Let me know what you think of my recording

[Cindi Jones]

I finally figured out where this message is supposed to have been placed. Sorry to you who have already seen it.

I've lately become fascinated with the threads on voice feminization surgery. Gawd, how I'd love to do that and never ever be able to slip. But then on my way home from my physician's visit, I noticed myself singing along to the Dixie Chicks, the Eurythmics, you know all the modern stuff (right) harmonizing in falsetto, singing straight on note for note in my normal voice, and occasionally hanging in a bass part because, well, you know girl bands don't get too many bass singers. And I wonder if getting the surgery would let me sing again. I told my mother that I'd take her to church when I come visit. I am an atheist but it would please me to make her happy. She asked me to sing in the choir when I come. I asked her if she wanted me to sing alto, tenor, or bass   I will admit that my normal range is a bit more extended than most mtf's. I had some  formal singing training when I was a kid. Maybe that helped. But I've always loved to sing in harmony groups. As a "guy," I played in a rock band for 8 years. I loved every minute of it. We'd sing four part harmony to all the songs no one here has ever heard of much less remember.

So, here, I finally get to the point. I have applied for passport and am still seriously considering going to South Korea. But I wonder if that ten grand could be better spent.. perhaps by taking my mother on a last vacation before she gets too old to go. She'll be 80 this year but is still spry as a cat.

I made a recording of my "before" and "after" voices. Believe it or not, I trained myself on an old cassette telephone answering machine and I SHALL NOT reveal the year.  Please give me your straight up and honest opinions. I'm still thinking of going to South Korea, but then, well, I am having serious VID (vocal identity disorder)

Here's the link:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0au5BAQUjyK

And honestly, you can not offend me. When I ask for criticism, that's what I expect to get.

Cindi

[ImagineKate]

My honest assessment is that the pre voice was pretty low. Your trained voice sounds OK but admittedly I can tell that it is a trained voice and it doesn't sound as natural as some that I have heard. However that could be because you're reading and not just free talking.

[Cindi Jones]

Thank you Kate. I appreciate your candidness. I take comments like these quite seriously and I work on them.

[kwala]

I finally figured out where this message is supposed to have been placed. Sorry to you who have already seen it.

I've lately become fascinated with the threads on voice feminization surgery. Gawd, how I'd love to do that and never ever be able to slip. But then on my way home from my physician's visit, I noticed myself singing along to the Dixie Chicks, the Eurythmics, you know all the modern stuff (right) harmonizing in falsetto, singing straight on note for note in my normal voice, and occasionally hanging in a bass part because, well, you know girl bands don't get too many bass singers. And I wonder if getting the surgery would let me sing again. I told my mother that I'd take her to church when I come visit. I am an atheist but it would please me to make her happy. She asked me to sing in the choir when I come. I asked her if she wanted me to sing alto, tenor, or bass   I will admit that my normal range is a bit more extended than most mtf's. I had some  formal singing training when I was a kid. Maybe that helped. But I've always loved to sing in harmony groups. As a "guy," I played in a rock band for 8 years. I loved every minute of it. We'd sing four part harmony to all the songs no one here has ever heard of much less remember.

So, here, I finally get to the point. I have applied for passport and am still seriously considering going to South Korea. But I wonder if that ten grand could be better spent.. perhaps by taking my mother on a last vacation before she gets too old to go. She'll be 80 this year but is still spry as a cat.

I made a recording of my "before" and "after" voices. Believe it or not, I trained myself on an old cassette telephone answering machine and I SHALL NOT reveal the year.  Please give me your straight up and honest opinions. I'm still thinking of going to South Korea, but then, well, I am having serious VID (vocal identity disorder)

Here's the link:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0au5BAQUjyK

And honestly, you can not offend me. When I ask for criticism, that's what I expect to get.

Cindi

When you first introduced your trained voice, I thought it was a bit androgynous, but as soon as you started the actual passage reading it was a mostly pass for me.  It sounds light and feminine.  I don't think you NEED surgery at all, but if you want it that's okay

My trained voice gets by, but I've always found it kind of nasal, and even after two years it doesn't come out instinctively.  I have spent many many hours learning to sing in my trained voice and have learned to project my head and mixed voices at the same level of chest.  It gets the job done, but I still sometimes feel as though it doesn't sound natural.  So I, like you, am really curious as to how this would affect my singing voice.  It would be wonderful to have a less heady tone in my middle range even if some of the volume were sacrificed.  If this type of surgery makes the higher parts of your chest register easier to produce, and makes it blend more seamlessly with head voice then it should be perfect for singing in the female range in theory, but I'm still waiting for more examples.

[ImagineKate]

Thank you Kate. I appreciate your candidness. I take comments like these quite seriously and I work on them.

No problem! I try not to sugar coat, however I don't like people to feel bad about themselves. Generally though I think your voice actually still sounds pretty good! Much better than mine, actually.

[suzifrommd]

Poetry reading sounds totally femme to me.

[Jillieann Rose]

Cindi,
You sound good to me.
At out age many women develop lower voice but yours is not.
On the phone I pass most of the time. If they call me sir I politely correct them.
In person I always pass.  I am in a choir and sing tenor. Still I keep pushing my voice higher.
Now my normal voice is on the high side of my range. But when I am talking and not thinking about it my voice drops a little.
When I realize that it has dropped into a mans range I push it back up.
Me I have no problem with my voice.
But as I have said in another conversation if you want it go for it girl. How we feel about yourself is is very important.
Hugs,
Jillieann

[androgynouspainter26]

Hmmm...you're straining your cords, but for someone your age it sounds damn good.

[Cindi Jones]

Hmmm...you're straining your cords, but for someone your age it sounds damn good.

Yeah, that's my problem. I can reach that but I usually speak about one step down and I think it makes a big difference. It's more comfortable, but more boyish. Perhaps it doesn't matter all that much anyway. I mean, I don't have any problems. Why do I feel so insecure about it? I suppose we all have some aspects of ourselves that we don't like.

Cindi