Print Page - Pitch will come on its own.

Title: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: Lilian J on March 21, 2016, 04:10:37 PM

Attended a great talk by a voice/speech therapist (Cate Madill) who specialises in trans voices in Sydney yesterday and it was really informative and helpful.

There was lots of interesting points but the take aways for me were.
- shouldn't need many sessions with therapist.
- focusing on pitch causes voice strain and ends up lowering pitch
- work on exercise to tune the voice as an instrument
- work on listening to voice so you can hear the differences (ie when matching pitch guys will often match 1 octave lower but not be able to tell the difference immediately)
- Work on moving from chest register to head register (did giggling excercise and could feel voice coming from back of mouth rather than throat. Looks into singers training their "register break" and aim your voice at the low end of upper register so that intonation has somewhere to go.
- Work on Intonation (vary pitch up and down in the same sentence and even word) let you voice express more feeling and emotion.
- Do these and average pitch will increase anyway.
- Stress will lower pitch.
- Don't smoke :)

Overall was a great talk and makes me want to learn more but the main point I took is that voice is an instrument and you can make it do what you want through training and practice.

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: amoeba on March 21, 2016, 11:31:44 PM

Thanks for sharing Jamie. I so wanted to go to the Gender Center group yesterday, unfortunately the timing made it impossible for me to get away from work. And, I'm thrilled to say, it looks like I'm 1/9th of the way through your checklist already [I don't smoke! buahahah!] ;D

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: Katie on March 27, 2016, 06:42:25 PM

I would add one final thing that in most cases will cause any trans person to adopt a more accurate voice. They simply begin transition and live full time.

Simply put living part time does not really push most people to generate a reasonable voice.

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: shelleyg on March 28, 2016, 06:55:25 PM

Would be interesting if there is a powerpoint, pdf that summarizes these aspects. Anyone know of such?

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: Allykitty82 on March 30, 2016, 11:20:32 PM

Lili, does Cate have a video series or transcript of that session?

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: Lilian J on April 05, 2016, 06:39:27 AM

Website is
http://www.catemadill.com.au/voice-problems/transgender-voice/

Doesn't have a lot there but if you email them and ask they will may send you Cate's powerpoint slides.

Title: Re: Pitch will come on its own.
Post by: Annushka on November 22, 2016, 04:34:35 AM

Thanks for the contribution, Lili.

I believe these points together with what Katie said - about being full time - are really the keys to make the difference.

I only wish I could know how to work exactly each one of these aspects specifically... :/

Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Voice Therapy and Surgery => Topic started by: Lilian J on March 21, 2016, 04:10:37 PM