For those of you who work on your Voice...

[Wildaboutheels]

I am awful with names. Even some of the guys I have worked with for years... I sometimes have trouble with their names, but I NEVER forget a voice. Odd or not so odd?

If you could have any female's voice, whose would you want? Is it possible to separate a woman's voice from the face, roll or character they play or played?

How many of you "full presenters" make little or possibly NO effort with your voices?

[Beverley Sims]

I am not a "full presenter" but I do try and sing similar to Helen Shapiro.

Singing is good practice as you try and sing in a similar voice tone and level to the artist.

A great recreational activity too.

It helps me with a voice that is a little husky and presentable.

[MissJoanne]

I am not a "full presenter" but I do try and sing similar to Helen Shapiro.

Singing is good practice as you try and sing in a similar voice tone and level to the artist.

A great recreational activity too.

It helps me with a voice that is a little husky and presentable.

I'd agree with this. I find it remarkably easy to sing in Belinda Carlisle's slight vibrato! Although, I'm trying to figure out how someone from "Chick Cargo" would ever have heard of Helen Shapiro.......

[Katey888]

Interesting question, Wild - one that I have asked of myself and also toyed with practically while alone driving... I think you have to make some effort, otherwise it's not a complete image is it?

Interesting also that others mention singing, as that is good voice practice - again, especially while driving... :)

I think I can do a passable Annie Lennox (karaoke style, obviously...) and she does have quite a deep voice singing, but without the Scottish accent speaking (all deference to our Scots sisters here..)

I'd love to be able to do a Mrs Thatch (Lady Thatcher to the world) impression... that'd be awesome.. (remember Spitting Image...?? :)) great for put downs...

Speaking voice I totally admire and would love to emulate would be Kristin Scott-Thomas... that's my very high target...

Remembering voices odd? No - you obviously just have an ear for it... Not everyone does... :)

Katey x

[Shelly Preston]

I dont make a lot of effort in changing my voice I just speak a little softer.

Yes it does work, as I have heard from friends that some men ask about the lady with the slighty husky voice.

[Marcelle]

Hi WAH,

I do attempt and have been told I do a presentable female voice. I don't try for anything special or emulate any one particular voice, I just bring the range up slightly higher (almost as though I am talking higher in my throat vice lower) and then I soften the voice. Singing is a great way to practice (I normally sing to a lot of Imelda May songs as her range is slightly lower). I also had the good fortune to play the role of a man pretending to be a woman (I know . . . big stretch) in my community theatre so I got four months of practice albeit with a slight English accent.

Hugs

Isha

[typhoidmary]

I don't change my voice at all, as much as I hate what I sound like. but then, even in full dress, I don't even use a female name IRL so I guess that shows how much effort I make, haha. I guess if either my birth name or my voice were particularly masculine I probably would, thankfully I'm reasonably safe on both counts. I'm great at accents though... provided the accent is either Brummie or Irish that is.

[Sarah Doepner]

Beatrice Arthur had a low voice that was unmistakeablely feminine. For those who don't remember her, she was Dorothy on the Golden Girls TV series. If anyone worries about their ability to raise their voice an octive or two, it may not be necessary if you can find a way to match her tone.

[mariehart]

I would like one those soft Scots accent. As I already have a soft Irish accent. It's not much of a stretch. As it happens my voice is quite high pitched anyway. I've no visible Adams apple if that has anything to do with it.
When fully dressed my voice goes up a couple of octaves naturally. I remember the first time it happened when I was meeting someone while dressed. I heard this soft voice coming out of my mouth. I'd no idea where it came from.

BTW Isha, have you ever heard Imelda May speaking? She has a very strong Dublin City accent. A complete contrast to her singing voice. I grew up in Dublin but sound nothing like her.

[kimdl93]

I'm terrible at discerning voices separate from faces. if I could choose a voice it might be jane pauley or Terri gross.

[PaulaAnn]

I'm trying like the devil to improve my voice.It's coming albiet slowly....I speak in softer tones,and try to speak in a higher octave; I do like the idea of speaking in a huskier tone,must try this. I just don't want to sound like Minnie Mouse. I really do believe training the voice is the hardest part to master in our transition.
PaulaAnn

[bimini1]

I actually prefer a huskier deeper female voice in a GG. To me it is sexy but still feminine. And since I have an extremely deep male voice that is ironic sorta. En femme my voice will automatically come up a bit and soften. It does not take any effort, it just happens.

[WhisperTV]

I'm just starting out CDing, so my voice needs a lot of work. I have my moments when I get it right, but still have a lot more practicing to do.

One thing that surprised me is my female voice has a southern drawl to it, while my male voice doesn't. I don't know why. I'm not doing it on purpose.

[bianca316]

Dressing was a challenge, walking in heels took patience, and the voice sounds like I'm being chokes lol!

[AmyGaleRT]

I've gotten many compliments on my Amy-voice, which is higher-pitched than my male voice, but not excessively so, and sounds "airy" and "breathy," or so I'm told. I switch into it almost automatically as I dress, and it takes a real mental effort for me to shift back down to my male voice in that form. I can switch to it somewhat more easily when still dressed male, if I need to talk on the phone as Amy to someone or something. (At least one person has said my Amy-voice sounds slightly British; I've wondered if I could modify my voice to do a proper "English Rose"...)

I have sung karaoke as Amy as well, doing not only Annie Lennox's range in "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," but Nicole Scherzinger's range in the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha." I'm practicing to be able to do "Fever" ala Peggy Lee...

If I could have a real female voice, I'd want a quality singing voice...something like Sarah Brightman's, or Floor Jansen's. Mostly, I'd want a good, solid soprano range, even if my singing voice didn't sound appreciably different from the one I have now.

- Amy

[Zylia]

Some voice actors have very recognisable voices (for me at least) like Laura Bailey and Jennifer Hale, but I probably wouldn't recognise them if I bumped into them in real life unless they say something.

I make no effort with my voice at all, but I really like Laura Bailey's voice.

[Teresa]

I haven't been out to worry about my voice but I don't think I would change it that much if I did ! I know I'm not going to fool anyone dressed so I would just stay natural !
Bev has a good idea about singing, I sing along to Bread or the Bee Gees until I lose my voice then I can sing like Rod Stewart !

[tryingtoblossom]

I can understand why you picked Annie Lennox Katey your new Avatar pic you look a lot like her but with longer hair and might add you also have a bearing resemblance to Agnetha from ABBA :-)

Victoria

[ScarlettLox]

Never thought of it before, tho i suppose that i should focus on a voice i want to make my female voice better.

[Martha G]

I have a naturally sounding female voice, especially on the telephone.

I don't want to make my voice sound like someone else but rather make it sound more feminine.

[Melissa_59]

If you could have any female's voice, whose would you want?

Lynda Carter or Kate Beckinsale. Lynda has a beautiful singing and speaking voice, but Kate has that English accent that I find really sexy. I find most foreign accents really sexy and I don't know why.

~Mel

[Melissa_59]

Some voice actors have very recognisable voices (for me at least) like Laura Bailey and Jennifer Hale...

Commander Shepard and the Republic Trooper! I love Jennifer Hale!

~Mel

[kimdl93]

Simple...either Jane Pauley....who I love to this day, or perhaps Terri Gross, host of NPRs Fresh Air.

[donnalee]

Cadence and inflection matter far more than pitch.
Kathleen Turner (Jessica Rabbit's voice in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Maddie in "Body Heat", about the best film noir of the last 25 years and Chandler's trans father in "Friends") has one of the sexiest voices I've ever heard; it is also very deep (about equivalent to a baritone's bottom range).
Pitch doesn't matter.