A little while ago I decided I was going to start having singing lessons. I’m not sure where exactly, but it’d been lurking in the back of my head that this would be something fun to do. I enjoy singing but I’ve always been a bit… nervous about my voice. I mean, it broke as a teen, it made me dysphoric, and then when I transitioned I got fairly minimal voice training, and mostly it was just me and the other trans folks guessing. So I’ve never… Loved it? People told me they liked it. I certainly have a slightly unusual way I speak which is a result of the voice therapy dealing with my very depressed monotone.
But years in the ED, and having to shout people’s names in crowded waiting rooms, plus presenting on YT and more recently, presenting in person on stage, I’ve got to a point of this is my voice and I’m good with it. But singing?
I did sing as a kid. I had to. It’s part of the RSoM piano exams, or at least it was. I got to the heady heights of grade 6. But then I stopped. My voice broke. And I stopped singing. I mean I’d sing at home. Or in the car. Because I really, really enjoy it. Buuut, not in front of other people.
So yeah, I decided to fix the first part – and got singing lessons. And apparently I’m not as bad as I thought I was. Like, my pitch isn’t terrible, and I *know* when I’m off which is apparently important. My breathing though, that needs a lift of technical work, but I’ve already gained some range, which is freaking wild because I’ve only been doing it a couple of weeks. And I’m also, excited because she said that with practice I’ll fill the passaggio between the tiny little register I have at the top (which apparently will also probably gain notes) and my main register. (I think that’s what she said).
Excitingly, today I fairly consistently hit the high note (it’s not super high, just high for me – I think she said I’m pretty much a tenor, maybe eeking a little into the Alto range with training), got the timing okay and y’know, it more or less sounded pretty okay.
… And to top off the icing on this cake, some friends have said I can come sing with their group, if I want to and can find songs they want to learn.
I cannot express how cool child-me would think I would be if I did that. And occasionally it’s fun to impress child me.
@admin Speaking of voice and how it sounds. Do you by any chance speak multiple languages? Find that sound lower in English and higher in Swedish.(Lower being relative, I do not have a deep, nor a lovely voice.)Also really cool to hear about the singing! One day you might even get recorded (consensually) for the rest of us :) GL!