Eli is a compassionate, patient, and highly skilled teacher. In the 2 group singing classes I took with him, I watched him engage with people with various skill level and natural talent. He treats every person with respect, and meets them where they're at. I learned a lot from him. Possibly even more importantly than what I learned though, was how much fun I had! It's hard to find wholesome, fun ways to meet folks, and the sweet crowd these classes attract is really something special. I made friends, and even met someone lovely that I dated for a while! Obviously, your mileage may vary, but I hear a lot of stories like that from his students. If you are looking for a way to intensely focus on building mastery of your voice quickly, you should realize this isn't the place for that. You share Eli's brilliance with a dozen or so other people, so your individual time with him is limited. In this case, If you have the funds, I'd suggest taking his class and finding someone else to work with for 1-1 sessions. I've enjoyed seeing a variety of teaching styles doing this in the past. If however, you're wanting to brush up on your skills, are brand new to singing and want to have a compassionate place to learn how to get started, or if you're more advanced and want to be introduced to new skills like learning to write songs or sing with an instrument you're playing... or if you just want a way to meet community that is structured and focused on a fun activity... I would highly recommend Eli's group classes. read more

This is the third class I have taken with Eli. I feel so lucky to have discovered his classes. I love his teaching style and I always really enjoy everyone I meet in his classes. Eli is so skilled at creating instant community in his classes. He creates a safe space for us all to be vulnerable with one another. And in some ways - singing and performing in front of others is super scary and requires you to be super vulnerable in order to connect with your performance piece. The creation of this community from the first class allows all of us to immediately feel comfortable with one another so that we can get to work and support each other every step of the way leading up to our concert. read more

I took the Fundamentals of Singing class in 2018 and years later still remember it fondly as one of the most uplifting activities I've done as an adult. I was nervous and out of my comfort zone -- not having sung since middle school (!) -- but Eli created a fun learning environment so I could set my insecurities aside and jump in. His class gave me so much joy, I'd go home glowing. Take his class! read more

I just completed Fundamentals of Singing with Eli and the experience was wonderful. Eli created the sweetest brave space for us to learn and share, and I'm a stronger singer after working with his feedback and coaching! The final recital was so special, full of love and mutual support and heartfelt song. I trust that Eli's classes are consistently excellent -- but during this time of quarantine and isolation, coming together each week to sing and connect was extra joyful and appreciated. Super highly recommend! read more

Eli Conley is an absolutely phenomenal facilitator and teacher. I'm currently taking one of his song writing classes, and its been a wonderful experience so far. I literally have never in my life seen someone who is so well-suited for their job. Most of us have jobs - Eli has a vocation. Here's just some of the specifics that make his class so great: - He builds a supportive community. Even though we're meeting over zoom, I find myself feeling truly connected to the other people in the class. He regularly has us giving each other positive feedback about our new songs, which makes something scary (playing an original song for an audience) into something delightful. Every week, we play a song for one other person in a private zoom room, and its a different person each time, so I've gotten to know everyone in the class over time. - We write a song every week. One of the first things Eli told us is that the best way to get better at writing songs is to... write songs. Now something that I've never done before in my life is something that I've done 5 times over the last 5 weeks. I feel so accomplished! - Before you start to feel like "that's too much pressure!" - Eli is very gentle with however we show up to class. We talk about access needs at the beginning. He starts on time and he pushes us to give hard things a try, but he never makes anyone feel bad about not having a complete song, or showing up late because something came up, etc. It's a very safe environment. - The classes are designed so well. You can tell that Eli has been doing this for a while and that he keeps tweaking the class to make it better and better and better. Each activity we do flows into the next. Each week builds on the previous week. And the final week is a recital that we can invite family and friends to! - Each week, Eli gives feedback to a few people about a song they wrote that week. It could be the most fledgling little beginning of a song, or it could be a fully-developed, ready to perform on stage jam, and he will find something in it to tweak it and make it better. He helped me figure out chords for my chorus one week. Another time, he helped me delve into some of my lyrics and make them stronger. Watching him give feedback to other people (i.e. "lets try starting the chorus on a higher note") helps me understand how to revise songs and make them better, and gives me new ideas. I've been hearing about Eli's classes for years, and when people said he was GREAT, I didn't realize how right they were. If you want to get better at songwriting or singing, I would invest the time and money in one of Eli's classes. He's worth it and you will not regret your choice. Sign up! Sign up! Sign up! read more

