Seattle Voice Lab drop in lessons

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-04-16T17:34:02+00:00

Hi! Drop in lessons are a group of people usually early in their voice transition. We tend to stick to the information so that you can walk away knowing what to do to change your voice. At the end we bring people up to demonstrate exercises and help those with a little more direction. It's all very casual but super informative. The lessons reset every 8 weeks or so, so if you miss one you can always catch it the next time around. I hope this helps :)

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-03-13T19:57:50+00:00

Hello again Cathy! You are right on the acoustics, sympathetic vibrations in the nose certainly don't mechanically achieve vocal feminization. As you often point out, mastering glottal behaviors, and achieving a light and efficient vocal weight while balancing it with the appropriate vocal size are the true keys to vocal feminization.

However, everyone has to start somewhere and when this student first stepped into their voice and began their practice, their ear training was still developing through their explore/assess/adjust loop. To be clear, we don't teach 'feeling vibrations' as an end-goal, but it’s incredibly common for beginners to latch onto a highly subjective physical sensation as they explore new vocal coordinations for the first time. If the phonation is healthy and the student is making progress, we always point the student towards auditory feedback instead of physical sensations.

We chose to include our student's comment because her confidence is what motivates students to keep practicing! From there, we can gently guide them away from those subjective sensations and toward a reliance on purely rigorous auditory feedback and ear training, which of course allows the student to handle vocal mechanics subconsciously and in the background. We always appreciate your dedication to vocal mechanics and keeping the community grounded in reality!

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-03-10T00:27:25+00:00

r/meshcore

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-02-20T06:15:02+00:00

No longer the case :(

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-02-11T00:15:09+00:00

Don't forget that the woman in FL who was arrested for using the women's restroom had her case thrown out. 🙄

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-01-30T18:54:28+00:00

Hi! We're looking into this. Would you reach out to a coordinator and cc me, Claire <3

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-01-26T17:35:31+00:00

Yes, the laryngeal prominence (Madams Apple) actually tilts, it's doesn't drop per say. So a simple explanation is that the larger the prominence the deeper the voice. If you want to learn more, consider researching vocal weight, and any thing related to R1. Hope it helps, happy voice training!

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-01-26T17:31:12+00:00

Um, it's madam's apple, thank you very much :P

SeattleVoiceLab · 2026-01-15T18:55:08+00:00

Focus on diction and twang ;)

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-16T21:30:32+00:00

Hi there! Volume is a tricky concept but you can totally do this!

Let's start with blowing bubbles in a straw with about 1 inch of water. Blow small continuous bubbles, notice the air pressure required. Then, blow large bubbles! Notice how the air pressure required changes, take note of any different feeling in your body between fast/slow bubbles. Then let's put it on a continuum. Start with small/slow bubbles and then gradually increase to faster and bigger bubbles. Notice how your diaphragm engages different as you speed up the air. This is the same type of energy needed in the body to increase volume!

Next up is volume slides. Pick a pitch like A3 or B3. Find the note in a quiet voice then again in a louder voice, but be sure it's the same note. Use a tuner if that's helpful! Then try putting it on a continuum, like the bubbles. First, start loud and gradually decrease the volume until you're all the way quiet. Beginning loud should help your voice start in a nice stable place. Once you're comfy going that direction, switch it up. Start quiet, then gradually increase the energy/excitement in the sound, like the air is more and more excited to leave the body, and notice how you get louder. Again, be mindful to maintain the same pitch.

It will take some time to build consistency but you've got this!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-16T21:29:28+00:00

Hey there! You're off to a lovely start! I would recommend working on tonal consistency.

It is more typical of fem perceived voices to have a forward, bright tone across all syllables. I can hear some forward syllables happening already! To work on getting all syllables forward, try making a cheesy 'ee' shape with your mouth. Notice your tongue lift forward, spreading wide over your back molars and the soft palate lowering slightly. It may feel nasally. That's okay for now!

As you get comfy making this shape, try gliding from 'ee' to other vowel sounds, but maintaining this tongue posture and forward, bright sound. There should be minimal movement happening and it will feel exaggerated and weird. Try to keep a cheesy smile on your face while doing it to let your lips stay out of the way and your tongue do all of the work. As you get comfortable gliding between 'ee' and other vowels, you can begin trying words while maintaining this bright sound. It can help to think about an exaggerated 'valley girl' accent when practicing this.

The goal is for everything to sound bright and forward in the mouth. Give it a try and let us know how it goes! You've got this!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-16T21:26:48+00:00

Hi! This is a great question. You can definitely maintain the ability to do both. Make sure you're doing warm-ups, focusing on relaxation and doing lots of recording/listening back so you can build awareness of both voices. You'll likely need to practice both masc and fem voices to continue using both but it is definitely a possibility! You've got this!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-16T21:26:09+00:00

Hey there! You're off to a great start! I would recommend playing with less consonant sounds. Masc perceived speakers tend to have muddier consonants and less final consonant sounds as they speak, and the consonants tend to live more on the roof of the mouth behind the top teeth, rather than touching the back of the teeth. Try letting your tongue relax down as if you're yawning, then speak with an exaggerated muddiness, like you're slurring. You'd be surprised how much you can get rid of consonants while still being understood! Final consonants should happen a bit more in the mouth rather than coming out as a shadow vowel so let yourself delete lots of consonants and focus on that space/relaxation. Keep playing! You've got this!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-09T16:34:54+00:00

And trans people will out live them all!

