What does it really mean to help someone find a voice that feels like their own? This week, Alexa is joined by gender-affirming voice specialist – Renée Yoxon – to explore the fascinating relationship between voice, gender and identity. From rethinking traditional approaches to vocal training to creating more inclusive spaces for singers, Renée shares fresh perspectives that might just challenge the way we think about the voice, as well as giving us an insight to her book ‘The Trans Voice Practice Journal.’ Whether you’re already working with trans and non-binary singers or simply looking to broaden your understanding, this is a conversation every singing teacher can learn from.
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?
0:00 Book Review: The Trans Voice Practice Journal by Renee Yoxon
6:33 From physics to gender-affirming voice work
9:00 What is gender-affirming voice work?
12:28 Why is it important to play with gender expression?
16:07 How transferable are speaking voice exercises to singing?
18:01 Understanding hormone replacement therapy
23:57 An insight into gender-affirming voice work in practice
32:34 Creating inclusive learning spaces
37:57 Leveraging online platforms
39:54 Creating The Trans Voice Practice Journal
About the presenter HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS
Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith
The Transmasculine Voice: A Guide to Vocal Euphoria by Stephen Davidson
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.175 Understanding the Transmasculine Voice with Stephen Davidson
The Singing Teacher’s Guide to Transgender Voices by Liz Jackson & Brian Kremer
Queering Vocal Pedagogy: A Handbook for Teaching Trans and Genderqueer Singers and Fostering Gender-Affirming Spaces by William Sauerland
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.68 Training Transgender Voices with Dr Felix Graham
ABOUT THE GUEST
Renée Yoxon (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary, and disabled gender-affirming voice teacher based in Montreal. They have taught voice since 2008, and since 2019 have focused on helping trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people create speaking voices they love. Renée is known for explaining complicated concepts in plain language, and for an approach that lets each student decide what their own voice should sound like. Their online courses have reached nearly 2,000 students worldwide, and they have trained over 100 voice teachers and speech-language pathologists. Renée is the author of The Trans Voice Practice Journal (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2026) and was named Canada’s Inspiring Person of the Year at the 2026 INSPIRE Awards. Learn more at reneeyoxon.com
Instagram: @reneeyoxon
