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Low stakes practice: micro-conversations

trans voice May 08, 2023
 

So you've been working on your target voice alone at home and you feel like you're ready to get out into the real world. But as soon as you open your mouth around your friends and family, it's like you forget how to make your target voice. You forget everything you've learned about trans voice alteration. How do we make that leap?

Today I want to talk about practicing out in the real world with real people. Here are four places you can have micro-conversations that are low stakes:

1. When you're out shopping and talking to a cashier, that's a really good time to practice saying things like "thank you" or "I have a bag" or "I'll pay by card."

2. When you're ordering a coffee. You very likely go out and get coffee pretty frequently and say the same thing like "I'll have an iced coffee." That is a perfect time to practice your target voice.

3. Anytime you're ordering something over the phone. If you normally order your pizza online, you can try and call your favorite pizza place so as to make your order with a real human being.

4. This is something someone once suggested to me: using scam callers as an opportunity to practice your target voice if you feel like wasting their time. Of course, your mileage may vary, please use caution with this tip!

Hi, I'm Renée! (they/them)

I'm a queer, nonbinary, and disabled singer, songwriter and gender-affirming voice teacher. 

I've been a voice teacher for over twelve years, I have four full-length albums out, and I have degrees in physics, jazz, and songwriting.

I love creating, I love figuring things out, but most of all, I love helping people.

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