Don't like your voice? There's an app for that.
UC engineering professor talks to WVXU about new voice-coaching app
An engineering professor at the University of Cincinnati talked to WVXU's Cincinnati Edition about a free voice-coaching app she developed to help transgender and gender-diverse people sound more masculine or feminine.
The open-source app TruVox allows people to practice speaking exercises while visualizing the components of speech such as pitch to help them speak in a convincing way that matches their gender expression.
Novak said she interviewed transgender people about what they wanted — and didn't want — in a voice-coaching app. One response was universal: people did not want to hear their own voice played back to them, Novak said.
Likewise, interview respondents were concerned about maintaining their privacy, Novak said. The app doesn't record any voices or personal information.
The app offers several exercises, including a reading task to introduce users to the microphone tool. It tracks the changing pitch of the user’s voice in real time with scrolling purple dots that appear on a hertz scale that measures frequency.
YouTube videos are useful to introduce concepts and exercises. But the benefit of the app is that it provides real-time visual feedback, Novak said.
“We want people to use it to see if they improve the satisfaction of their voice,” Novak said.
The app could be useful to anyone who wants their voice to more accurately reflect their self perception, she said.
“It's a problem for everyone. No one likes their voice,” Novak said.
“No kidding,” host Lucy May said. “I hope Beyoncé likes her voice. There are a few people I hope they do.”
“I want to believe,” Novak said.
Listen to the Cincinnati Edition episode.
Featured image at top: UC Associate Professor Vesna Novak developed a new app to help people match their voice to their gender expression. Photo/iStockPhoto
Try the app
WVXU's Cincinnati Edition host Lucy May, left, talks to UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor Vesna Novak about a new voice-coaching app. Photo/Michael Miller
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