If you’ve spent any time looking into vocal feminization, you’ve probably heard the word "resonance" mentioned constantly. Whether your goal is feminizing your voice, masculinizing your voice, or finding a sound that feels perfectly androgynous, resonance is usually the missing puzzle piece that makes everything click. But what exactly is it? And more importantly, how do you know if you are actually changing it? Today, I want to talk about what resonance really is, why relyin

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: gender-affirming voice coaching costs money, and those costs add up fast. Between transition expenses, life stuff, and everything in between, dropping a chunk of change on voice work upfront just isn't always doable—no matter how much you want or need it. I’ve talked to so many of you who want to work on your voice but end up putting it off because the total cost sitting there at checkout feels like a wall. That sucks, and it's a bar

When folks first come to Voice by Kylie for voice feminization, they usually have one specific goal in mind: changing their pitch. It makes perfect sense! Society has spent a long time feeding us the oversimplified idea that a high pitch equals feminine and a low pitch equals masculine. Many assume pitch is the only factor in how gender is perceived, but experts actually focus heavily on vocal resonance, intonation, articulation, and even non-verbal communication. If you’re r

I’m thrilled to share that my latest piece on tracheal shaves caught the eye of Renée Yoxon! They invited me onto their channel for a deep-dive conversation into the potential risks and outcomes of a trachael shave (chondrolaryngoplasty). It was a fantastic opportunity to break down the science behind the surgery with such a respected voice in the community. If you haven't got a chance to read it yet, you can do so here or you can just watch the video below! https://calendly

Last Updated: November 2026 | By: Kylie Wayne Looking for FTM Voice Masculinization exercises? Look no further. Trying to keep your voice low can feel a lot like trying to hold a pool kickboard underwater. You push it down, hold it steady for a minute, and think you’ve got it locked in. Then you laugh, answer the drive-thru speaker, or get startled, and BAM—it slips out of your grip and shoots straight back to the surface. If you are looking to build a deeper, more grounded v

Over the years I’ve worked with many individuals who have had a Chondrolaryngoplasty, this procedure aims to reduce the size of your Adams apply by removing some of the thyroid cartilage, pretty straight forward eh? Well, the results prove this is more complicated than you’d expect in terms of how your voice responds. Now, even though this isn’t true for everyone and results may vary just like they would with any procedure, I have noticed that in many individuals, their abili

I'm commonly asked during consultations ' how long does gender affirming voice training take and how long until I reach my goal voice?' and the answer is actually pretty straight forward. For the vast majority of people, 8 sessions is all it takes (to really be specific, 8 to feminize and 6 to masculinize). At this point people tend to look at me with a bit of shock and mention how they were expecting me to say that it would take years. Luckily for them, my 10+ years of teach

Vocal fold tension relates to the clarity of the voice: If your voice is breathy, it means your vocal folds are stiff. If your voice is clear, it means your vocal folds are flexible. If your voice is creaky, it means your vocal folds are slack. Okay, let’s talk real. I get it, the whole “breathy equals feminine” thing is super common, especially in the trans community. It’s like, you hear that whispery, soft quality in some feminine voices, and you think, “That’s it! That’s t

In order to speak efficiently, one must learn how to override their natural biological patterns. These patterns vary by: Physical activity Posture Emotion Vocal Quality Your breath is like the fuel your car (your voice) needs to go. But here’s the thing: everyone’s got their own weird way of breathing, their own default setting. And guess what? That default setting? It might be totally clashing with the new voice you’re trying to build. Basically, what worked for your dead vo

The Velum, also known as the soft palette (the squishy part on the roof of your mouth) is one of the most overlooked parts of trans voice training. Now I certainly can’t blame anyone who overlooks this fleshy little membrane, I mean when were talking about voice most individuals think of the Larynx and the True Vocal Folds but luckily for you, I’ve got nerd knowledge to help. The Velum acts as a door to two rooms that split off from one another. These two rooms are the nasoph

Beyond the Larynx: Why Your Velum Matters for Trans Voice The Velum, also known as the soft palette (the squishy part on the roof of your mouth) is one of the most overlooked parts of trans voice training. Now I certainly can’t blame anyone who overlooks this fleshy little membrane, I mean when were talking about voice most individuals think of the Larynx and the True Vocal Folds but luckily for you, I’ve got nerd knowledge to help. The Velum's Impact: Achieving a Full, Reson

There are so many nuances when it comes to trans voice training, it’s both comical and ridiculous. To help you with understanding what’s what, here’s a quick reference guide with a bunch of helpful tips aimed at helping you to get a better understanding of how to support yourself through voice training. Watch how long you’re practicing for as more isn’t better. I typically recommended practicing for 30 minutes a day, yep, that’s it. This is because when were working to femin