Eli's group classes are amazing. I went into my "singing with instruments" class with zero vocal training and a voice that had changed through hormones. I was having trouble with my throat - it hurt and dried out if I spoke too loud for too long, and it was very frustrating to try to sing at all.   So in I walked to Eli's class! Eli created a space that was fun, joyful, and beautiful for the community of people who joined. Not only did I learn about how to care for my voice through warm ups, strategies and his advice, but I made friends and had an amazing way to end Mondays (which was more than I could have asked for). Eli uses fun, collaborative and positive coaching to foster a supportive environment for anyone looking to express or improve through music. He opened our class by discussing how singing can become a way for us to embody ourselves, and having greater awareness of our breath can teach us about how to take up space where we've been told to shrink ourselves. And of course, to have fun! He sent us vocal warmup recordings for homework to strengthen our voices. We worked on a group song (which was beautiful and fun) and chose individual songs where we received coaching, encouragement, and improvement strategies. His coaching strategies are very astute and helpful and crafted to the individual. Because the individual coaching sessions are done in front of the rest of the class, everyone can learn from what he shares.   Eli also makes a huge effort to make his classes accessible with sliding scale pricing when needed, and is devoted to keeping spaces scent free for chemical sensitivities. This class taught me how I can sing easily, joyfully and strengthen my voice over time, and has inspired my to play my guitar again. If you are looking for a space like this, sign up for a class with Eli and it will brighten up your world! read more

I could write a dissertation about how much I love Eli's classes. I've been involved in choir and musical theatre since age 5. Having been a soprano all my life, I was unprepared and frankly terrified when my voice dropped after a year or so on testosterone. While I was coming into my new identity, I felt like I was losing a piece of myself in exchange. I signed up for Eli's Fundamentals Of Singing class basically as a way to "relearn how to sing". Not only did I find my new voice, I found a community and rediscovered a love for music. When taking other voice/acting classes, while it is a learning space, you can't help but feel the pressure to impress your classmates and the fear of messing up in front of them. I never felt that in Eli's class. In class, it was safe to experiment and fail and discover new things. Without forcing you outside your comfort zone, Eli encouraged broadening your range/style/etc and take risks where you have a safe place to land. Even in a class of a dozen people or so, I felt very seen, almost as if it were personalized for me individually. Communication outside of class was open and I was given plenty of resources to use on my own like warm up tracks and other exercises. Eli gave me back something very precious and I can't thank him enough. If you are searching for a teacher who is knowledgeable, kind, professional, and will encourage you to grow, look no further. read more

I decided I didn't want to suck at singing anymore. I'm three or four lessons in with Eli, and I can definitely hear a difference in my voice. It's really exciting to feel progress already. Eli is an amazing singer, but don't be intimidated one little bit. He's a kind, supportive, and honest teacher. He focuses on how your posture and body work together to create sound, and suggests exercises for better control. He's friendly and open to questions- clearly wanting to tailor the lessons to your individual needs. I'd recommend him to anyone - especially if you think you're shy and uncertain. Don't wait - do it! Learn how to sing. read more

I can't say enough good things about Eli's singing class and voice lessons! I took Eli's singing class, it was my first time ever taking a singing class or singing in front of other people. Eli was so warm and helpful and made me feel totally comfortable. I really appreciated how thorough Eli was in preparing for every class and voice lesson- sending audio files of practice exercises and my song so I could practice at home. In my private voice lessons, Eli was really attentive and helped me move through my stage fright. I can't wait to take another singing class with Eli and would recommend him to anyone looking for a muscial/creative outlet! read more

