Voice Masculinization and Voice Feminization: Vocalises for Trans and Gender Expansive Singers

Friday, June 26 

Presenter: Loraine Sims

Working with transgender or gender expansive singers need not cause anxiety or fear. This session will explore some vocalises and suggestions for voice masculinization and voice feminization for those singers who choose to have a voice change as part of their transition. Some voices have been lowered by testosterone and some have not. Some of these voices have been changed after puberty and are individuals that were assigned female at birth (AFAB). There are other voices that have been lowered by testosterone that belong to individuals who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) but who now present as feminine. As a singing teacher, you have the task of seeing if there is a path to whatever the individual has as a singing goal.

About Loraine Sims

Loraine Sims is Edith Killgore Kirkpatrick Professor of Voice and Vocal Studies Division Chair at Louisiana State University. Recent performances include “Comedy in Song: Humorous Art Songs in English” at the 2017 ICVT in Stockholm and at the 2016 National NATS Conference. Professional activities include a pre-conference workshop, “Teaching Outside the Gender Binary: Working with Transgender and Non-Binary Singers” for the 2018 National NATS Conference; What the Fach? Voice Dysphoria in the Transgender and Genderqueer Singer” for the Voice Foundation’s 2018 Annual Symposium; “Honoring and Validating Transgender Singers in a Choral Context II: Healthy Vocal Pedagogy for Transgender Singers” for the 2019 National ACDA Conference; “Training Transgender Singers for Opera Performance: Gender Bending Beyond the Pants Role” for the 2017 NOA Conference, “Teaching Lucas: A Transgender Student’s Vocal Journey from Soprano to Tenor” at the 2017 ICVT, and “Training the Terrible Tongue!” for the 2012 National NATS Conference.