Helping Transgender Students Find Their Voices
By Gabriella Caruso
SALEM, Mass., Oct. 9, 2016–The average of transgender suicide rate is 20-times higher than the average cis-gender, meaning someone whose gender identity matches their biological sex, according to Sandi Hammond, founder of the Butterfly Music Transgender Chorus. And choral conductors should pay special attention.
Hammond, speaking at a panel discussing teaching transgender youth in a music classroom setting at Salem State University on September 26, was accompanied by two members of the choir, Evan and Jordan, who wanted to use only first names of anonymity reasons,
Hammond, a cis-woman, opened the meeting by telling everyone that she is “no expert” on the transgender experience, but that as an educator, she does everything she can to ensure the comfort of her students.
The most important thing, Hammond stressed, is creating a safe and comfortable environment for transgender students. Often transgender musicians, especially singers, face challenges that their fellow cis-gender performers do not. One of the hardest can be the sound of their own voice.
When asked about her decision to not get vocal surgery, which runs a high risk of ruining singing voices, Jordan said she could not take the risk.
“The idea of losing something as important as singing…was almost unfathomable,” she said.
It was that decision that inspired Jordan to become more accepting of her voice and explore her vocal range. But Jordan is an uncommon exception.
Hammond urged educators to remember the importance between “what is possible and what is desirable, meaning that some musicians that sing soprano — a traditionally feminine vocal range — may prefer to be in the alto section, sometimes considered a more masculine vocal range.
She also urged teachers to allow their students the freedom to express their voice in any way, even if the way the wish to express it doesn’t musically make sense.
Hammond then went into the structure of the Butterfly Choir.
In an attempt to make the experience less traumatizing for her members, Hammond decided to get rid of the traditional wording for vocal ranges. She instead came up with three groups; Trans Low, Trans Middle, Trans Upper. She even takes it upon herself to transcribe scores to accommodate her system.
Another important part of the Butterfly Choir is the dress code, or lack thereof. Once again, striving for the comfort of her singers, the only thing Hammond requires in terms of clothing are black shoes, to create some form of uniformity, noting that she doesn’t care if her singers wear “a pink shirt or a polka dot vest.” All that matters to her is their comfort and those black shoes.
