Hey there, trans voice explorers! Today, I want to talk about a fascinating topic that often sparks curiosity: Can genderfluid, bigender, or genderflux individuals train more than one speaking voice? Well, let me tell you, the answer might surprise you!

I'm Renée, a gender-affirming voice teacher, and I must say, I get this question more often than you might think. I've met students who experience fluctuations in their gender expression from day to day; some who have Dissociative Identity Disorder, where their different alters have distinct voice goals; and others simply wish to have the freedom to choose when and how they express their gender vocally.

Now, here's the exciting part—training and maintaining multiple voices is absolutely possible! And guess what? This is something we already witness regularly in bilingual individuals!

In a 2017 meta-analysis on average pitch distribution in bilingual speakers, it was discovered that “a bilingual speaker will show some variance in their [average pitch] depending on the language they are speaking.”[1]

Living in Montreal, one of the most multicultural cities in the world, I witness this phenomenon in action every single day! People effortlessly switch between vocal qualities when they speak one language and seamlessly adjust their vocal characteristics when they switch to another language.

Isn't that amazing?

Now, let's connect the dots and see how this relates to trans voice work. The ability to code-switch between acquired and target voices becomes entirely feasible and empowering. It allows individuals to authentically express themselves in different contexts. However, it's crucial to remember that if you speak multiple languages, you may need to practice your target voice in each language you regularly use.

So, my dear readers, isn't it incredible how sociocultural linguistic analysis intertwines with the realm of transgender voice exploration? If you're as fascinated as I am by this intersection, make sure to sign up for my newsletter because I've got more intriguing content coming your way!

Until next time,

Renée ✨

[1] Dorreen, K. (2017). Fundamental frequency distributions of bilingual speakers in forensic speaker comparison. (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Canterbury.