If you live in Berkeley and you're shopping around for singing lessons, look no further. Eli not only is an excellent singer, but also an excellent teacher. He is supportive and attentive, and will provide honest feedback both on the aspects you do well as well as the aspects you need improvement on. Finally, his lessons are personalized and customized according to your needs. He adapts very well to any requests on techniques, theories, song styles, etc. 5/5 I would recommend him for just about anything. read more

Eli is phenomenal! I had several individual lessons with him (I'm only stopping because I'm moving away, alas) and I loved them. Some reasons why: - I've been classically trained (years of choirs and voice lessons both), and Eli clearly has been, too; he's got a great grasp of the kind of technique classically-trained artists use (breath control, enunciation, etc etc etc) and is wonderfully able to actually *convey* this to his students in a way that makes sense. - He's also not just a "learn to sing classical" kind of guy; he's a firm believer in being able to use as many styles and techniques as you can or want. So he had me trying my hand at pop right off--which was hard for me, but he didn't judge, at all! Anything but, in fact; he made me feel quite comfortable. And he was able to break down the techniques that make one style of singing different from another in a way that I could understand. - He not only gives you photocopies of his warmup exercises, so you can practice at home, but he records each lesson, and sends you an mp3 of it, so you can study it that way. Awesome! And if this weren't enough, he's just lovely and charming and entirely personable. I can't recommend Eli highly enough. :) read more

I recently took one of Eli's group singing classes, and it was just fantastic. Eli is uniquely gifted at creating a supportive space where people feel OK taking risks and expressing themselves. He's also great about translating complicated technique ideas into really simple principles and exercises. Highly, highly recommend his classes! read more

Super supportive and passionate teacher and singer! I have been a professional singer/songwriter for thirteen years but have never taken an actual vocal lesson. When I got my first Off Broadway musical call back I figured it was time to step up my game. Eli helped prepare me, working with my range and providing me with warm ups to enhance my vocal endurance. I was getting feedback from people overhearing my audition piece noting the positive influence my time with Eli had on my voice. I would recommend Eli Conley to beginners and advanced students alike, he really met me where I was at in a super supportive way! read more

I can't recommend Eli's classes and circles highly enough. I've learned so much about singing and songwriting and learned to embrace myself as an artist and musician--despite thinking beforehand that I was way too amateur to take myself seriously. And maybe best of all is the supportive queer community that Eli brings together, which makes the experience extra special. Thank you Eli! read more

I've been taking singing lessons from Eli for months now and HIGHLY recommend him to anyone. He is warm, professional, down to earth, and creates a safe comfortable environment in which to practice singing. My lessons with him helped me work through and overcome blocks around shyness and insecurity. I never used to sing with or in front of others. He really helped me take the risk to really get to know my voice. He went above and beyond, sending me online files to practice between lessons. He was always prepared and had a big range of songs for me to practice with. He was also open to new requests. All around, could not ask for more in a singing teacher. Eli is someone who is passionate about music and excellent at what he does. read more

Eli is the best. I took vocal lessons from him for a few months and learned a ton about singing and my own voice. Very friendly, very knowledgeable, highly recommended! read more

Have been getting private lessons with Eli for 4 months now, and can already tell a difference. Highly recommend him as a voice teacher. He has really helped me to improve my confidence and is really validating in a very authentic way. He teaches a wide variety of methods and the hour passes by so fast each time. If you have been considering voice lessons contact him, it is so worth it! read more

I've only had one lesson to date, but liked it so much I felt inspired to write a review immediately. Eli is down to earth, non-intimidating and a really great teacher. His knowledge is obvious from the beginning when you sit down to talk about goals, background, etc. He has an eclectic taste in music and can probably translate well to anyone's needs. Personally, I'm interested in musical theater and in one session he got me singing a song I absolutely love...without judging myself...sort of...I can't help it. Despite being super scared to begin vocal lessons, I left feeling encouraged and excited about coming back. read more

