The Fundamentals of Singing: A Class for Queer & Trans Folks & Allies

​The Fundamentals of Singing (In Person)

A 9-Week Class for Queer & Trans People & Allies​

Mondays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

August 25th - November 3rd, 2025

No Class September 1st (Labor Day) or September 22nd (Rosh Hashanah)

Sacramento Friends Meeting House - 890 57th St

This is an in person community singing class for queer and transgender people and allies who want to develop their voices in a warm, supportive group setting. Beginners are very welcome! No musical experience is necessary.

Learn to sing using fun games, vocal exercises, group sing-a-longs, and solo songs of your own choosing. You will strengthen your natural voice by learning the fundamentals of vocal technique. We'll explore breathing for singing in depth, and developing your chest (low), head (high), and mix (middle) registers. You'll get personalized coaching, and learn how to listen to yourself and other singers with a more knowledgeable ear. You'll also get lots of practice and get more comfortable singing solo in front of others.

The class culminates with a performance for friends and family on the last day, November 3rd. Glitter will be optional but highly encouraged!

About the Teacher

Eli Conley is a singer-songwriter and teaching artist based in Sacramento, California. He is a certified teacher of Somatic Voicework - The LoVetri Method™ who continues to study to deepen his approach to contemporary vocal pedagogy. He performs and tours as a folk/country 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 and songwriting coaching for people of all identities, ages 13 and up.

What Past Participants Say

"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."

"This class opened up a new world for me. I have always harbored a desire to sing with the confidence I see in many of my friends but due to anxiety I've always shut myself down, held my voice back. This class helped me to open up to my voice, to give it space to just be what it is and to start to love and value it. I'm so grateful and so excited to see what other changes this leads to in my life."

"Eli's classes are magic: queer community, gender inclusivity, singing, personal expression. It's the safest, most encouraging space to learn to sing. I couldn't imagine growing as much as I have as a singer and as a person without it."

COVID Care

Singing is unfortunately a high risk activity for virus transmission. We will meet in a large open room and always have an air purifier running. Out of love for our immunocompromised and disabled community members, this class will also require N95 or KN95 masks, and proof of updated COVID vaccination. Lightweight duckbill-style N95s that are more comfortable for singing will be provided, or you can wear your own mask. You're welcome to reach out with questions.​

Accessibility

All of the exercises in this class are designed to work for people with a broad range of abilities and body types, and disabled and neurodivergent folks are very welcome! Our meeting space is wheelchair and mobility scooter accessible, with no steps and a parking lot right outside. Students will sit in sturdy chairs without arms, and are also welcome to get up and move about the space. There are two single stall ADA accessible all gender restrooms in the building, and a quiet dark room if you need to take a sensory break. Please let me know about your specific access needs when you register. You're also welcome to reach out with any questions about accessibility.​

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Cost (Sliding Scale)

The cost of this class is on a sliding scale, and payment is due in two installments:

- 50% when you register, to hold your spot

- 50% on the first day of class

Participants can also request a payment plan to break up their payment into more installments.

At Cost: $376 (Unlimited spots)This is the true cost of the class, and the rate I need most people to pay in order to cover my costs and pay myself a living wage. Consider paying this amount if doing so would be an investment, but not create hardship for you. You might choose this rate if you are regularly able to meet your basic needs (food, housing, healthcare, transportation, childcare) and have some expendable income, you can travel every few years without burden, and you have some debt but are able to pay it regularly.

Higher Rate: $476 (Unlimited spots)This is a pay-it-forward rate. It's an opportunity to not only take this class, but also support your fellow community members in doing so too. Consider paying this amount if you are comfortably able to meet your basic needs (food, housing, healthcare, transportation, childcare), own the home your live in or rent a higher end property, have access to financial savings and/or investments, have paid or pay for private education, have reliable work or do not need to work to meet your needs, have inherited wealth, and/or can afford to travel every year.

Lower Rate: $276 (4 spots)This is a discounted rate. Consider paying this amount if you have limited expendable income, little or no access to savings, significant debt, and little or no access to financial support from family.

Pay What You Can (2 spots)Two pay-what-you-can spots are available in this class. If you are Black, Indigenous, a Person of Color, trans femme, and/or disabled and paying more would be a hardship, this option is for you.​

I am grateful to Alexis J. Cunningfolk of and Hadassah Damien of for inspiring my approach to sliding scale.

​More Info

See all Eli's upcoming offerings for queer and trans folks and allies

Questions? [email protected]

Host or Publisher Eli Conley