Knowing what to do, but feeling unable to do it
I could produce my deeper voice long before I felt able to use it around other people. The barrier was more than making the sound.
Speaking & collaboration · Lee McKenzie
What it takes
to be heard.
I’m Lee, known here as Leemus. I lived with puberphonia for years. When I began using my deeper voice, the shame and fear could make my body shake. Finding the sound was only part of the change.
I’m available for paid talks, lived-experience Q&A sessions and educational collaborations. I also welcome podcast and media enquiries.
What I can talk about
A voice story with
wider questions.
My experience starts with puberphonia. It also touches on hiding parts of ourselves, anticipating other people’s reactions and making a change before it feels comfortable.
Shame, identity and being noticed
How fear of other people’s reactions shaped the way I spoke, and why a familiar voice could feel safer even when it was difficult to use.
Changing around people who know you
What it felt like to introduce a different voice to family, friends and colleagues, and gradually become more comfortable being heard.
The experience behind the recordings
My 2024 diary captures uncertainty, small steps and difficult days. It gives context to a change that a short comparison can make look simple.
Ways to work together
Bring the experience
into the conversation.
Talks & Q&A
A personal account for clinicians, students, educators and organisations interested in voice, identity and the experience of change. We can discuss including selected diary recordings and audience questions.
Enquire about a talkPodcasts & media
Conversations about living with puberphonia, the shame of being heard differently and making a change that other people can hear. There is much more to the story than a before-and-after recording.
Discuss an interviewEducational collaboration
A first-person perspective for teaching, awareness projects and resources about the experience of voice change. Enquire about a contribution or permission to use my story and recordings in your project.
Propose a collaborationHear the story first
Recorded while
it was happening.
In 2024, I made a diary of the transition. The recordings and my written account give you a sense of what I bring to a conversation.
Start a conversation
Tell me who it’s for.
Include your audience, what you have in mind, a proposed date, the format and your budget. We can discuss whether it’s a good fit and agree the scope and fee before anything is booked.
Online and in-person requests are welcome. Timing, travel and availability can be discussed in your enquiry.
puberphonia.contact@gmail.com
The enquiry links open your email app with a few prompts. You can also copy the address into your usual email service.