Adam without apple: Voicework with men who are born as a woman

Coen Honig

Not much is known about the voices of transsexuals who are being treated with testosterone. Literature is rare. Because I got confronted with some students who belong to this group I did a literature study and found out that there is hardly any research done. The only really relevant literature was a study by David Scheidt, a master’s thesis about the occurance of speechproblems in this group. Nothing was mentioned about how to work with these people, how to treat the problems and how to prevent them in the first place.
Because of my work with these people I had the rare opportunity to see if the problems Scheidt wrote about occur in my clients to, and to find out how to deal with those problems. Not only is it important to focus on the voiceproblems and technical solutions, but also on the person behind the voice, its past and present, its personal story and personal barriers to overcome.
The voiceproblems occurring frequently in these men who are trying to lower their voice without any help are:
- pushing down the voice
- monotous speaking
- narrowing the jaw space
- the use of a very raw voice.

The men who seek treatment are complaining about:
- the urge to cough
- hoarseness
- a raw feeling of the throat
- the feeling that speaking or singing is tiring
Scheidt figured out that 67% of the men he examined were in need of speech therapy. I worked with several of these men in order to improve both speaking- and singing voice. I’d like to share the results of my work with you.

Coen Honig, singing teacher, baritone
Galvanistraat 79
2517 RB Den Haag
+31703454407
www.coenhonig.nl