Dysphoria In America

Introduction

“That was the one thing that no one could take away from me was my music.” This sentiment, as uttered by a young girl named Rie, is one with which many musicians can identify. Singers in particular would find common ground with the girl’s love of choir, a space in which she felt comfortable being herself. Rie’s choir experience was an exceptionally lucky one; although she felt safe in the chorus, she was at risk of facing numerous choral issues that her peers would not encounter. This risk comes from one simple fact: Rie is transgender.

The transgender population is highly vulnerable, and in many ways it has received very limited study. This is especially true in the realm of choral music. The needs of transgender choristers are

This may extend to gender dysphoria in relation to the singing voice. As with choral safety, dysphoria of the singing voice is an area that has been largely ignored in academic study. In fact, there are no accessible, peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss how dysphoria affects the relationship of transgender singers to music, although dysphoria of the speaking voice is noted in multiple studies of transgender people. Nevertheless, singing dysphoria is an area of discussion among many trans singers, at least online. Dysphoria is further complicated by the dramatic hormonal changes that can make singing after transition especially difficult, particularly if the singer is not educated in ways to optimize vocal transition (Constansis, 2008, par.

[…] i think i keep trying to go higher? because i want to sound higher? and it frustrates me when i reach the limit of how high i can go and its still not close to where i want it to be. [sic] (Lia, personal communication, 11 Nov. 2015)

Lia also admitted that her dysphoria can act as a deterrent to singing, saying that she would sing more if her voice’s fundamental frequency was higher (Lia, personal communication, 11 Nov. 2015). In this way, it may be interpreted that Lia’s relationship with music and singing has been negatively affected by dysphoria.

This information was provided in an informal context and has not been compared across other transgender singers. Nevertheless, Lia’s account provides one important viewpoint and indicates a need for research in this area. Choral directors must be sensitive when encountering this issue, and additional study may help to develop strategies for minimizing the risk of reinforcing singing dysphoria in the chorus. Choral leaders may also benefit from the expertise of speech therapists and other vocal experts in navigating this area (Kozan, 2012, p. 414).

Enforced Gendering of