Voice Training
She Looks Like A Woman,
But He Sounds Like A Man
By Roberta Angela Dee
I was only 4 years old when I realized that in spite of my male anatomy, I
was emotionally and psychologically female. By the age of 13 years, I knew as
much about choosing a wardrobe and wearing makeup as most girls my age. However,
a very serious problem arouse as I began to grow a mustache and my voice became
more masculine.
Hair removal was resolved simply enough. But what could I do about my
voice?
Today, many transgendered women along with male-to-female transsexuals
have surgery to alter the length of their vocal cords. They then attend
sessions on voice
training to achieve a more feminine voice.
At 13 years, I was neither in a position, nor could I afford surgery or a
vocal coach. I learned through listening and quickly noted that the two most
prominent differences between a masculine voice and a feminine voice were pitch
and use of inflections.
Women speak in a higher tone of voice and their use of inflections is
distinctive to their gender. Today, many women speak with what I refer to as a
questioning tone. It's a particular style of speech that borders on the
stereotype of Valley girl speech where a woman saying, My name is Roberta
Angela Dee, sounds as if she's asking a question: My name is Roberta Angela
Dee?
This very distinctively feminine style takes a good deal of practice and it
is best learned through conversations with other women. For the beginner, it is
best to focus on pitch and use of inflections.
My own technique involved purchasing an inexpensive portable tape
recorder -- not the kind that uses a micro cassette, but the one that uses a
full-size cassette.
I practiced speaking into the recorder until I found a pitch that seemed
realistic. At least once a day, I would read any type of text available. I tried
to remember that most women tend towards cheerful, non-threatening voices.
My true life test consisted of calling a department store and asking for a
particular cosmetic line. I would then ask for lipstick or nail polish in a shade
that I knew was popular with that particular product line.
Sometimes, I'd call the lingerie department and ask if they had a demi bra
by Bali in a 36A.
If the sales clerk responded by saying, Yes, sir or No, sir then I knew
my pitch was too low or that my inflections were too male-like. Or, if the sales
clerk seemed especially distant and cool to my questions, then she was probably
suspicious.
Using these techniques, I was able to convincingly speak with a feminine
voice within two months. I could also maintain an elevated tone and converse
comfortably with another woman.
The keywords, ladies, for speaking with a feminine voice, are PRACTICE
and PERSEVERANCE.
If any of you have special problems or questions, remember that my
e-mail address is RADANGLE@aol.com.
Affectionately,
Roberta Angela Dee
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