Our voices are not easily separable from our humanity. Even before we learn to speak, our voices are a bridge between our private wants and the older and larger people who can satisfy them; they connect us on a level that comes prior to speech and language, and even people who never acquire strong language abilities still make use of their voices. A fully silent person is extraordinarily rare, and our memories of people are deeply interwoven with the sensory impression of their voices.

But when one’s identity is so closely tied to one’s voice, that voice will inevitably disappoint.