Changing your voice

[Niennis]

I play a male character, but I have a very obviously girl's voice. While I can easily play the character as a young lad, I still worry about being mistaken for a girl.

I know my character's accent will hide part of it, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to disguise your voice or deepen it a bit without it being obvious.

*hooves away!*

[Dinobabe]

This may be way off, but...

I dress as a soldier when I do Civil War reenacting.  Now, we can recognize a woman in pants, etc. because they wear them all of the time today.  Woman in 1860 would NEVER wear pants.  Making it much easier to disguise yourself as a man.  I know some women reenactors that bind their chests, pad their pants, etc.  I don't.  The way I figure it I am playing what I call an obvious character.  Everyone knows that only men were soldiers (or women who disguised themselves) so I am obviously a man in the sense of being a soldier.  Many of my fellow reenactors (even strangers) refer to me as sir during events, I encourage it, even though it's fairly easy to guess that I am a woman.  It's not the obvious nature but the pretense.  Sometimes I will even play upset if someone absently refers to me as mam!   "Mam!?  I ain't no mam!  I'm a soldier in this here army."

OK, yours is a bit harder.  Those of us that know mythology know that fauns would have been male (for the most part).  I would assume that the general visitor does not.  What can you do to influence the male persona without having to go to extremes to cover your femaleness?  I really wouldn't try to change your voice.  Mainly because you will get hoarse quick and it will hurt your vocal cords.  Who knows what a faun sounds like anyway!   Study male movement, if you have a boyfriend or brother get them to help you.  It makes a big difference.  If you represent yourself as a male then people are more willing to go along with the character, even knowing that you are actually a girl.  I'm sure you've done this but look for pictures on the net to get "cover" costume ideas.  Maybe even go old school and read some OLD mythology books.  The new ones tend to modernize the myths, at least the drawings.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

[Niennis]

That actually does help, thanks! I will be binding my chest (mostly because I'll have an open vest o.O) and putting on facial hair, if that doesn't hint *male* I don't know what will!

Thanks for your input, though, I appreciate it! I'll just have a *maleness* to me, and if anyone questions it I'll be offended or amused and point them in the right direction!

[McGuinness]

I really wouldn't try to change your voice.  Mainly because you will get hoarse quick and it will hurt your vocal cords.  Who knows what a faun sounds like anyway!

That was my first response also. A character does you no good if you blow out your voice/knee/back/whatever trying to play it! You could always just play a young faun whose voice hasn't changed yet.....? 

[Niennis]

That I could!

I think I'm going to change *him* into a *her* anyway, it's a little tedious to change gender every time I garb.

But who knows?

[Dinobabe]

Don't give up yet!  Try it before you make your final decision.  It may be worth it!