Singing & songwriting Classes
for LGBTQIA+ People and Allies
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All too often, queer and transgender folks find spaces focused on singing lacking awareness of our needs, relevance to our lives, and a commitment to collective liberation. I believe that it is a powerful act for LGBTQIA+ people and allies to raise our voices together in song, and to listen deeply to each other as we grow as singers and songwriters. What does LGBTQIA+ stand for? LGBTQIA stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. The plus sign acknowledges that there are myriad ways that people express their gender and sexuality, and even a long acronym can't encompass all of them. Allies are straight, cisgender people who are committed to challenging heterosexism, transphobia and patriarchy. About the Teacher Eli Conley is a singer-songwriter and voice teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a gay transgender man, Eli has a deep commitment to working within diverse LGBTQIA+ communities to build our collective power, creativity, and resilience. Eli is a certified teacher of Somatic Voicework - The LoVetri Method™ who continues to study to deepen his approach to contemporary vocal pedagogy. He has also studied classical singing at Oberlin Conservatory and jazz vocal performance at Berklee College of Music. Eli performs and tours as an indie folk artist, and is a former member of the Grammy award-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus. In addition to group classes and workshops, Eli also offers private voice lessons for people of all identities, ages 13 and up. |
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Testimonials
“I recommend classes with Eli to all of my friends! Studying singing with Eli is affirming, challenging, and joyful. It’s an opportunity to combine skill acquisition, personal growth and queer community, and is grounding and inspiring.”
"As a trans person, and as a queer person, I have so embodied the violent belief that my voice does not matter. To have a space to explore my own unlearning was truly a much needed reminder that when I honor my voice, I honor my spirit, my aliveness."
"Such a powerful experience connecting to my voice as a songwriter. Eli's expertise, guidance and ability to draw out strong work and pass on skills was so important."
"This class was the light of my week. I am astounded by how much my voice and my confidence have grown in such a short time."
"I felt honored to have been able to see each singer's uniqueness, their strengths and their struggles. What we shared in class with each other was so personal. I felt very connected with the world and appreciative of our diversity afterward."
“I would recommend this class – no matter what your singing experience, skill level or interest you will have fun, you will feel safe and cared for and you will improve!”
Current Class
The Fundamentals of Singing
A Nine-Week Class for LGBTQIA People and Allies
Tuesdays 7 - 9 pm
January 8th - March 5th, 2019
First Congregational Church of Oakland - Choir Room
2501 Harrison St, Oakland
0.7 Miles (15 min walk) from 19th St BART
Wheelchair accessible
Free parking at the church
Class Description
This is a supportive community singing class for transgender, queer, lesbian, bisexual, gay, asexual, and intersex people and our allies who want to develop their singing voices in a fun group setting. Beginners are very welcome! No musical experience is necessary.
This class focuses mostly on solo a capella singing and includes one group song. Students will strengthen their natural singing voices by learning basic vocal technique and developing their chest (low) and head (high) registers. They will learn how to listen to themselves and other singers and expand their vocal range. The class will also focus on getting comfortable singing in front of others. Students are welcome to take this class multiple times.
The class will culminate with an informal recital on the last day. Glitter will be optional but highly encouraged!
Accessibility
This class is in a wheelchair accessible space, and students sit in cushioned chairs that do not have arms. All of the exercises are designed to work for people of a broad range of abilities and body types. The class is a fragrance free space (see below for more info). The room where the class meets is unfortunately musty, and students with asthma and dust allergies are sometimes sensitive to the space. Please let me know about your specific access needs when you register.
Fragrance Free
An increasing number of people in our community experience migraines, seizures, nausea, hives, and other adverse health effects when they are exposed to scented body products. For this reason, I ask all participants to join me in making preparations to attend each class session completely fragrance free. With your help, we can ensure that our class is a healthy, accessible space for all.
If you haven't been fragrance free before, it can take a little pre-planning. On class days, you'll need to refrain from smoking and wearing products with added fragrances. This includes the obvious colognes and perfumes, but also hair and body products containing chemical fragrances or essential oils, and clothing washed in scented detergents.
The easiest way to be fragrance free is to start using a scent free laundry detergent, and purchase some unscented body products to use on class days. More info about how and why to be scent-free and a list of scent-free products is available here and here. If you have any questions about this, please contact me.
Class Fee
Standard Rate: $400
A $200 deposit is due when you register to hold your spot in the class. The remaining $200 is due at our first session on January 8th.
Sliding Scale Rate: $370 - $225
I reserve some need-based sliding scale spots in each class for low income participants. More information.
Registering
Registration for this class is now closed.
Want to be notified when registration opens up and the dates for future classes are announced?
Upcoming Classes
Intro to Harmony Singing
A Nine-Week Class for LGBTQIA People and Allies
Tuesdays 7 -9 pm
April 23 - June 18, 2019
First Congregational Church of Oakland - Choir Room
2501 Harrison St, Oakland
0.7 Miles (15 min walk) from 19th St BART
Wheelchair accessible
Free parking at the church
Class Description
This is a fun community class for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and/or asexual people and our allies who want to develop their ability to sing harmony by ear.