Eli is great! Since working with him for about a year, I've noticed a ton of improvements. In general, it is so much simpler to find to the place in my voice and body where a note is and deliver it. He's also helped me gain confidence to go into areas of my voice that I was afraid to work with before, i.e., my head voice and using that to develop a mixed voice quality. He has navigated this with creative ways to explain finding a note or pitch and with what is clearly impecable training and a deep understanding of the voice. Another thing is he has great time management. My instructor in the past would talk away a lot of our time, and I'd have to re-direct us to the music. This has never been a problem with Eli, which allows for really digging into technique. Lessons with Eli are fun, helpful, and professional. I particularly enjoy the quick stretching, breathing and silly vocal warm ups that he incorporates before doing piano vocal warm ups. These really get me into my body and remind me to get grounded in my whole self as an instrument. He is always finding new music that compliments yet challenges my voice, and makes sure to ask for what I'd like to work on as well. Overall he's a really great instructor and I totally recommend him to anybody of any level. read more

Eli Conley is stellar both as a voice teacher and a musician. He is very well-trained in diverse genres of music and is more than capable of providing the proper techniques, instructions, and guidance you need to grow as a vocalist. Personally, my main focus with Eli was musical theatre but I also had a chance to learn the basics of other music genres I was never trained in such as classical and jazz. Eli helped me develop a foundation in all genres of music. His critiques and guidance are dead on to catching what you really need to work on and are applicable to every song you work on. What makes Eli different from other voice teachers is his attention to detail and care. He sends you a recording of your voice lesson as well as an instrumental version of the song you practice with him (he personally plays the instrumental version on the piano). This helped me tremendously to make the most of my practice time at home. I had several university musical theatre/music auditions and Eli was of incredible help to me. Not only did he provide me with audition tips and song choices but he went outside the box. He suggested that I get a professional accompanist so that I may get a feel for how the audition would really go down. Eli is incredibly kind and actually cares about your success as a vocalist. If I could give him ten stars, I would. Eli is so kind and makes you feel comfortable with any material you work on with him. I am definietely recommending him to anybody that's looking for a voice teacher. read more

Taking lessons with Eli has been the best thing I've done for myself as a musician in recent years. I am a fellow music teacher, and with whatever authority that lends, I can tell you Eli is a skilled, supportive, and perceptive vocal instructor. And fun. When I started taking with Eli I had years of bad habits- vocal tension, losing my voice at shows, etc. Not only did we clear these up, but I learned styles, techniques, and tones I never considered options before. My range has expanded. My voice is overall a more comfortable place to hang out. Eli is easy to communicate with and an excellent listener, able to hear where a voice is stuck and guide it towards more openness. Still wondering if he's right for you? Don't. 10 Stars. This dinky 5 star system can't contain his mad vocal teaching skills. read more

Five stars! Eli Conley is a excellent teacher. He is extremely attuned to his own instrument and has expansive knowledge on yours as well. If your a singer looking to find out more about your voice and how it works, than look no further, Eli has your back. I have a few lessons under my belt with him and walked away with new tools and knowledge every time. read more

I took vocal lessons for a short time between 2010-011; maybe five or six lessons that's all. In this short period of time I noticed a marked improvement on my vocals and range. I look forward to continuing with Eli as soon as my schedule allows. Eli is very accessible and he will work to help you improve in a variety of voice and vocal presentation areas. He is friendly, responsible, and his approach to teaching is specially tailored to fit your individual needs. He will help you learn at a pace that feels most comfortable and his pricing is above reasonable. If you ever wanted to sing, or you are already a singer, have fun and learn some new vocal approaches with Eli! read more

