Singing Through the
Transition
Dr. Ryan Olsen
Baker University
ryan.olsen@BakerU.edu
Slides available at www.ryanaolsen.com/handouts
Pronouns: He/Him/His
• Brief review of vocal anatomy and what
physically happens in the main regions of vocal
production during adolescence
• What happens during a voice "crack?"
• What about the transgender voice change?
• Exercises to help students use their new
instrument, match pitch, and access registers
Structures of the Larynx
• Hyoid bone acts as suspension
system
• Tongue connects to hyoid bone
• Hyoid bone hinges upward when
swallowing
• Cricothyroid pulls and tips thyroid in
order to lengthen vocal folds and raise
pitch
• Boys' larynx grows more anterior to
posterior than girl's to account for
more length and thickness of vocal
folds (Adam's Apple)
Top view of larynx
• B - Interarytenoids - bring two
arytenoids together to close rear
portion of the glottis (weakness causes
mutational chink in girls)
• D - Thyroarytenoid (scientific name
for part of the vocal folds) muscle also
lowers pitch by thickening vocal folds
(less involved than cricothyroids)
• Unchanged voices avg of 2mm of
vibrational length. Adult females
avg 10mm and male avg 16mm
vibrational length
• Raising/jutting chin pulls vocal tract
and raises larynx
• Pulling head back depresses larynx
• Tongue tension can raise larynx
• Pulling tongue back can depress larynx
and create false, dark tone
• Turning head in order to see
conductor can tense muscles and pull
vocal tract
• Sing [a] while rotating head and neck,
then raise, lower, and jut chin
• Tongue rolls & lip buzzes
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/texting-puts-pounds-
pressure-spine-study-article-1.2013885 (August 2016)
How shoes can impact alignment
• Boys' voices progress through above stages
• Some pass quickly through a stage, some linger
• Can take one to two years to complete (avg 14 months)
• Speaking fundamental frequency lies approx m3 above lowest singing
range
• Lower range tends to be more stable while upper range fluctuates
dramatically
The Transgender Voice
• Anatomy/physiology during puberty matters
• Trans men
• Administration of testosterone will cause vocal folds to thicken but not lengthen
• Lower doses will transition into tenor range, while higher doses to baritone or bass
• Larynx, vocal tract and other resonators do not grow
• Singing in low chest range can help ease the transition as long as not frying or straining
• Trans women can't significantly change range after puberty without surgery (risky) or therapy
(primarily for speech)
• Voice Dysphoria
• The Singing Teacher’s Guide to Transgender Voices by Liz Jackson Hearns & Brian Kremer, Plural Publishing, 2018.
• Training the Transgender Singer: Finding the Voice Inside By Shelagh Davies posted to NATS.org on 1:45 PM, April 14, 2016 http://
www.nats.org/cgi/page.cgi/_article.html/What_s_New/Training_the_Transgender_Singer_Finding_the_Voice_Inside
• Shelagh Davies, Viktória G. Papp & Christella Antoni (2015) Voice and Communication Change for Gender Nonconforming Individuals: Giving
Voice to the Person Inside, International Journal of Transgenderism, 16:3, 117-159, DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2015.1075931 http://dx.doi.org/
10.1080/15532739.2015.1075931
SUPPORTING GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM - OLSEN
MEET HOLDEN MADAGAME, TRANSGENDER OPERA SINGERS
▸ Introduction Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=PTtk-DlJ22c
▸ 6 Weeks on T https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YkpHpOn4Tb0
▸ 7 Months on T https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mbJk746OF1s
▸ 16 Months on T https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BqaO196y9M8
Psycho-Social Concerns
• Adolescence is a time of physical and social struggle and discovery
• Refer to voice parts by their technical names rather than gender
pronouns
• Be aware of gendered speech habits (you guys, be a man, man up)
• Consider gender neutral ensemble names
• Place students in sections based upon voice range rather than gender
(esp. MS!)
• Consider concert black or gender-neutral concert attire
• Be conscious of gender specific language in repertoire
What happens during a voice crack?
• Abrupt register transition
• Musculature can't maintain
tension and force release
• Muscles reengage after register
transition
• Similar to manual
transmission
• Can actually be beneficial in
learning where a voice's
passaggio points are located
Exercises & Techniques
• Guitar peg
• Find Speaking Fundamental Frequency (SFF)
• Track and train the registration shifts
• Play fundamental frequency in left hand
• Double melody/pitches to be matched an octave (or two)
higher
• Chart vocal progress weekly or bi-weekly
• Keep them singing, but make music fit their voice not vice
versa
