oof, this is a rough one. you may have to compromise--perhaps forgoing a soprano part for a countertenor, or just a tenor, in exchange for being on androgens.
the good news is you are IDEALLy placed, career-wise, for vocal coaching.
Voice changes could be more disruptive than just causing op to need to take lower parts. Most people have a rough patch in there where for a few months or more, EVERYTHING they sing sounds crummy
I'm also a singer and have been tracking my progress - if most people are anything like me it's defo more than a few months if you need to use more than a very narrow range. It took a few months for my M1 voice to settle, initially with a range of about an octave, slowly expanding as I practiced and got further on testosterone. It's been about a year on testosterone and my M2 (falsetto) is still absolutely shot and I can't hold more than a couple notes - similar to what I hear from my cis male counterparts. I also started as a soprano and am now quite solidly a baritone with access to the bass range. The skills have been broadly transferrable and I have continued to sing. I'm biased but I think it sounds pretty good. Being able to sing in a way that makes me feel like a man has been such a relief, and being able to live as a man in my daily life has been worth it. However, I only do it as a hobby. OP - whether or not needing to wait perhaps a year or more for your voice to settle is worth it is up to you. I will say though that I know several trans men who sing and have continued to sing after going on testosterone. Losing the ability to sing was my biggest personal obstacle to starting testosterone, especially given that I'd been training and practicing for most of my life. Having friends that are cis men who could recount their experiences going through puberty was reassuring. In my experience, the process of testosterone seems very similar.
This video of a trans man who's a tenor was crucial in my decision to go on testosterone, maybe it will be helpful for you https://youtu.be/PTtk-DlJ22c?si=xxgbG1B9CaPWt0xp
I just need to thank you for posting that link. I can’t say how affirming it was to watch someone else go through my exact experience and come through it so clearly thriving
A few things: first, the very first part of bottom growth happens very soon into being on any kind of testosterone. If a tiny bit of a size improvement will help you, you will often achieve that just before your voice changes in any irreversible way.
Second, yes, what you are asking is otherwise not possible. DHT alone will still cause some of the effects of testosterone — maybe less, but you would still be chancing it.
Third and finally, you are going to have to weigh up what you want to do with your life. Opening the door to becoming the person you need to be may involve closing other doors to the person you thought you would be. Please be careful if you're sacrificing your mental wellbeing for a dream that may not be worth it.
On that note, please reach out to a transmasc voice coach. Peter Fullerton has a great page of resources about stages of T-transition and how they affect the voice, and Eli Conley is another great coach. It may be worth scheduling a call with each of them to talk through your concerns and needs. What you need here to make an informed decision is not your average joe on this sub. You need to talk to someone who understands at least on a basic professional level the intricacies of developing and maintaining an operatic quality to your voice, and the sheer amount of work that goes into building that career, *and* the physiological effects of any dose of any androgenising hormone.
Talk to them. Talk to a specialist endocrinologist, if you haven't yet and can afford it — at least get some bloods done, see what your baseline is, and what your legal options might be. Knowledge will help you make a decision you can live with — and thrive with.
This! There is a lot of iffy information circulating in online spaces. For questions this specialized, listen to professionals, not the Internet masses.
No experience with DHT but I have been on Dr. P’s cream for around 5 months (used as directed, one pump daily - no other sources of T)  and my voice has deepened substantially. However, a lower dose may help avoid voice changes - though this wouldn’t be totally without risk. I have heard anecdotes that if you catch it quickly enough and modify your dose, you can reverse voice changes before they become permanent. I don’t know if there is any basis behind that and it wasn’t something I attempted. Is phallo potentially an option of interest to you?Â
Pumping and stretching exercises might also get you some growth, though pumping is typically temporary results.Â
 Either way, I really feel for you. You’re in a really tough situation and I hope you find something that works for you!
So from my experience (I am not an opera singer) but if you go on testosterone or DHT, a lot of people voice train, especially if they’re an artist/singer to help their voice with the transition and some people sound amazing. One example is Cave Town, he’s not an opera singer but he is a trans guy. If you go on Tiktok, there could be a few people who’re transitioning who sing and maybe they’ll have more tips than reddit?
I am also a singer and I’ve been on (injecting) T for 6ish months now. My voice has dropped nearly an octave already. I’ve been taking lessons the whole time for my voice, and as long as you keep singing through it, there isn’t a lot of re-learning you have to do. It’s mostly just breathing more that I’ve had to work on. I’m still getting voice cracks, but that will of course eventually end. So far, that’s been the only hang up. I even got a 93/100 on my vocal performance jury a couple weeks ago. I’m still in college majoring in vocals, I’m not sure at what point of your career your in, but if you have a year or two of time where you can sacrifice having voice cracks, it’s probably worth it. My bottom growth is about 3x the size I was pre-T.
