MtFs singing in a Choir as a Bass

[Euterpe]

I'm a music major in college, specifically I plan on perusing piano performance! However, there's a little problem with this that's been slowly gnawing away at my mind ever since I began to transition. As a music major, I need to take quite a bit of large ensemble credits, and being a pianist primarily, the only large ensemble I seem to be able to do for the majority of my degree seems to be choir. Don't get me wrong, I love choir and singing, (maybe not all the religious aspect of it, but I can always get past any of that to the true wonderful characteristics of music) but I sing as a bass, and since HRT is never ever going to change my voice, and I would never want to ruin my voice with surgery, I will forever sing as a bass. Once I go full time as myself, I will be the only bass that's a girl. When the teacher asks questions or gives direction to the "men", she will also always be talking to me, using "men" to refer to all of us basses, and the tenors. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm really scared that when I transition everyone is going to equate me with being a man or some sort of woman poser, just because my singing voice isn't one that really exists in cis-women. Or possibly even worse, I'll be "that trans person". It will be directions given to the "men"... and Jordan, whatever she's supposed to be. Weirdly enough, other issues in my life of people ousting me for being trans for the most part don't worry me nearly as much as this potential hell of a choir class I'm predicting to have next year. Eh... this is too bulky and pointlessly wordy, I guess I was just wondering if any MtFs on here are living full time and perform in public as a solo bass singer, or as a bass singer in a choir?

[Jill F]

My wife is cis and a classically trained singer.  She can, and has sung bass.  She can also hit the mezzo-soprano range with practice, but I've seem her perform singing the same notes as guys but standing at the edge of the girls.

It's also funny listening to her sing along with Type O Negative.  (RIP, Peter!)

[Euterpe]

It's always encouraging to listen to and hear about the fact that contraltos do exist. I guess I'm just super apprehensive that my choir's going to ostracize and single me out, because I already feel out of place there all the time. I'm probably just over exaggerating things in my head, after all, choir's more about the music than anything else.

[androgynouspainter26]

I know exactly how you feel; I'm not a classically trained singer by any means, but I sang a great deal in high school (choirs, bands, cabarets...anything really), and I've been trying to start doing it again.  I've found that style and inflection can actually make a huge difference.  I'm usually somewhere between baritone and tenor, without much upper range to speak of, and I have a miserable time singing any songs written for women (Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone excluded).  But I still sing; oftentimes, it's actually quite fun seeing how people react when I hit a very low note out of the blue.  And I've gotten to a point where my voice is sometimes read as female, depending on what I'm singing.

When I first began my transition, a good friend of mine told me to never let this part of my identity define myself.  That might apply here-You have a good voice, and that's something that should be able to be a part of you that is independent of your gender.  It might not be fun for your voice to be perceived as what we call "male", but if you ask me, it'd be a far greater tragedy to remain silent all together.  I sing because I like it.  I'm good at it.  And it makes me feel...alive (breaking bad reference, anyone?).  Anyhow, good luck...it's not easy, but if you have a good voice, that's what you should be judged by.