1. Who is leading the group? Leah Sophrin (she/her) and Sierra Downs (she/they) are two speech therapists who live and work in Vermont.

    Sierra is a trained vocalist and amazing speech language pathologist who loves to geek out about anything voice related. Sierra is a fierce advocate and is energized by supporting fellow colleagues and local community members. As a proud queer and nonbinary person, Sierra is deeply committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community by maintaining a safe and supportive environment. Sierra works with voice clients one on one, in person and online from Burlington, VT.

    Leah loves to explore the spaces where things overlap (voice, gender, embodiment, etc.), especially if there’s a chance of playfulness getting tossed into the mix. She is an artist and speech language pathologist who began learning about the voice and gender affirming voice work to support her partner’s changing voice needs during nir’s transition. She pulls from her experiences of learning how to navigate her partner’s voice changes (and many other changes) together in a healthy and mutually supportive way, and brings this perspective to her work with others. When it comes to the voice, Leah prefers to work with small groups and is not currently working with individual voice clients.

  2. Where will the group meet? We’ll meet in downtown Burlington, in person. You’ll be given the address a few weeks before the group starts.

  3. How many people will be in the group? There will be a max of 8 participants, along with Leah & Sierra.

  4. What does gender diverse mean? Gender diverse describes gender expressions beyond, outside of, and/or without the binary.

  5. What does gender diverse vocal improv mean? We’ll be playing (improvising, if you will) with our voice and vocal identities in ways that stretch, swirl and explore all the vocal spaces - not just those perceived as “male/masculine” and female/feminine”. Hop over to our What To Expect page for more info on this.

  6. I have no experience with voice training, is that a problem? Nope! No previous voice training required.

  7. I’ve done some voice training. Can I still do this group? Absolutely! There’s always something to explore.

  8. I’m neurodivergent. Do you know what that means and will this be a neuroinclusive space? Yes and yes! We’ve intentionally designed this group to allow space for all experiences, learning styles, sharing styles, communication styles, etc. If you’ve got any specific concerns, please reach out to us!

  9. Who can I contact if I have more questions? You can email leah@leahsophrin.com or sierra@vtspeech.com

  10. What if I want to participate but it’s too much money or the dates/times don’t work for me? Get in touch with Leah and Sierra. We have some scholarship money available. And, we keep a list of folx who are interested but cannot attend so that we can keep you in the loop about future options.

  11. Is there an online option? Not yet but we are considering that for the winter. Let us know if that’s something you’d be interested in!

  12. I don’t live in Burlington and driving costs $$$. Will you offer this group in any other locations? Hopefully in the future but we’re starting small. Reach out if you want to know about future plans!