![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdozd8TBmvn2fh7H5GUvWm6jvNHDV6FQwuxn_rPIPgfUNB5CXIOP3z27KmSXCE-rjy7Rk7XPq0q1Ixty8vM-5jZivx2YG5VciXKhgmvgGaAbFxjfxL9EfRxkwO-Z_5v_HnOqKMdhIwEY0/s1600/he-man-voice.jpg) |
...not! |
As I mentioned
here last week, I am the recipient of a ham radio award, the 2016 Special Achievement Award. I will receive the award when I make my annual trip to Dayton, Ohio, in May to attend
Hamvention.
I viewed last year's awards dinner on
YouTube and saw how the attendees were dressed ― men in jackets and ties, women in dresses or tops and skirts. I also noticed that each award recipient spoke briefly (5 minutes, more or less) after they received their award.
I will have no problem speaking for 5 minutes; I could probably speak for 55 minutes, but it is how I will speak that is a little worrisome. I plan to accept the award as a woman, so in addition to looking like a woman, I should speak like a woman, too, don't you think?
Many years ago, I bought Melanie Anne Phillips VHS video course "Melanie Speaks," which is intended to teach you how to speak like a woman. I watched the video and was impressed with the Melanie's method, but finding free time to practice with the video at home was a problem. So I copied the audio portion of the course to a cassette tape and practiced during my 35-minute commute to and from work.
In about three weeks, I got the hang of it and the voice that came out of my mouth was scary... in a good way! I sounded like a natural born woman!
Although I could sound like a woman, I seldom used that voice because I was embarrassed to do so with friends and acquaintances who were familiar with my usual soft male voice. And when I was out among civilians, my soft male voice usually did not give me away. So why bother?
But I think I will bother for the award ceremony as well as my whole weekend in Dayton. I want to make a good impression. Dressing as a woman, but speaking like a man would impress, but not in a good way.
So as a refresher, I listened to Melanie's course again and have been practicing and practicing and practicing some more. I am using a digital voice recorder to hear what I sound like and I think I am sounding pretty, pretty good. When I reach the point of no return, I will post an audio clip for all of you to hear and critique.
![Wearing Forever 21. Source: Popsugar](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOsg_ZRlXfSG3O2Pa8GLKcHQROTKm74mVg41lnc0lhJ_OABAYnLo3mv7B9w4WlljigfmxM-vlyiRyO-NTBYzKm74p2QNR86YyD5_oUiTJXOqyQoBLPZK1Ty1vCGz1N7Ct07vcize3V_0/s640/Forever-21-v-Popsugar.jpg) |
Wearing Forever 21. |
![Freddie Fenwick, Arthur Holland, Leonard Young and Ross Hamilton entertain Canadian troops during World War I appearing as "The Dumbells" in The Duchess Entertains. Freddie Fenwick, Arthur Holland, Leonard Young and Ross Hamilton](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgrA0ijLER3poHuDy2n7ji8VrT7c2DLVrkUQiyqONKPZTzcsqO-UaK5aupoNKEY8lMRiYt4C6NQv6RqPHrE8qGTuVGzCFNyNuIkRFmiMnCJdb5fyxQAiReKfKNLj2I0d6_eIqGNQoccs/s1600/Freddie-Fenwick---Arthur-Holland---Leonard-Young---Ross-Hamilton---WWI---Dumbells---The-Duchess-Entertains.jpg) |
Freddie Fenwick, Arthur Holland, Leonard Young and Ross Hamilton entertain Canadian troops during World War I appearing as "The Dumbells" in The Duchess Entertains. |