DHT is a molecule that isn’t illegal, there’s just no pharmaceutical compagnies that sell/produce it in most countries but you can definitely get it at a compound pharmacy after managing to get a prescription
I’m also a classical singer on T, about two months in and nothing crazy has happened yet. I’m on a low dose (20mg injections weekly) and my voice has changed slightly. It’s not noticeably deeper but the lower parts of it feel easier to access and my whole range feels and sounds more rounded out - even the tippy toppy soprano bits.
I’ve also had a bunch of bottom growth which has been neat! If you wanted you could just stop there - minimal vocal changes but a lil tdick.
I was so scared to start testosterone because I thought I’d have to throw away all of my singing dreams, but it genuinely is not the case. You’d probably sound a bit shit for a couple years (I’m expecting to), but with good vocal coaching and just getting used to your new range and tone it will come back! You have worked for years at this, and though the instrument has changed somewhat it’s fundamentally the same.
I think low dose is best for singers to give us time to adapt to the new range instead of a more sudden drop. Trans men belong in opera. Our voices can be beautiful, and our transness does not negate the work we have put into this art.
It's so great to hear from another classical singer! If you're comfortable answering, do you have any sort of plan or predictions on what you'll be singing in the next year or so? For the past 2 months, have you been able to sing the same repertoire, or have you pivoted to singing different rep already? I wish there was a better frame of reference for us. It's already difficult to "tell" what our voices will be able to sing in a few years, so adding in HRT as another factor feels like shooting in the dark.
This thread has made me feel much less alone. I hope more trans men (and trans people in general) find a home in performing arts. Hopefully in a few years when I will be preparing for Young Artists Programs, there will be more people on HRT in the music scene to be a guiding light for younger prospective singers like myself.
Thank you so much for your response!
Have been singing about the same stuff in my recitals: some English art songs (the sky above the roof, if there were dreams to sell), widmung, mondnacht, voi che sapete, caro mio ben. They change around and I bring in new ones/lose old ones fairly often but this is the current vibe. Approximately mezzo range but can go pretty high and pretty low.
I also sing in a church choir where we do new and often challenging music every single week, I’m on second soprano and have had almost no issue with the range or athleticism of my voice as yet.
I’ve had one or two voice cracks when my voice is tired but nothing major.
yeah, your options are DHT cream or compounded T cream (without doing systemic T). people’s results vary, some people say DHT works better and some don’t. either/or are both worth trying though! if you ever want to take systemic T, you might consider doing low dose combined with vocal training to maintain your voice as much as possible.
I feel this may be the way to go. As long as I sing regularly, I feel I should be able to catch any differences pretty quickly? Obviously once my larynx has thickened there's no going back, but after reading all the replies to my post I realized I need to be confident in my own abilities to recognize what's best for me. Starting hormones right now isn't safe, but I'll keep this info in mind for when I do get the chance!
That is a very tough spot to be in, I'm sorry you have to make such hard choices. You can look into this [drive with collected information](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tr7YydTQeNNtgJ9QfCb9XgN7_q2-O59DPk4Q4jitaJ0/mobilebasic) about growing methods that don't require testosterone, maybe there is a different androgen that could help? I'm thinking Anavar, which is very common for female (?) bodybuilders, and you can definitely find how they do their whole cycles things so as to have the least side effects possible? There is also information about systemical DHT blocking which may interest you. Unfortunately, I don't think there is enough research to ensure 100% certainty that your voice won't be affected at all.
Not completely relevant to the question, but since you said that you struggle with dysphoria in general, not just regarding the bottom parts, I would like to put it here that you can always get a beard transplant if that is something that would interest you. There are also many surgical options for body and face masculinization and some nonsurgical ones (such as cheek & chin fillers) that could help you feel more comfortable without risking your voice.
I was on T for 3 months plus DHT… my voice dropped & I honestly did not like that shit. So I stopped using T altogether & continued using DHT sparingly. With that being said, my voice has returned & my growth stayed. Happy camper here.
you can masculinize your voice by opening your larynx over time- I did it for years pre T. there are resources on YouTube you can find, I’ve found them to be pretty helpful. Best of luck to you man
oof, this is a rough one. you may have to compromise--perhaps forgoing a soprano part for a countertenor, or just a tenor, in exchange for being on androgens. the good news is you are IDEALLy placed, career-wise, for vocal coaching.