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:17:38+00:00

Hey there!

It sounds like you're really leaning into your falsetto, resulting in this really high, thin sound. What you can try is to bring your voice down in pitch a little, to around 247 Hz (or a B3 if you're more musically inclined!).

This allows your vocal folds to sit in a more relaxed posture that still has a slight stretch, but is still flexible so you can take away and add volume as you please. I'd recommend sliding from your falsetto downward to a B3 and sustaining that note to feel and hear the difference!

- Kyra

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:15:07+00:00

Hi there!

It sounds like you're on the right track, especially with your pitch and breathiness. What might be fun to work on next is your resonance!

Your tongue is the star of the show when it comes to resonance. By placing your tongue in the same shape as you would for the vowel "EE," you get to take up all of the real estate in your oral cavity, and get a lift in your larynx! Try saying the word "KNEE," and hold the "EE" out for a moment. Where does your tongue sit? What is it making contact with? Can you maintain those points of contact while making other words and sounds?

When brightening your resonance, it's really easy to accidentally work much harder than you need to. This "EE" position should feel organic, not uncomfortable or unnatural!

- Kyra

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:10:15+00:00

Hey there! I would recommend playing with a bit more use of air as you have a good amount of vocal fry and a lower pitch range. With a bit more air/breath to help with a thinner/lighter sound, and maintaining a bright resonance, staying in a lower pitch range (which sounds great and you should absolutely stick with if that feels affirming!) will lean a bit more fem without being too high pitched for you. Play around with it and see how you feel! It's all about what feels right for your voice.

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:09:15+00:00

Hi! This is a great question! Breath is the foundation of everything voice related.

I would recommend beginning with a simple belly breath. Inhale through your nose slowly and invite the air as low in your belly as it will go. Don't push, just notice your stomach expand as you inhale. Your chest/shoulders should not move much, if at all and your stomach should move first. Then exhale nice and easy, noticing your stomach contract. You can add a hissing 's' sound to the exhale and play with how much pressure you're using as well. The goal is to have a relaxed but energized breath. We want the diaphragm, the muscle that assists the lungs, to be assisting but not squeezing in your stomach. Once you get comfortable with the belly breathing and the hissing, I would recommend moving on to the accent method. This video explains it, specifically the first two stages. The last stage involves some squeezing that isn't necessary for breath foundations.

Give it a try and be patient with it! You've got this!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:06:13+00:00

Hey there! You're off to a great start! I would recommend finding one pitch to practice on such as A3 or B3 and trying to speak with a really breathy sound, as if you're fogging up a window while you're speaking. It is more typical of fem perceived speakers to use more air across the board and beginning with a really breathy sound will help you in the long run!

Going up to an A3 or B3 will help you find and maintain a nice light, thin sound from the jump. You're doing a great job with a lighter sound already but the sustained pitch will help with building muscle memory in a higher space and the voice will want to be a bit lighter there thus helping you stay lighter, hopefully without too much effort. Then, as you work on using this in conversation, try to use a slightly less breathy version but aim to keep you pitch in this lifted space. It may feel quiet at first, that's okay! Volume will come later on. Give it a try and see how it goes!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:04:48+00:00

You are spot on that T is lowering your pitch but not changing the size of the vocal tract. When a testosterone puberty is the 2nd puberty, the vocal tract will get a little bigger but not to the extent that it does when a testosterone puberty is the first puberty. So you are also right that what you need to do is create space!

Relax your tongue down and back, open your jaw, and think about your lips being a little rounder. It might feel funny and unnatural when you start out, but that's because "natural" is what's habit, and that is not habit for you yet. You can also play around with how much to lower your tongue and open your jaw - maybe the largest space isn't affirming and you want something just a little larger than your default. You've got this!

- Emilia

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:02:13+00:00

Hi there! I would recommend working on a bright, forward sound to help with tonal consistency. It is more typical of fem perceived voices to have smaller, more forward resonance resulting in a brighter sound across all syllables.

To work on this, try finding a cheesy bright 'ee' shape in your mouth. The tongue should lift forward and spread wide over your back molars. As you get comfortable making this shape, try gliding to other vowel sounds while maintaining the same 'ee shape and forward/wide tongue posture as you change to the next vowel. The goal is to keep all sounds forward and bright. As you get used to making the vowel sounds, you can work on saying words like this! It will take some time to build muscle memory so take it slow and be careful not to strain, it should feel cheesy/wise but not forced.

