Free voice workshop in May (new date!)

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, I will lead a free gender-affirming voice workshop for anyone who is modifying their voice or curious about making voice changes. We will try out some techniques together, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and share your voice experiences. We will discuss healthy voice habits and tips for practice and lasting change in real life. Open to all gender identities and gender presentations.

This workshop is in person in Queens NY. It is part of the Transcend event series of LGBT Network, which occurs monthly to provide resources and support for the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community. https://lgbtnetwork.org/transcend/

Queens LGBT Center, 35-11 35th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106, Tel. 718-514-2155. The closest MTA trains are the Steinway St. Station (M or R) and the 36th Ave. Station (N or W).

I hope to see you there!

Aligning your inner voice with your outer voice

Do you talk to yourself in your head? What does it sound like? This common practice can sometimes be overlooked when learning to modify one's speaking voice. The voice in your head may not have a sound to you, but if it does, it may sound more like an undesired, unmodified voice and less like the speaking voice that is changing and serving you better. In that case, aligning your inner voice with those outer changes may help you achieve more overall progress and vocal satisfaction.   

How can that happen? Basically, the outer and inner voices can help each other. Simply apply your voice modification techniques to your inner voice, using what you hear aloud to shift what you hear silently as well. In this way, the outer voice can lead the inner voice to carryover those new talking patterns to those private thinking moments, closer to your inner self and your inner feelings.

And how can the inner voice help the outer voice? Hearing your modified voice in your head gives the brain more 'talking time' to form new neural pathways for voice. As such, the inner voice can help to make the outer voice more reliable than before, as a more engrained habit. And in a very practical sense, your inner voice can be integrated with your voice commands, such as hearing a higher pitch in your head, not just thinking a higher pitch. This can be a way to rehearse something before saying it, whether in a practice session or a real situation.

So, let's consider a few ideas for practice and daily talking. It's easier than you might think!   

Task 1: Pick a single voice technique (or set of techniques), and practice it by reading single sentences two times in a row each, first silently, then aloud. Let's stick with higher pitch as an example: Aim your pitch higher when reading one sentence silently and then aloud. Other techniques may target articulation or resonance, in which case, you could also mouthe the words when practicing the silent part to help the brain adapt new tongue placement patterns.

Task 2: Do the same as above, but instead of reading, count or say the days of the week two times in a row, first silently, then aloud.  

Task 3: Similarly, talk to yourself silently about something for one or two sentences, then aloud.

Task 4: Do you find that your silent self-talk is negative? Try reading uplifting texts or saying positive affirmations as your practice or daily routine. In this way, you are working on self-esteem as well as voice!

Task 5: Say "good morning" and "good night" to yourself silently with your modified voice.

Task 6: If you notice that you are talking to yourself in an unmodified voice, immediately shift it if you can.

Task 7: If you are in a real speaking situation and need a little voice boost to get started or get back on track, say "hmm" in your head for a moment, in your best modified voice, before starting to speak.

Start and end well

Maintaining your chosen voice techniques can be challenging at any level of your gender affirming voice process. Are you starting to practice talking, and find it mentally challenging to think of what to say while also modifying how you sound? Have you practiced a lot but find it hard to get started in real-life conversations? Or perhaps you regularly modify your voice in conversations but tend to lose consistency, particularly during a brain-heavy or anxiety-provoking speaking situation? Rather than trying to sound perfect in every moment of a sentence, consider, as a next step, this general guideline - START AND END WELL.

This idea is nothing new. It is often used as practical advice outside speech, such as when writing a letter or an essay, when working with others on a project, or when dancing or playing a sport, as in a gymnast beautifully executing the landing of a back flip. It simply means to make the beginning and ending especially good.

In terms of speech, this idea can be useful because the impression we give primarily stems from what a listener first experiences and what they are left with, or, in other words, what they hear first and last. People hopefully are paying attention to us all of the time, but the beginning and ending are typically the most memorable parts.

