916: Gay-se Your Voice with Nicole Gress

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Welcome back to Lez Hang Out, the podcast that wants you to gay-se your voice!

This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) holds down the fort without Ellie for a delightfully nerdy and fascinating conversation with founder and speech-language pathologist Nicole Gress, MS, CCC-SLP. Nicole took what they learned from their medical training, lived experience as a genderfluid individual, and years of interacting with gender diverse clients in the Bay Area and founded Undead Voice (@undead.voice), an online, community-driven platform dedicated to eradicating the voice dysphoria experienced by 85% of the trans population. The platform is open to people of all gender identities and ages, so whether you are 9 or 90, you can take the steps toward reclaiming your voice. 

Imagine feeling overwhelming discomfort every single time you speak and the impact that would have on your ability to participate in the world and show up as your full self. This widespread detrimental impact on mental health was one of many reasons why Nicole was inspired to create something new, outside the restrictions of the medical system. With the coaching, curriculum, and community support of the Undead Voice Lab, gender diverse individuals can discover their most affirming voice in about 4 to 6 months of training.

We get real nerdy with it as Nicole breaks down exactly how the program works. They discuss the 3 influences that create a voice: environmental, cultural and physical, along with the 5 pillars that you can learn to master: tilt, weight, resonance, pitch and dynamics. Since environmental and cultural influences are intrinsic to who you are and help to showcase your personality, the program leaves those alone and focuses on the physical aspects of voice, teaching participants how to shift and control the size and shape of their vocal instrument. Leigh and Nicole also talk about voice transition as a form of accessible, non-invasive gender affirming care for trans youth.

You can learn more about Undead Voice at www.undeadvoice.com. Registration is open right now for the Jumpstart program, a free 3-week intro program designed exclusively for trans and gender diverse people looking to begin or refine their voice transition journeys. Jumpstart participants are eligible for a $1,000 tuition credit toward the full voice training program, Undead Voice Lab. 

Download this free Trans Voice 101 Guide if you are interested in learning more about voice transitioning. 

Don’t forget to show your support for our tiny podcasting team by shopping small at bit.ly/lezmerch & picking up Lez-ssentials songs on Bandcamp. 

Give us your own answers to our Q & Gay on Instagram and follow along on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and BlueSky @lezhangoutpod. Email us @lezhangoutpod@gmail.com. Connect with us individually: Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster).

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