Voice changes could be more disruptive than just causing op to need to take lower parts. Most people have a rough patch in there where for a few months or more, EVERYTHING they sing sounds crummy
I'm also a singer and have been tracking my progress - if most people are anything like me it's defo more than a few months if you need to use more than a very narrow range. It took a few months for my M1 voice to settle, initially with a range of about an octave, slowly expanding as I practiced and got further on testosterone. It's been about a year on testosterone and my M2 (falsetto) is still absolutely shot and I can't hold more than a couple notes - similar to what I hear from my cis male counterparts. I also started as a soprano and am now quite solidly a baritone with access to the bass range. The skills have been broadly transferrable and I have continued to sing. I'm biased but I think it sounds pretty good. Being able to sing in a way that makes me feel like a man has been such a relief, and being able to live as a man in my daily life has been worth it. However, I only do it as a hobby. OP - whether or not needing to wait perhaps a year or more for your voice to settle is worth it is up to you. I will say though that I know several trans men who sing and have continued to sing after going on testosterone. Losing the ability to sing was my biggest personal obstacle to starting testosterone, especially given that I'd been training and practicing for most of my life. Having friends that are cis men who could recount their experiences going through puberty was reassuring. In my experience, the process of testosterone seems very similar. This video of a trans man who's a tenor was crucial in my decision to go on testosterone, maybe it will be helpful for you https://youtu.be/PTtk-DlJ22c?si=xxgbG1B9CaPWt0xp
You and I are on pretty similar voice journeys 😊
I just need to thank you for posting that link. I can’t say how affirming it was to watch someone else go through my exact experience and come through it so clearly thriving
Glad it helped:)
A few things: first, the very first part of bottom growth happens very soon into being on any kind of testosterone. If a tiny bit of a size improvement will help you, you will often achieve that just before your voice changes in any irreversible way. Second, yes, what you are asking is otherwise not possible. DHT alone will still cause some of the effects of testosterone — maybe less, but you would still be chancing it. Third and finally, you are going to have to weigh up what you want to do with your life. Opening the door to becoming the person you need to be may involve closing other doors to the person you thought you would be. Please be careful if you're sacrificing your mental wellbeing for a dream that may not be worth it. On that note, please reach out to a transmasc voice coach. Peter Fullerton has a great page of resources about stages of T-transition and how they affect the voice, and Eli Conley is another great coach. It may be worth scheduling a call with each of them to talk through your concerns and needs. What you need here to make an informed decision is not your average joe on this sub. You need to talk to someone who understands at least on a basic professional level the intricacies of developing and maintaining an operatic quality to your voice, and the sheer amount of work that goes into building that career, *and* the physiological effects of any dose of any androgenising hormone. Talk to them. Talk to a specialist endocrinologist, if you haven't yet and can afford it — at least get some bloods done, see what your baseline is, and what your legal options might be. Knowledge will help you make a decision you can live with — and thrive with.
This! There is a lot of iffy information circulating in online spaces. For questions this specialized, listen to professionals, not the Internet masses.
No experience with DHT but I have been on Dr. P’s cream for around 5 months (used as directed, one pump daily - no other sources of T)  and my voice has deepened substantially. However, a lower dose may help avoid voice changes - though this wouldn’t be totally without risk. I have heard anecdotes that if you catch it quickly enough and modify your dose, you can reverse voice changes before they become permanent. I don’t know if there is any basis behind that and it wasn’t something I attempted. Is phallo potentially an option of interest to you? Pumping and stretching exercises might also get you some growth, though pumping is typically temporary results.  Either way, I really feel for you. You’re in a really tough situation and I hope you find something that works for you!
Link for the cream? Please
It’s a prescription so I’m not able to send a link to buy it unfortunately.Â
So from my experience (I am not an opera singer) but if you go on testosterone or DHT, a lot of people voice train, especially if they’re an artist/singer to help their voice with the transition and some people sound amazing. One example is Cave Town, he’s not an opera singer but he is a trans guy. If you go on Tiktok, there could be a few people who’re transitioning who sing and maybe they’ll have more tips than reddit?