Eli is a phenomenal teacher! I'm a trans guy and although I sang regularly before starting to take testosterone, I stopped singing when I transitioned four years ago. I was very nervous about starting to explore my new vocal register and couldn't have been more delighted to have come across Eli's teaching practice while searching on Yelp! I took several private lessons from Eli this summer and although I have never posted a review on Yelp before, my experience with him was so positive that I am eager to share my enthusiasm. I've received instruction from voice teachers and choir directors before, but Eli is a standout teacher. He not only listens with precision to pinpoint specific trouble zones in a song to work on, but he also has a knack for offering suggestions to improve your singing. The unique visualizations and tips he offered were not ones that I had heard from prior teachers to open up my tone, reach higher notes, or achieve a more resonant sound. Eli's guidance helped me grow as a singer and expanded the skills I have to develop my voice on my own. Eli is professional, kind, and a gifted teacher. I am so appreciative to have had a chance to work with him and am excited on behalf of his future students! read more

I was taught by Eli over the summer of 2009 and I learned so much, so quickly, about the voice and how to use my own. I went to him for folk-singing but I hear he does other types as well. I thought I would feel nervous/timid singing but he made it fun. At the same time, he took the work seriously so I noticed an improvement in my singing in a matter of weeks. read more

Eli is a super friendly yet super helpful teacher which can be hard to find. It seems like everyone is too nice to offer any advice or too intimidating to work with. Eli is for sure the perfect balance and because of his teachings I was able to make my school musical, Hair. I for sure would recommend him to a friend and he's pretty inexpensive too! I was a complete beginner when I started and now I can confidently say that I know a thing or two about music, Thanks Eli! read more

Eli rocks! Not only is he an absolutely wonderful teacher and gifted musician, he is also just a really great guy. My lessons with Eli were the first voice lessons I've ever taken. Although I've loved singing in the shower, in the car, and to Rock Band for years, I felt a little intimidated about taking voice lessons, thinking they were for "real" singers. Well, from our first session together, Eli helped me feel that I, too, could sing! He structured our lessons so that they were accessible to and fun for me, providing just the right mix of theory and instruction (e.g., explaining how to make certain sounds). Had I practiced more (my own bad!), I believe I would have progressed even more quickly, but even after a few lessons and some practice, my family noticed a marked improvement not only in my singing, but also in my speaking voice. I loved that Eli was open to helping me to learn any song I wanted (he even helped me to learn one of his own songs!!), and I was consistently impressed by how well he could hear where I needed to make improvements and how able he was to parse out what I needed to do to make a phrase, a word, a vowel better. No matter who you are, if you are thinking you might like to take voice lessons, go to Eli! read more

I cannot sing high enough praises for Eli! (Well, I actually can since he helped me expand my vocal range.) He listens carefully to my voice, my goals, and my needs, and he adapts the lessons and methodologies to me. He's versed in a variety of styles, so we've covered rock to pop and lyrical, and I not only learned how to keep pitch but also phrasing and timing so songs don't sound flat. He's an excellent teacher who figures out my mental models so he can explain things in a way that I can best relate and understand. I was amazed at how much progress I made in just a few months! He makes me feel comfortable with making non-linear progress--sometimes I stagnate or even backslide if my voice is just having a bad week. He's so genuine and supportive, he gets excited for my progress and he's encouraging when I struggle to break through a plateau. He's the perfect mix of professional, fun, lighthearted, supportive, and effective, and you won't regret putting your learning in his hands. read more

I took a group class and was inspired! Eli has many skills: time management keeps the class upbeat and interesting; there is a good balance between personal instruction, guided breathing and exercises that are just as good in a group as by oneself; and I learned a lot also from hearing Eli's coaching of other people. Plus, learning and practicing in front of a group adds the bonus of learning how to perform and fight the nervousness. By the time we got to the recital at the end of the 8 weeks many classmates were becoming friends or at least feeling genuinely supportive of each other and proud of each other's improvements. The class covers a huge range of topics and I have many things to practice on my own now. Eli holds the space and creates an environment that feels totally comfortable, non-judgmental, and is able to offer coaching that doesn't feel negative at all, which is pretty amazing for such a scary endeavor of learning to sing. read more