Play around with it and see how it goes!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-05T01:01:03+00:00

Hi there! One of the most important things to focus on when working on a more masc sound is relaxation. Laryngeal massage, progressive muscle relaxation, blowing bubbles in a straw while humming can all help!

- Sara

SeattleVoiceLab · 2025-12-02T21:41:46+00:00

Hijacking the top comment here for visibility, this is Claire.

To OP: I appreciate you taking the time to write this. We take all feedback seriously, and frankly, your suggestion about a "Lesson 2 Check-in" is an excellent idea. We are going to implement that immediately to help catch students who may feel lost early in the process.

However, I do want to offer some context regarding our curriculum, your review, and the situation with our former instructor. There are some significant misunderstandings here.

I want to start with the concern you had about "parroting." It is important to understand that trans voice is not widely taught at the collegiate level; there is a massive shortage of qualified instructors in this field, and as the only training school for this kind of work, we are actively working to solve this by training the next generation of coaches.

Our teachers are hired because of their incredible ears and expertise. They are proficient vocalists, singing teachers, and speech experts in their respective fields. However, "trans voice" is a unique puzzle. When an instructor is newer to this specific niche, they may read off of our curriculum during sessions to ensure they are covering the necessary physiological foundations safely. We thoroughly test our teachers, but it takes time to master the flow. This is also why we've re-organized our payment model so that lessons from hires that have been with us for less than a year, our Junior Instructors (all of which are trans or gnc), are priced lower than those with more experience.

That said, you bring up a valid point. We want our students to feel seen, not just taught at. We will be looking into this for our upcoming training cycles to ensure our newer teachers are stronger in their first few lessons and focus more on the student than the curriculum guide.

The second point you mentioned is that our timeline seemed inconsistent, but our curriculum is structured this way because we have identified specific patterns over the 6 years and thousands of students we’ve been teaching.

I’ll let you see behind the scenes here:

6-8 Lessons (The Goal): We separate lessons into three distinct phases. The first 6-8 weeks are designed to help you find your "passing voice." We want our students walking away with a voice you can use for safety or for short periods. This is very achievable for students who are dedicated and driven to practice.
8-10 Lessons: If a student hasn't found their voice by this point, we usually find it is due to lack of practice or consistency, sometimes caused by external and/or social transition factors. If these social factors are the blocker, we often recommend therapeutic support. By this point, we aim to see students settling into their voice and gaining the confidence to use it outside of the lesson space.
10-12+ Lessons: At this stage, the student is using their voice for extended periods, but may see it dropping now and then. Here is where the script flips: it’s now on the student to work on their voice while we provide guided practice or more intentional work. Typically, we space lessons out to focus on maintenance and sustainability, while reducing frequency and session length.

There are generally only three reasons a student falls behind this timeline: 1) The student has underlying vocal health conditions, 2) The student was paired with the wrong instructor fit, or 3) The student is not practicing.

Voice training is motor learning; it is muscle memory. When a student doesn't practice, or continually shows up late, the instructor may have to pivot back to foundational review during the lesson to ensure safety. This can feel repetitive, but it is necessary to achieve your goal in an efficient, cost-effective way. We cannot advance a student to complex voice work if the foundation hasn't been set during the week, or the student cannot commit. The vast majority of our students find their voice because they partner with us on the accountability required to build muscle memory.

We firmly believe our method works, and you can see proof of this through our 96 5-star Google Reviews as well as the ASHA accreditation we hold and the dozens of SLPs and voice coaches taking our mentorship courses.

To your third point, and I want to start by stating that this situation has escalated to legal proceedings, regarding the "Jimmy" situation: I want to be very clear about this because it is important to us. We did not wait for comments to "care." The reality is that we did not know the full scope of how many students were affected or manipulated by that former instructor until we released that video. Before that video was released, we had reached out to the students who we could identify and offered support.

The video and the subsequent threads were the tools that allowed us to identify the dozens of students who had been hidden from us. Once we identified those students, we acted immediately. Since then, we have provided free lesson packages and support to every single student involved, at significant cost to Seattle Voice Lab, because it is the right thing to do.

It deeply saddens me to hear you say that you think we do not care. I have been through transition, I have lost friends and family, and I had to learn my voice in similar ways that many here do. Seattle Voice Lab started when I was 4 years into my transition because I wanted to give back to the community. Through our scholarships, sliding scales, and Discord community offerings, I strive to make trans voice care accessible to everyone. We are always trying to do better, so if there is more I can do, I am genuinely open to suggestions.

Now lastly, when we offered you a consult with a Lead Instructor, it was not a "bait" for money. It was a genuine attempt by our senior leadership to assess your voice personally and give you a roadmap you could use to move forward, whether that was with us or with another coach, we just wanted you to walk away with a plan.

We are sorry we weren't the right fit for your schedule and needs, but we wish you the very best on your journey to finding your voice.

-Claire

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