friends and family bringing the pitch up and working on resonance. I also try it on the phone answering calls just to test the response so I get some stealth feedback. So far so good. Yes I am still closeted but gradually coming out, well sort of in my own time and pace. 

[Jamiep]

Hi sfgeek,

I know an actress in Toronto that runs voice over classes, perhaps she may have some suggestions for you. I can pm you soon with some links to her. I hope this may help.

Take care

Jamie

[MariaMx]

What I initially did was set up a microphone connected to a delay unit and headphones. Then I adjusted the delay unit with a slap-back delay. I would then hear my voice repeated in the headphones a 1 to 5 seconds later depending on the setting I used. This works great because there's no fiddling with record and play buttons and saving files etc. You get immediate feedback on how you sound and you can adjust your voice in real-time till you find your sweet spot. Today this can easily be achieved with a computer and free software. If anyone should be interested I will gladly figure out how to set it up and make a tutorial.

An other good trick that a voice therapist showed me is to take a 16oz soda bottle and fill 2-3inches of water into it. Then take about a foot of garden hose and stick it in the bottle like a straw. Place the end of the hose between your teeth (do not bite down) and close your lips around the hose. Now take a deep breath through your nose and blow bubbles into the bottle while making a sustained singing sound (oooooh, ahhhhh). Glide up and down in pitch as high as you can go without straining your voice. Do this for a couple of minutes while focusing on staying loose and sounding breathy. Now try to speak It might sound like a strange exercise. I did this for a few minutes every morning before going to worked great. What it does is help you project your voice from the top of your throat and raise your pitch without clamping down on your voice. You can stay loose and breathy will speaking in a higher pitch without sounding unnatural or forced.

My third piece of advice is to use your voice in real life as much as possible. The more you put yourself in a situation where it really matters the faster you will learn and the better you will get at it. For me this was working in a retail store with only female colleagues and a high rate of interaction with customers. Every day I had to deal with 20-40 new customers, some demanding, some difficult and some down right obnoxious. Every new customer was an opportunity to do better than with the previous one. I found that to hone my skills as female (voice, walk, mannerisms, attitude, confidence etc.) constant conditioning in real life situations was key to success.

[rachl]

Please do that! Could you possibly do it for both mac and pc?

[Violet Bloom]

I have heard tidbits here and there about the usefulness of vocal training for singing.  Anyone here with experience like that?  I figure it would help with projection and volume in the upper range, and perhaps the exercises to prevent strain and damage would be equally useful.

I had regular vocal training for most of my youth until my voice became unstable at puberty.  It was incredibly depressing for me when I lost my higher singing voice and I really never sang ever again.  (I do sing very quietly to myself almost obsessively though - it's another part of me that feels trapped inside.)

[sfgeek]

Jaimie, thanks very much, I really appreciate the info you sent!

Violet, I'd definitely recommend vocal training for singers, particularly with the goal of extending your range upwards a bit but, even more importantly, getting resonance into your higher pitched notes.  I've had a years' worth of classes, plus years of singing in various formats, and can hit a G above middle C without going falsetto--which really helps, in that I found quite quickly that I can sustain a pitch around the A below middle C (the note around which an average female voice tends to hover) pretty easily and with a reasonable level of resonance.  The most important way to avoid straining your voice is just to relax.  Imagine the sound is coming out from the top of your head, and that it's easy.  And it's sort of true, since the easier you let it be to hit the right notes, the easier it actually becomes.  Of course you'll still have to learn how to integrate all the lessons you learn into regular speaking, but that seems to be just a matter of mindful practice.

I was very happy to discover that I can sing in a low alto voice without issue.  So nice to know I'll be able to sing in public!

[Jamiep]

hi sfgeek,

My pleasure if the info assists you for your future. When you move forward it will be interesting to hear from you on how things are going.

Best wishes.

Jamie

[Violet Bloom]

@sfgeek:

Greatly appreciate this info.  I'm interested to know where you've been taking lessons since we're both in Toronto and recommendations are very useful when looking for good teachers/classes.  I have been wishing to take up this training again for a while.

[Cyndigurl45]

I used a playlist full of female singers I enjoyed listening, singing along during my commute at the time it was around 1 hour, I would use that voice as much as possible during the day, drive thrus etc. I have been ma'amed a few times when I was still presenting male, when they would see me an try to apologies  I say it's OK sweetie I get that all the time. But be careful your voice could get stuck as mine has a simple cough and the ole clear the throat fixes that

[sfgeek]

Violet, sorry but I can't recommend anyone in Toronto; I did the voice training years ago in another town.