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 speak 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.

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Tags: featured, femme voice, Transgender

Category: Transgender Body & Soul