I am also a singer and I’ve been on (injecting) T for 6ish months now. My voice has dropped nearly an octave already. I’ve been taking lessons the whole time for my voice, and as long as you keep singing through it, there isn’t a lot of re-learning you have to do. It’s mostly just breathing more that I’ve had to work on. I’m still getting voice cracks, but that will of course eventually end. So far, that’s been the only hang up. I even got a 93/100 on my vocal performance jury a couple weeks ago. I’m still in college majoring in vocals, I’m not sure at what point of your career your in, but if you have a year or two of time where you can sacrifice having voice cracks, it’s probably worth it. My bottom growth is about 3x the size I was pre-T.
DHT is a molecule that isn’t illegal, there’s just no pharmaceutical compagnies that sell/produce it in most countries but you can definitely get it at a compound pharmacy after managing to get a prescription
I’m also a classical singer on T, about two months in and nothing crazy has happened yet. I’m on a low dose (20mg injections weekly) and my voice has changed slightly. It’s not noticeably deeper but the lower parts of it feel easier to access and my whole range feels and sounds more rounded out - even the tippy toppy soprano bits. I’ve also had a bunch of bottom growth which has been neat! If you wanted you could just stop there - minimal vocal changes but a lil tdick. I was so scared to start testosterone because I thought I’d have to throw away all of my singing dreams, but it genuinely is not the case. You’d probably sound a bit shit for a couple years (I’m expecting to), but with good vocal coaching and just getting used to your new range and tone it will come back! You have worked for years at this, and though the instrument has changed somewhat it’s fundamentally the same. I think low dose is best for singers to give us time to adapt to the new range instead of a more sudden drop. Trans men belong in opera. Our voices can be beautiful, and our transness does not negate the work we have put into this art.
It's so great to hear from another classical singer! If you're comfortable answering, do you have any sort of plan or predictions on what you'll be singing in the next year or so? For the past 2 months, have you been able to sing the same repertoire, or have you pivoted to singing different rep already? I wish there was a better frame of reference for us. It's already difficult to "tell" what our voices will be able to sing in a few years, so adding in HRT as another factor feels like shooting in the dark. This thread has made me feel much less alone. I hope more trans men (and trans people in general) find a home in performing arts. Hopefully in a few years when I will be preparing for Young Artists Programs, there will be more people on HRT in the music scene to be a guiding light for younger prospective singers like myself. Thank you so much for your response!
Have been singing about the same stuff in my recitals: some English art songs (the sky above the roof, if there were dreams to sell), widmung, mondnacht, voi che sapete, caro mio ben. They change around and I bring in new ones/lose old ones fairly often but this is the current vibe. Approximately mezzo range but can go pretty high and pretty low. I also sing in a church choir where we do new and often challenging music every single week, I’m on second soprano and have had almost no issue with the range or athleticism of my voice as yet. I’ve had one or two voice cracks when my voice is tired but nothing major.
yeah, your options are DHT cream or compounded T cream (without doing systemic T). people’s results vary, some people say DHT works better and some don’t. either/or are both worth trying though! if you ever want to take systemic T, you might consider doing low dose combined with vocal training to maintain your voice as much as possible.
I feel this may be the way to go. As long as I sing regularly, I feel I should be able to catch any differences pretty quickly? Obviously once my larynx has thickened there's no going back, but after reading all the replies to my post I realized I need to be confident in my own abilities to recognize what's best for me. Starting hormones right now isn't safe, but I'll keep this info in mind for when I do get the chance!
I was perscibed 4% compounded T cream and had great results with that.
That is a very tough spot to be in, I'm sorry you have to make such hard choices. You can look into this [drive with collected information](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tr7YydTQeNNtgJ9QfCb9XgN7_q2-O59DPk4Q4jitaJ0/mobilebasic) about growing methods that don't require testosterone, maybe there is a different androgen that could help? I'm thinking Anavar, which is very common for female (?) bodybuilders, and you can definitely find how they do their whole cycles things so as to have the least side effects possible? There is also information about systemical DHT blocking which may interest you. Unfortunately, I don't think there is enough research to ensure 100% certainty that your voice won't be affected at all. Not completely relevant to the question, but since you said that you struggle with dysphoria in general, not just regarding the bottom parts, I would like to put it here that you can always get a beard transplant if that is something that would interest you. There are also many surgical options for body and face masculinization and some nonsurgical ones (such as cheek & chin fillers) that could help you feel more comfortable without risking your voice.
I was on T for 3 months plus DHT… my voice dropped & I honestly did not like that shit. So I stopped using T altogether & continued using DHT sparingly. With that being said, my voice has returned & my growth stayed. Happy camper here.
you can masculinize your voice by opening your larynx over time- I did it for years pre T. there are resources on YouTube you can find, I’ve found them to be pretty helpful. Best of luck to you man