Interview with The Voice Stylist

In celebration of Pride Month, we are currently doing a special giveaway with The Voice Stylist and Gather and Grow OC.

TAIF will be giving away two free courses from The Voice Stylist: The Self-Directed Voice Feminization Program and a 5-Session Voice Feminization Course with Tina.

We’ll be picking two winners at random on June 26.

To learn more about the giveaway, visit this link: https://www.taif.org/trans-adult-industry-foundation-taif-announces-pride-giveaway-with-gather-grow-oc-and-the-voice-stylist/

Today we’re featuring an interview with The Voice Stylist herself, speech pathologist Tina Babajanians.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a speech -language pathologist and gender affirming voice modification coach. The work I do supports transgender folks and the vocal aspect of their transition to ensure that their voice and communication is aligned with their identity.

How did you get started in this business and work specifically with this community?

I began working as a speech language pathologist 11 years ago and always had a fascination with the voice. It was such an abstract part of our work as voice clinicians. As I dug deeper into voice therapy I learned about this niche where clinicians helped gender non-conforming folks discover a voice that was aligned with their gender expression. The idea of that really captivated me and I began to devote all my free time to learning about all the ways in which one can modify the voice and how it impacts our experience to our Self (capital S is intentional here).

What is gender-affirming voice therapy?
Gender affirming voice modification is a service for anyone who wishes to explore the full spectrum of their voice and how it aligns with their own identity. Through the practice, we explore various parameters of communication and voice including resonance, pitch play, inflection and intonation, speech and articulation communication patterns that help highlight a person’s gender identity. We also do a lot of generalizing and integrative work to ensure the person can bring this into their real life in a meaningful way that lasts.

Who generally seeks this type of service?
Most often I am approached by transfeminine folks but I have also served transmasculine folks and non-binary folks as well.

Can non-binary folx utilize your services? Absolutely, in fact, that is one of my favorite aspects is that much like gender, voice and communication is fluid and expansive. So we can explore what brings out the most authentic communication for someone who is non-binary.

What kind of goals do individuals set for themselves when they see you? Folks come in usually with a narrow view of the voice and start off by asking to work on their pitch alone. But I like to shift the paradigm a bit and really look at communication as an umbrella and explore what is it that you want the listener to glean from engaging with you. It goes beyond the pitch and eventually we get to a space where we explore vocal and communication parameters with the ultimate goal of the individual regaining their vocal and communicative power so they can express themselves fully and happily.

Any stories from clients you’d like to share? I have so many but the one that stands out in my mind was a client who began to consistently get gendered correctly on the phone after years of being mis-gendred. She said to me, “Tina my life’s goal was to be gendered feminine on the phone and you helped me achieve that. Now I need a new life goal!”

Anything else you’d like to add?
Voice and communication are as expansive and fluid as gender. There is no right or wrong, only the deep exploration of who you are and what you want to bring to the world. Helping folks identify their optimal vocal flow unlocks the soul and really allows the world to experience the person unhindered and open. And we need more of that.