So i have been looking to move forward a bit with my transition after like 8 years after i started i never changed my voice.  my female voice is great i developed it years ago but never actually used it i just told people i had damaged vocal cords (i have a very rough voice) no one knows im trans except my spouse and therapist (unfortunately my kids as well) . 

I have been feeling like switching to my female voice permantly but not really sure how to do it publicly plus i feel like using the voice changes who i am and how i will be preceved positively or negatively.  i feel better when i use it but im scared.  how did your voice changes affect your emotions? or social preception? or did it remain the same

Well if you want to do it stealth kind of like I did, there is a way to do it  . My trained voice was terrible as it was in the male range. The reason for it was because I was bass which is the lowest male voice, think Jonny Cash or James Earl Ray. In my trained voice my working pitch was about 130-140 Hz. Nobody ever commented about it however I lived with that voice for about 36 years. Last year I had voice surgery which kept me away a week and then I had a couple of more weeks recovery where I couldn't speak and then weeks were my voice sounded pretty bad.

Your game plan could go like this. Tell everybody you found a surgeon who could fix your voice, take a week off and then a few weeks where you don't speak. When you start speaking, nobody will know the difference.

In my case, it was mention that had surgery accidentally. Somebody walked in while I was showing my mother my surgery pictures. I suspect that spread around the yard pretty fast. When I could speak again, everybody must have expected a difference because nobody ever commented on my voice.

You would remain stealth and nobody needs to know you didn't have surgery. Voice surgery isn't real common so few people know the details of it.

Wow, that is me, my domestic partner said I pass with my voice when I really put forth effort even on the phone. I have made agreement with my spiritual leader to make an effort to over come my shyness and stage fright. She said to use that voice during church. Believe me I am very self conscious about sounding ackward and stupid. The agreement is I have permission to let it rip and if I mess up I am given grace. My church understands and loves me. I really need to stop being so hard on myself. I have to remind myself future success is paved with failures along the way. It is always easier said than done.

Dena you rock. You are a truely a beautiful soul keep it up. Your advise is so good. I don't mind telling the world.💋💕

Michelle

Thank you Dena sorry i took so long its been a hectic week, that is a good idea fortunately for me i already have a rep for not talking much so saying i am going to have surgery to the building gossip queen would be enough.  only downside is i need to take a week off and that's hard to do in a nursing home with my residents but i think i can make that work.  i am nervous but excited it feels so right after this last few months of using it sparingly i am loving it.  only one last hurdle is telling the kids, i cant lie to them but i know they would understand if i just said i need to fix my voice cause it hurts my throat often (which isnt a lie) my voice right now is very Janis Joplin meets Issac Hayes

Thank you
Alice

Thank you Michelle that is the hardest but most exciting part just letting it rip im glad that you have gotten permission to sound and be you.  i guess that is the scariest part is feeling judged or silly.  My spouce is constantly telling me i am to hard on myself i have always demanded perfection from my self and hate when i fall short (which is all the time) it puts to much pressure on us.  I hope your experience gets better Thank you for Replying

Always Alice

Alice,
Voice continue to dog me even with moments with others who say
it passes. Resonance is the key about 90%. As you have read head voice is where you shoot for feeling it there. I am keep pushing my voice there and then there is personal preference in how you sound.
😀💃🏼Michelle

Michelle,
Yes that head voice was hard to control when i started  i kept forgetting to breath correctly and i felt like little vibrations in my noise,  my downfall is short sentences they don't offer a sing song quality.  I feel my voice is a bit to valley girl but it kind of fits my personality inside, its just so scary to be more open with people.  my voice being bad was a great excuse not to talk to anyone ever lol. Did you develop yours on your own or did you get a voice coach?
I hope all is well.

Always Alice

My voice was always effeminate, but I felt it was still a little androgynous. Once I transitioned at 15, I figured a girlier voice was definitely need to match my girly appearance. I started interacting with more and more girls and just building up as much girlfriends as possible and watching the kardashians and Lana del Rey interviews because I loved the way Lana speaks and just emulated her and the various other girls until my own unique feminine voice was perfect. I loved my voice ever since. And I definitely exercised my vocal cords and new voice A LOT by going out and talking to guys and giving them my number and talking to them on the phone because talking to them so much on my phone put more pressure on me to stick with the voice for longer until I don't have to think about how my voice should sound because it would be natural now.