In this post, I'd like to address the basics of vocal masculinization often used by Female-to-Male (FtM) transgender individuals to "masculinize" the voice to achieve a male gender perception. As you'll read in Jackson Hearns and Kremer's book, The Singing Teacher's Guide to Transgender Voices, FtM is a tricky term to use here, as it draws attention to the gender a trans individual likely wants to avoid. Here, transgender man is a more appropriate term, but I use FtM because in many scientific articles in the field, especially in The Journal of Voice, this term is still commonly used. In articles of this nature, you might also see the term transsexual, which is not equivalent to transgender. Transsexual is an outdated medical term and should be avoided.
More information on gender available at genderbread.org.
Check out my suggested readings on transgender voices here.
How does one masculinize the voice?
The voice can be one of the greatest challenges a trans individual faces when transitioning. Our brains have been wired throughout society to associate certain vocal qualities and pitches with certain physical presentations, so before a person speaks, we’ve already decided what they should sound like based on what they look like.
A trans person might often find their voice feels out of place and doesn’t match their gender identity, called voice dysphoria, a term found in many sources on this topic. Nearly all trans people will experience this, and our ability as teachers to understand and support students through this is vital. Many trans people who transition will seek help from a speech language pathologist (SLP), doctors, therapists, and us as voice teachers to help them through this process.
The goal of vocal masculinization is to achieve a more masculine perceived voice that is lower in pitch, darker, and often less articulate than a feminine voice. Trans men or other masculine gender presentations, in most studies called FtM individuals, often undergo testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), sometimes referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or even taking "T". Testosterone can be given in various doses through injections, patches, gels, or even orally in pills, and many physical changes occur as early as 6 to 8 weeks including facial hair, increased muscle mass, jawline changes, oilier hair and skin, and menstruation ceases, to name a few. Notably, the voice will drop in pitch and individuals will experience an adolescent, puberty-like process of voice change that can last around a year and a half to 2 years before the voice truly settles. Increased dosages will make this process happen more quickly, but as many suggest, including Constansis in his well-known article about singing through TRT, taking smaller doses may be preferred for vocalists, as it can make the vocal change easier and more navigable.
There are many, many factors involved in TRT. Our suggested readings include a plethora of studies, but many are only small samples in the large spectrum of medical studies, and more study is needed, especially for those singing during this transition. These studies show the great successes of voice masculinization through TRT, with few side effects. Though, one uncommon side effect is vocal entrapment, where the vocal folds can grow too quickly and take up more laryngeal space than should be available for the folds. These side effects should be discussed with medical professionals.
Many on TRT are not seeking help from voice teachers unless they already are or want to start sing. Beginning TRT is a decision to be made by the student and a medical professional, but voice teachers can and should be included in the conversation, because vocal training can immensely help the voice through the transition.
From the few that have written about it, including Sims, Kozan, Hancock, and Jackson Hearns, to name a few, many exercises that might be used with a pubescent adolescent who produces testosterone naturally can be effective in working with a trans student taking TRT. Messa di voce, semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, range extension, slides, hums, etc. can all be effective. Jackson Hearns and Kozan say the most difficult time to navigate is the 4-6 month mark, as this is where the voice can feel the most small, and range is most restricted. This is often the time where singers abandon singing, but support and encouragement are key here. The months following these are always better, and the voice always improves and stabilizes with continued training and persistence. You should anticipate this change and be ready to support the student through it, as it can be debilitating and discouraging in the voice studio to feel out of control of your own instrument—we all know how vulnerable studying voice already is! Vocal masculinization is also possible through darkening the color of the voice, relaxing articulation, lowering the larynx, and other speech patterns typical of cisgender males.
Learn More
Jammidodger is a trans Youtuber with a plethora of honest videos about his transition including top and bottom surgery and hormones. Check out his playlist of his experience taking T below.
Sam Collins is a trans Youtuber with an entire playlist about his transition including his voice.
Chella Man is another genderqueer, deaf Youtuber who documents the transition taking T.
Victor Lockhart shares a video of the changes to his singing voice after 1 year on T. His channel also features videos talking about gender expression.