Hirsch’s Acoustic Assumptions: A Gender Spectra Resonance Master Class
Presented by Sandy Hirsch
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Nonfinancial: Sandy Hirsch is a contributing author for ASHA’s Voice and Communication Services for Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations page and Georgia Dacakis’s “A History of Voice and Communication Training” in the Speech Pathology With Trans and Gender Diverse People online course at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people are faced with myriad resonance puzzles. Over almost 30 years of working with TGNC people, Hirsch has developed a set of specific acoustic solutions called Acoustic Assumptions (Hirsch, 2017). The approach is based in source–filter (Fant, 1960) and coarticulation (Kent & Minifie, 1977) theories as well as vowel formant research (e.g., Bozeman, 2013; Gelfer & Bennett, 2013; Hardy et al., 2020; Hillenbrand & Clark, 2009; Howell, 2016; Kawitzky & McCallister, 2020; Ladefoged, 1957; Lee et al., 2015; Lindblom & Sundberg, 2005; Peterson & Barney, 1952; Titze, 2005, 2000). It is assumed that participants will have some experience working with the TGNC population; however, the course will provide voice clinicians and voice teachers of all levels with organized, creative, thought-provoking, functional solutions to resonance challenges. Participants will develop tools that they will be able to put to immediate use in their practice in all clinical settings and the studio.
Meet your instructor
Sandy Hirsch
Sandy Hirsch, MS, CCC/SLP, is a licensed and board-certified speech-language pathologist with over 30 years of experience as a clinician, trainer, and educator. She received her MS in speech-language pathology in 1989 from the University of Washington and holds a BA in French and classics (1981) with a minor in music from…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Summary and Review of Hirsch’s Acoustic Assumptions
This chapter is a review of the detailed information provided in course 1 of this series. It outlines the premises and applications of Hirsch’s Acoustic Assumptions.
2. Resonance Solutions Toward Upper-Range Feminine Goals
This chapter will be a demonstration of a simulated therapy session with a client who has upper-range feminine goals. Resonance challenges and solutions will be demonstrated.
3. Resonance Solutions Toward Lower-Range Masculine Goals
This chapter will be a demonstration of a simulated therapy session with a client who has lower-range masculine goals. Resonance challenges and solutions will be demonstrated.
4. Resonance Solutions Toward Nonbinary Goals
This chapter will be a demonstration of a simulated therapy session with clients who have nonbinary goals. Resonance challenges and solutions will be demonstrated.
5. Client Agency Over Solving Resonance Challenges
This chapter will be a demonstration of clients practicing on their own. The chapter will include a discussion with the subjects about what aspects of Hirsch’s Acoustic Assumptions approach were most beneficial to their needs and desires.
