London Trans Choir

I’m in a lot of discussion groups about voice teaching, and teaching voice skills to trans folks in particular, perhaps unsurprisingly. Also unsurprisingly, a large majority of the other folks in those groups are cis. Being trans doesn’t mean I have magical pedagogy information that the others don’t (or couldn’t), but I feel like community insight can be really helpful sometimes. Let me give you an example.

A little while ago I saw an SLT/SLP mention that they were having problems with ‘practice compliance’ with some of their clients. There’s a lot to unpack in that, so let’s get started! Firstly Speech and Language Therapists(UK)/Speech and Language Pathologists (US) are often who insurance companies like trans folks to see for help with their voices. Their training is mostly around pathology (things that go wrong with the voice); think speech impediments, developmental delays, relearning to speak after a medical event, swallowing difficulties etc. Some then specialise in things like singing or trans voice, taking further training. Insurance companies like them because their profession is registered, unlike voice coaches (anyone can say they’re a voice coach). 

If you’ve spotted that ‘compliance’ is a word that doctors, nurses, and other medical folks often use with regards to their patients, you’re correct! The thing about trans voice training is, it’s not the same as remembering to take a pill. Sure, there are mechanical skills to be learned and repetition will help us get there. But voice is so much more than that; it’s vulnerable, it’s difficult, it’s frustrating, and it’s tied to every bit of how we interact with the world around us. We live in trying times, and sometimes it’s a lot. 

So, as your helpful trans cultural liaison, here are some reasons folks might not be practising.

1. Life is hard and there’s a lot going on.
   You need only read the news to know that times are tough. For all of us, yes, but trans folks in particular are feeling scared. Sometimes we have only a limited amount of energy to use on ‘extra’ things like voice training, because we’re too busy surviving. It doesn’t mean we’re lazy or don’t care. 

2. Our motivation might be external. 

More and more I have students coming to me who aren’t really that interested in voice in and of itself, but rather feel they should have a ‘passing’ version of their voice to use in situations when they feel threatened. Anyone who was forced to take music lessons they didn’t want as a child can tell you how motivating it is to have someone else tell you you should be better at something when you don’t give a toss about it yourself. 

3. We’re neurodivergent

There’s a huge crossover between being trans and being neurodivergent, in particular with ADHD and autism. Folks with ADHD might forget to practise because time gets away, because something else was more interesting, or because they don’t have any triggers (eg a visual reminder like a straw they use for exercises). Autistic folks might lack the proprioception to perceive whether they’re doing something correctly, be frustrated that things weren’t clearly explained, have difficulty with change, or struggle to reconcile new vocal habits with a preexisting need to mask or code switch. If you work with trans folks and don’t have training about neurodivergence, please put it on your to-do list!

4. We don’t have a safe space

Voice practice means making noise; strange noises that we might feel quite vulnerable making. If unsupportive (or unaware) family or flatmates can hear us, we might feel (or literally be) unsafe. It can also be tricky to find people we feel safe practising with when we’re getting ready to debut our working voice. 

5. Your vibe didn’t earn our trust

If you’re an SLP/SLT, your medical training probably means a specific kind of professional demeanour that works well for some people and not for others. Quite a lot of trans people have had bad/traumatic experiences with healthcare, so the default slightly detached healthcare worker persona might be working against building trust. 

The good news in all of this is that people use their voices every day, whether they’re practising ‘correctly’ or not, and that slow progress is still progress. How long it takes to explain how things like resonance and vocal fold weight work, and how long it takes to internalise that information, find a balance that suits you, and do it consistently – are two very different lengths of time. If some folks make slower progress, it doesn’t mean a lack of effort, ability, or character. Please take a moment to empathise, to reflect on how you can help, and to not use the C word again. If there’s one thing trans folks need to thrive, it’s agency.