So how do you make your voice START AND END WELL? Simply focus more to how you need to make the beginning and ending sound, with whatever technique(s) you are targeting. Start by nailing that first sentence or first few words, and regardless of how well you are continuing, make sure to nail the ending too. To practice, you can start with a single sentence, then two sentences, then a paragraph, then make up things to say, such as commenting on what you read or talking to yourself about things you need to do for the day.

To START AND END WELL in conversation with others, try your best voice throughout, but pay special attention to the beginning and ending. As you begin to do well at that, you can then become more mindful of the middle. Even if there is backsliding as you talk, your listener(s) will likely not find it jarring to hear your voice shift again at the end. This is due to the dynamics of English intonation as well as listener focus on content more than sound. START AND END WELL can be a good guideline for short coffee orders, phone conversations, interviews, meeting people, attending a meeting, or giving a presentation.

So, if you find it challenging to modify your voice throughout an interaction, think START AND END WELL. It may help you take advantage of the attention patterns of the listener, and make an important next step in achieving a more satisfying voice.

Say NO to "no pain, no gain"

There is a common phrase that is used with some exercise workouts: "No pain, no gain." It refers to the belief that pushing yourself harder will create better results. But is this true for voice modification?

Producing any new type of gendered sound can be challenging, particularly if a technique requires more physical energy or a different kind of physical energy. Ask yourself: Are you feeling any vocal strain? Are you experiencing throat discomfort from practicing or talking? Are you feeling vocal fatigue after using a modified voice for longer periods? These are signs of vocal health problems that can lead to vocal fold injury.  

The fact is that new vocal habits do not require that you push your voice hard. They demand precision and accuracy. This involves a delicate balance of air pressure above and below the vocal folds resulting from sufficient breath support, relaxation, and resonant voice placement in the upper airway. This can be achieved when aiming the voice in different gendered ways, such as a higher or lower pitch, or creating brighter or darker resonance, or being louder or quieter. This includes learning how to manage loudness if your vocal fold mass has increased from testosterone.

But even with precision and accuracy, you may still experience strain or discomfort or fatigue. In that case, you may simply have the wrong voice target. Your vocal folds may not be able to physically handle, for example, a pitch that is too high or too low from your baseline pitch, or a sound that is too loud or too quiet on a regular basis. Luckily, because there is an overlap of various gendered patterns, targets don’t typically need to be super big to attain a sufficient shift in gender perception.

In addition, being aware of your daily habits is also important, since vocal health problems can be compounded by talking a lot and by certain dietary choices, such as alcohol and smoking.

So, if you are experiencing vocal strain, throat discomfort, or vocal fatigue, consider the following:

• Shift your voice with less physical force.

• Ease up on how much of a shift you are aiming for (less high or less low, for example).

• Do a few lip trills (aka raspberries) at an easy pitch.

• Blow the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" song through a straw onto your hand.

• Rest your voice.

• Try a salt water gargle.

If your symptoms persist, consider a consultation with a laryngologist, or contact me at New York Speech & Voice Lab (347-677-3619 or cblock@speechvoicelab.com). I am here to put the myth of "no pain, no gain" to rest!

Free assertiveness workshop at online conference

I am proud to be presenting a workshop at the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference again this year. It is ONLINE and FREE. If you’d like to attend, be sure to register for the “General Track” of the conference, select my session, along with any other sessions, to ensure yourself a space, and follow the conference directions on how to connect virtually. This is a great chance to practice your skills and connect with others. I hope you join us! Here is the session description:

Building communication skills for assertiveness and self-advocacy, General Track E, Saturday, July 23, 2022, 2:15 - 3:15 pm EST

What does it mean to speak confidently? How do we actually look and sound? What kinds of words do we use? This hands-on workshop covers tools for using face, posture, voice, and language in a manner that conveys confidence and assertiveness. We will discuss various ways to say things and apply it appropriately to your own challenges in work, school, social, and/or microaggressive situations. You will have the opportunity to practice how to sound and what to say in a way that works for you. Open to all gender identities and gender presentations.

Registration and online security information here: https://web.cvent.com/event/f03ff02b-43b8-4340-b2ff-69b4f34cc260/summary