My recovery from SRS surgery (trans bottom surgery AKA gender Gender Confirmation Surgery) at GRS Montreal was, to put it mildly, an experience. It wasn’t the recovery itself, or even the horrific things I witnessed, but rather the unforgettable characters I encountered as roommates and neighbors. To start things off, let’s talk about my first neighbor, let’s call her Dirty Talk Diane. Now Diane, without exaggeration or hyperbole, was the literal bane of my existence and stil

One of the most common questions I get during consultations is, “How does voice training actually work?” Believe it or not, the methodology is quite simple, largely boiling down to one thing: the size and shape of the vocal tract (the resonators). Where sound waves bounce — where they resonate — influences where that resonance is felt in your body. And resonance, my friends, contributes massively (let’s say 75% for emphasis) to the perceived gender of a voice. With that said,

It’s interesting how some markers of femininity meant so much to me early on and now, today I’m remarkably similar to who I was pre-transition, that is to say, I’m surprisingly more ‘masculine’ than I thought I’d be. All this begs the question of what femininity and masculinity truly are, at least to me. When I first began transitioning, what meant the most to me and what I thought femininity meant came down to surface level aesthetics eg. long hair, makeup, pink everything,

I have one motto that I live by: if anything bad happens, I better get a good story out of it. And last night, I certainly did. I went to a yoga class — my first in years and full disclosure I was feeling rusty and awkward. The reason for this return to yoga? Let’s just say that while I love HRT and estrogen in general, I’m less fond of the extra weight it’s encouraged my body to put on. My body seems to think it’s helping me prepare for pregnancy, but for a multitude of reas

If my love life was a rom-com, it would be titled “How to Lose a Girlfriend in 10 Days (or Less).” My journey to womanhood was unexpectedly intertwined with my romantic relationships, and let’s just say, I wasn’t exactly winning any awards for “Most Stable Partner.” But before you judge, know this: my path to transition was filled with detours. Like my questionable driving skills, I took the wrong off-ramp more times than I care to admit. I’m sure I’m not alone in crumbling u

When working on mtf trans voice training, many believe that achieving an authentic sounding female voice is simply a matter of raising your pitch. However, this is a misconception. While pitch plays a role, it’s not the only factor, and arguably not even the most important one. If you’re just beginning your voice training journey, I recommend prioritizing resonance before tackling pitch. But if you’re ready to explore pitch, I’m more than happy to show you the way. MTF Pitch

So much about the trans experience is rooted in making ourselves smaller, and quieter since many of us have learned the hard way that the more the attention is on us, the harder our lives seem to get so we slowly begin to fade ourselves into the background. It’s a damn travesty. Rewind my life a couple of years and you’d find me working in education as an elementary teacher. There were some good things about being a teacher, don’t get me wrong, I mean I sure wasn’t complainin

There were plenty on things about Gender Affirming Surgery (GAS, also known as SRS) that I wasn’t warned about, now most of them varied between being minor annoyances to strong inconveniences but one thing I really wish I was informed about was the post surgery migraine. I cant understate this enough, Holy Hannah that migraine was from another dimension altogether. Now, I’ve had the displeasure of experiencing migraines on a regular basis ever since i started HRT, typically

Last Updated: November 2026 | By: Kylie Wayne If the cricothyroid (CT) muscle is your vocal tract's master tuning peg that stretches your cords for higher pitch, think of the thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle as the muscle that adds the acoustic meat to your voice. Whenever someone describes a voice as sounding "thin," "buzzy," "chesty," or "hollow," they aren't actually talking about pitch. They are talking about vocal weight—how thick or thin your vocal folds are when they collide

Last Updated: November 2026 | By: Kylie Wayne If you have ever tried to raise or lower your speaking pitch by squeezing your neck, shoving your chin forward, or tensing your throat, you already know how exhausting that feels. Clamping down on your outer throat muscles doesn't create an authentic sound—it just gives you a sore neck and vocal fatigue. The real heavy lifting happens on the inside, powered by a tiny set of muscles built specifically for the job: the cricothyroid

For those working towards a gender affirming voice, achieving an authentic and aligned voice is a significant goal. Every dietary and lifestyle choice can influence vocal progress, and chocolate, despite its allure, presents a complex case. While a comforting indulgence for many (myself included), it can impact your voice in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Let’s delve into the specific effects of chocolate, considering both the caffeine content and its potential to trigger aci

Voice is much more than just a tool for communication; it’s an intrinsic part of our identity, a reflection of our inner selves, and a powerful means of self-expression. For transgender and gender diverse individuals, the journey towards aligning their voice with their gender identity can be deeply personal and profoundly transformative. Gender affirming voice training plays a vital role in this process, but its impact extends far beyond vocal techniques and exercises. It int