Hirsch’s Acoustic Assumptions: A Gender Spectra Resonance Master Class
Presented by Sandy Hirsch
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.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Medbridge courses.
Who creates Medbridge courses?
We work with industry-leaders, top researchers, and consultants to build content roadmaps that are then structured into courses, filmed, and edited by our production team before being launched to our site.
How often does Medbridge release new courses?
New courses are added monthly and are automatically included in your subscription as they launch.
How often does Medbridge update courses?
Medbridge reviews its courses annually for relevance and to assess if content is up to date. Based on these reviews it may be determined that a course is out of date resulting in the course being re-filmed or retired, if the content is no longer needed (e.g. a replacement course already exists, the concepts are no longer best practice, etc.).
How many courses does Medbridge offer?
We have over 3,000 accredited courses and we are continually updating our library with new courses. Check our course library for the most up-to-date count for your discipline.
Are there any additional fees for taking a Medbridge course?
There are no additional fees for taking a Medbridge course, obtaining a course certificate of completion, earning CEUs as a subscriber, or accessing any of the additional tools your subscription may include.
Is there a limit to the number of courses I can take?
There is no limit to the number of courses you can take as a subscriber! As a subscriber to Medbridge, you have unlimited access to over 3,000+ accredited CE courses.
If you are a Premium subscriber, you also have unlimited access to our Patient Engagement Tools such as the Home Exercise Program, Patient Education Library, Orthopedic Exam Tests, and Manual Therapy Techniques. We have over 7,000 exercises and over 650+ videos and handouts of patient education resources with more exercises and patient education added to the library based on subscriber feedback, volume of request and specialities.
What is your refund policy?
You are eligible for a refund provided your request is received within 30 days of your subscription purchase and your account has no activity.