A program developed by Charlotte Gagnon, mezzo-soprano and artist- mediator, and Cédric Maguin (member of the Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec), a speech therapist specializing in the harmonization of transgender women’s voices.
OPERA AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL INCLUSION
In trans women’s process of gender affirmation, one of the elements that remains unchanged following hormone therapy treatment is the voice. This can result in an inconsistency between what the women embody and what is perceived by their interlocutors. Identifying the female gender by voice alone therefore remains the ultimate obstacle.
This project is a preliminary approach to the steps involved in vocal harmonization used in speech therapy. It employs the vocal technique used by opera singers—more specifically, by countertenors—, to help transgender women match their voices to their gender identity. Through breathing exercises, targeted muscle toning, and precise vocalizations, the participants learn to master their voice box, thereby affirming their female identity through the sound of their voice.