How To Practice for Trans Voicework
As the new year starts, creating a new year's resolution or goal to work on gender affirming voicework is a great time to think about creating new habits. Speech is a set of habits and creating new habits takes practice. Here are some ways to practice that can be helpful if you find developing new habits hard.
Consistency in speaking with an authentic way can be difficult. Singing exercises help in knowing what to look for and how to change different aspects of the voice. When practicing, frequency is more important than the amount of time in a practice session. Practicing intentional speech and exercises for 10 minutes every day is more effective at creating habits, than practicing for a longer amount of time once a week. As you develop a routine, it becomes easier to put practice into everyday life.
Create a ritual or pattern around intentional speech. If you have a habit of doing something everyday try following that with practice. Eventually that activity will become a cue to practice or be intentional with your speech. For example, if you practice in the car consistently each time you drive will be a reminder to practice.
Practice in different areas and mindsets once you are able to remember to practice on a regular schedule. Our memories and bodies can be cued by the state of mind we are in or the situation we are in. Practice while feeling different emotions. Pay attention to if your voice changes depending on the situation or emotion. Practice shifting based on the emotion. After establishing the knowledge of how to reach an authentic voice in different situations the goal is to shift the thought process from being something you have to think about to being automatic.
Having a supportive community can be a valuable tool in gender affirming voice work. Whether that be fellow peers who are working on voice work or a trusted person to check in with, having feedback from others is helpful in reaching your goals. Another helpful concept is body doubling. If you have a hard time practicing on your own it can be helpful to practice with another person around.
