"That voice! You'll recognize it everywhere. Eli Conley possesses the rare gift of a distinctive vocal timbre that separates him from scores of singer-songwriters in the modern folk ilk.... This is the stuff that long, successful careers are made of."
Tom Semioli, Minor 7th
Tom Semioli, Minor 7th
News
March 16, 2021
I have some big news: After almost 12 years of teaching private voice lessons, that part of my work is coming to a close. All my teaching now will be focused on group classes and workshops. It’s really the end of an era for me.
I have some big news: After almost 12 years of teaching private voice lessons, that part of my work is coming to a close. All my teaching now will be focused on group classes and workshops. It’s really the end of an era for me.
This picture is from when I was 24, just getting started with offering private lessons and falling in love with one-on-one voice work. Since that time I have had the immense privilege of working with hundreds of singers, from total beginners scared to open their mouths to internationally touring professional performers. I have been so moved by the ways people have shared vulnerable parts of themselves and trusted me to be a guide on what can often be an emotional journey.
I’ve also worked with many many trans singers to find comfort and ease in their voices. I have written resources for trans singers and teachers of trans singers and I continue to get questions on the topic from around the world. I have seen how deeply healing it can be to explore and train one’s voice in a safe space with a trans teacher.
12 years ago I knew of only a few other trans voice teachers, spread out across the world. Most cisgender voice teachers had little idea how to work with us, if they knew anything about trans people at all. The world of voice and singing is highly gendered and binary, with a lot misconceptions about what is healthy and possible for singers to do, and who can and should sing what. In addition, the experience of trans masculine singers who take testosterone and negotiate singing with changed voices is a very particular one, and it can mean a lot to have a teacher who has experienced it from the inside.
I’m very glad to say that I now know many trans and non-binary voice teachers, and I hear about more all the time. There are also many cisgender voice teachers who have stepped up to educate themselves and are strong allies to our community. I feel that I can let go of this role because I know there are now many others able to hold this work with care, skill, and compassion.
Why am I making this move?
For some time I have felt called to increase my group offerings, and to expand my songwriting teaching in particular. Over the past several years I have been falling in love with the magic that happens when more queer people learn to write songs. I need these songs, and I think the world does too! I find that this work happens best in the group setting, where people can encourage and feed off of each other‘s creativity.
The good news is, I will still be offering group singing classes for queer and trans folks and allies! Those classes will remain online until it’s safe for us to gather and sing together inside. At that point I will likely stop offering online singing classes and focus on in person classes in Sacramento, where I moved this fall. So if you’re in the Bay or otherwise outside of Sacramento and have always wanted to take a singing class with me, I recommend signing up for one of my online classes soon!
My other exciting news is that I’m starting to offer online songwriting classes for queer and trans teens! I’ve never worked with teens in a group setting before, but I’m getting advice from friends who do and starting to build my teen-specific curriculum. I know songwriting was a really important outlet for me as a queer and trans teenager, and I can’t wait to hear the songs that will come out of these classes.
How can you help me with this big change?
1. Spread the word about my upcoming spring classes! I'd particularly love your help getting the word to queer and trans teens and their parents. You can share the info from my group class page and invite folks to the Facebook events.
2. If you've taken a group class with me, write a Yelp review sharing about your experience and specifying that you took a group class.
3. If you’ve taken private voice lessons with me, I would love to hear from you about what you took away from our work together. Leaving this work is definitely bittersweet and I will miss all of my private students so much!
I’ve also worked with many many trans singers to find comfort and ease in their voices. I have written resources for trans singers and teachers of trans singers and I continue to get questions on the topic from around the world. I have seen how deeply healing it can be to explore and train one’s voice in a safe space with a trans teacher.
12 years ago I knew of only a few other trans voice teachers, spread out across the world. Most cisgender voice teachers had little idea how to work with us, if they knew anything about trans people at all. The world of voice and singing is highly gendered and binary, with a lot misconceptions about what is healthy and possible for singers to do, and who can and should sing what. In addition, the experience of trans masculine singers who take testosterone and negotiate singing with changed voices is a very particular one, and it can mean a lot to have a teacher who has experienced it from the inside.
I’m very glad to say that I now know many trans and non-binary voice teachers, and I hear about more all the time. There are also many cisgender voice teachers who have stepped up to educate themselves and are strong allies to our community. I feel that I can let go of this role because I know there are now many others able to hold this work with care, skill, and compassion.
Why am I making this move?
For some time I have felt called to increase my group offerings, and to expand my songwriting teaching in particular. Over the past several years I have been falling in love with the magic that happens when more queer people learn to write songs. I need these songs, and I think the world does too! I find that this work happens best in the group setting, where people can encourage and feed off of each other‘s creativity.
The good news is, I will still be offering group singing classes for queer and trans folks and allies! Those classes will remain online until it’s safe for us to gather and sing together inside. At that point I will likely stop offering online singing classes and focus on in person classes in Sacramento, where I moved this fall. So if you’re in the Bay or otherwise outside of Sacramento and have always wanted to take a singing class with me, I recommend signing up for one of my online classes soon!
My other exciting news is that I’m starting to offer online songwriting classes for queer and trans teens! I’ve never worked with teens in a group setting before, but I’m getting advice from friends who do and starting to build my teen-specific curriculum. I know songwriting was a really important outlet for me as a queer and trans teenager, and I can’t wait to hear the songs that will come out of these classes.
How can you help me with this big change?
1. Spread the word about my upcoming spring classes! I'd particularly love your help getting the word to queer and trans teens and their parents. You can share the info from my group class page and invite folks to the Facebook events.
2. If you've taken a group class with me, write a Yelp review sharing about your experience and specifying that you took a group class.
3. If you’ve taken private voice lessons with me, I would love to hear from you about what you took away from our work together. Leaving this work is definitely bittersweet and I will miss all of my private students so much!