How to handle with voice?

[Hypatia]

Once I got out and active in the trans community, I was amazed how many women look great but simply do not bother to feminize their voices at all. It's always a little unsettling when some lovely woman opens her mouth and a thoroughly male voice comes out. Come on, girls, get with it.

Although once I was talking with one such lady, about the excellent voice training program I'd been in, and she answered that for some medical reason she is unable to feminize her voice. Umm.... sorry, never mind.

[cindybc]

Hi  Hypatia, I quite agree with you. It's the same thing here. Outside of the place where I work I would not feel comfortable having them around me. I don't understand the obsession to pass if when they open their mouth they sound like Paul Bunyan complete with sore bunions.

Wing Walker would like to know if you are going or have gone to GWU for voice training?

Cindy

[Hypatia]

Yes, it was the Speech & Hearing Center at George Washington University, and the training I got there was top notch. But then they told me that I was the fastest learner they'd ever had among their transsexual clients. I graduated in two semesters, and they said everyone else takes longer to learn it. I attributed my success to having been a musician and a linguist, and knowing what to listen for acoustically and phonetically.

What worked best for me was when Professor Moody modeled the voice I was trying for, and then I was able to mimic her accurately. She commands an amazing range of voices. I feel it was just like learning to speak a language: mimicry is the key, which is why little kids are the best at learning languages, they're natural mimics. So I guess the trick is, become ye as little children...

[Rachel]

It would be nice to be like a child again, but I get what you are saying.  Me, its just a matter of practice and doing my best, but I need to contact the Speech Pathology department here at the local college, and maybe they will be able to help me out.