Dr. Eli receives 2024 AATS Award

I am honored to receive the American Academy of Teachers of Singing 2024 AATS Award. The award comes “in recognition of your leadership and excellence in youth jazz education.” Thank you to my teachers and colleagues for teaching me about singing, the way the voice works and the essential African American cultural roots of jazz […]

Meditations On Integration, my final DMA recital

When the world continues to make little sense and human beings resort to violence against one another, music offers hope, insight, and healing space. Charles Mingus stands as one of America’s greatest 20th century composers and he has few peers in confronting senseless violence with music. April 22, 2022 will be the centennial of his […]

Russia Blues Tour 2015

  Playing the blues for people is a great thrill. It’s like sharing the spark of life-running through you, out your instrument and into the audience and back. Then building to another spark and another-there’s nothing like it.  Through my piano, through my voice-building with band members, tour managers and the audience-always the audience. The […]