We will explore rounds, singing in harmony on assigned parts in small groups, and coming up with your own two-part harmony for a duet. You will learn how to hear and sing major triad chords, and build a basic understanding of how chords form the basis of harmony singing. Participants will be expected to practice 15 - 30 minutes a day, and to meet with their duet partner at least twice outside of class over the course of the nine weeks.
This class is designed for people who are comfortable with singing, and are generally able to stay in key when singing by themselves. Beginners are welcome -- all learning will be done by ear, so you do not need to have any musical background or know how to read music. If you have any questions about whether this class is right for you, please contact me.
The class will culminate in an informal recital. Glitter will be optional but highly encouraged!
Registration
Please join the e-mail list to be notified when registration opens up in the spring.
Unlock the Song Inside
A Nine-Week Songwriting Class for LGBTQIA People and Allies
Fall 2019
Dates TBA
Class Description
Everyone has a song inside of them. What does yours sound like? Join us to unlock your creativity and let your songs out!
This is a supportive community class for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual people and our allies. Whether you've been writing for years or you have never written a song, this class is for you.
Each session will begin with a fun writing exercise to get your creative juices flowing. We will explore the way that chords, melody and lyrics come together to create a song, and learn strategies to strengthen each of these aspects of our songwriting. Over the course of the class, we will share our works in progress with each other and give supportive feedback to help each other grow as songwriters. We'll analyze songs by some of our favorite artists to understand how songs take listeners on an emotional journey using point of view, rhyme scheme, meter, and different song structures. We'll also cover basic chord theory to help take the guess work out of choosing the right chords for each song. The class will culminate with an informal performance on the last day.
Participants should be able to play at least three chords on an instrument (piano, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, accordion, autoharp etc), but no other musical experience is necessary. You do not need to read music, have any musical training, or know any music theory. Beginners are very welcome!
Testimonials
"What a beautiful and powerful vision: co-create space to literally lift up each other's voices. As a trans person, and as a queer person, I have so embodied the violent belief that my voice does not matter. To have a space to explore my own unlearning was truly a much needed reminder that when I honor my voice, I honor my spirit, my aliveness."
"Such a powerful experience connecting to my voice as a songwriter. Eli's expertise, guidance and ability to draw out strong work and pass on skills was so important."
"I found myself continuously in awe of each person's unique voice, style, and capacity to create in each round of sharing. I felt moved by something in everyone's songs and that was powerful."
Class Fee
Standard Rate: $400
$200 is due when you register to hold your spot in the class. The remaining $200 is due at our first session.
Sliding Scale Rate: $375 - $200
I reserve some need-based sliding scale spots in each class for low income participants. More information.
Registering
Join the e-mail list to be notified when dates for this class are announced.
Singing with Instruments
A Five-Week Class for LGBTQIA People and Allies
Late 2019
Exact Dates TBA
First Congregational Church of Oakland - Choir Room
2501 Harrison St, Oakland
0.7 Miles (15 min walk) from 19th St BART
Wheelchair accessible
Free parking at the church
Class Description
This is a supportive community singing class for transgender, queer, lesbian, bisexual, gay, asexual, and intersex people and our allies. The ability to play an instrument is not required!
Using fun singing games and exercises, this class will help you become more comfortable singing and playing an instrument at the same time, or singing while someone else accompanies you on an instrument. We will focus on rhythm, melody, and understanding of how the voice works when we sing. We'll do some group singing, and each student will receive personalized coaching on a song of their choice with particular focus on vocal technique and deepening their expressive song performance. The class culminates with an informal recital on the last day. Glitter will be optional but highly encouraged!
Testimonials
"As someone who loves to sing but struggles to do so publicly, I found Eli's class to be incredibly safe and affirming. I learned how to have faith in my voice and musicianship while getting to know lots of lovely folks! Eli is an incredibly skilled teacher."
"You might think that, if you don't play an instrument, this class isn't for you. But I don't play anything and I found the skills and practices really relevant and fun!"
"It was so heartening to work with a group of queers and allies finding their voices and sharing their talents and growing exponentially in their performance skills due to the enthusiasm and specificity that Eli provides."
"I always played instruments growing up and enjoyed singing along to them. I haven't been doing that recently until I found this class. It was a perfect place with a wonderful community. Eli is a great coach and knows how to make you feel comfortable and safe while singing."
"Classes with Eli have been a delightful part of my life over the last several years. I so appreciate the queer and trans community space, the experience of singing in a group, and Eli's highly skillful teaching -- technically deep, celebratory and supportive."
Class Fee
Standard Rate: $225
$125 is due when you register to hold your spot in the class. The remaining $100 is due at our first session.
Sliding Scale Rate: $210 - $135
I reserve some need-based sliding scale spots in each class for low income participants. More information.
Registering
Join the e-mail list to be notified the next time this class is offered.
