I saw your post about Tom's performance as Dream and I have to ask if you have any tips for doing something similar as to what Tom did for Dream's voice. I'm a trans guy who's been on T for about 9 months now and while my voice has dropped a lot, I still get misgendered on the phone. So I'm trying to make my voice sound just a little bit deeper with like the lifted or airy quality to it, without getting a weird raspy batman affect. Any tips you could give me, like exercises to try, signs that I might be hurting my voice to watch out for, or anything you think might be helpful, I would really appreciate it. (You could use this as an excuse to talk more about Tom's voice if you want)
Of course, only answer this if you feel comfortable, I don't want you to feel obligated <3
Omg hi :) no worries at all, obligated? I am delighted ^^
There are various things you could do, i will write it out for you as detailed as i can. But please mind, i am not a vocal coach, just a researcher :) if you could afford a vocal coach or speech pathologist to help you(even just 1 lesson) that would be grand BUT there is a ton you can safely do on your own
Just let me preface, that please dont push it too hard yet :) its very easy to tense up trying and damage your voice in the process (I would know, I pretended to be a soprano half my life before understanding i have a naturally lower voice) and then coming back from that damage or unhealthy patterns is a work and a half
You can use the help of a pitch app like VoiceTools to track pitch- it lands around ~100–130 Hz for usual male range but dont force it, its just an average :) but it also helps with visualising where you are and where you can expand :) plus you are 9 months into it, it will drop more yet still :)
First, there are long-term strategies—not instant fixes, but safe and effective over time:
1. Breath Support is Everything
Breathe from your diaphragm—let your stomach expand on the inhale. Put your hands on your ribcage and imagine it expand with breathing in. Try not to raise your shoulders while breathing as well- it shifts into shallow top lung / chest breathing and that puts pitch higher and brings more vocal cord tension.
Practice slow exhalations on a hum ("mmm") or lip trill to build control. If you feel comfortable, you can do it with a piano/YouTube vid/ app to keep control of the scale (but dont push it- gentle hums, dont choke )
2. Relax Your Throat and Larynx
Tension = higher pitch. Try gentle yawns to lower the larynx and feel that relaxed placement. Fast or nervous speech brings the larynx up. And i can't stress it enough : HYDRATE WELL. And if you can, steamers do wonders for relaxing vocal strain.
Do vocal warm-ups for this:
Sirens (start high, slide low and then from low to high. Try a glissando, like a very slow ambulance siren. Let the sounds flow one into the other, dont try to think about it too hard. You can help yourself with piano )
Humming gently while massaging your neck and jaw(you have no idea how much tension is actually held in your tongue, jak and neck)
When you feel comfortable with humming on different notes, try opening the hum to a word or a syllable like "mmmmm maaaaa". Dont be afraid of voice cracks on this. It's normal, happens constantly to everyone while practising but after a while you will notice a flow.
3. Posture and Body Awareness
Stand tall with relaxed shoulders.
Proper posture allows airflow and reduces strain, which helps deepen your natural tone. The longer and more relaxed you allow your vocal tract to be, the easier the lower tones appear.
Try speaking just slightly slower and with more breath control.
Think about placing your voice in your chest rather than your nose/head (resonance shift). You can put your hands on your chest to feel when your chest starts to slightly vibrate.
Record yourself over time to track the difference. Try reading something emotionally neutral as if you were trying to be a radio host or a news anchor- like wikipedia article. Do it slowly and intently- really, slower than you might think is natural.
5. Vocal Fry (in moderation!)
Light vocal fry can train your cords to stay relaxed and help you find your lower register.
Use it very gently and only during warmups, never as a speaking habit.
I have found a couple of books that might help, if you are into deeper research but im sure there is a lot on Google scholar or on YouTube:)
1. "Set Your Voice Free" by Roger Love
Great for both singers and speakers; includes exercises to shift register safely.
2. "The Voice Book" by Kate DeVore & Starr Cookman
Covers breathing, posture, pitch control, and tone with practical steps.
3. "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life" by Dr. Morton Cooper
Focuses on speaking voice, used often in gender-affirming voice training.
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