The Z (Zeiders American Dream Theater) is excited to announce the return of the internationally renowned Vocal Jazz Summit.

The Vocal Jazz Summit brings together emerging and established artists, industry leaders, and vocal jazz fans for a unique, intensive weekend dedicated to performance, connection, and education. The festival offers audiences the chance to see leading artists in the jazz world at The Z’s state of the art and intimate performance space. 

“The energy and community of the VJS is infectious!” said Festival Producer Liz Terrell. “It  is something every singer should experience in-person.”

Past performers include 2023’s GRAMMY-Award winning “Best New Artist”, Samara Joy, along with Kurt Elling, René Marie, and Cyrille Aimée.

Joy’s own vocal instructor, jazz vocalist Alexis Cole, artistically leads the festival with Terrell. The pair have curated a robust schedule of workshops and masterclasses alongside nightly performances and jam sessions.

Vocal Jazz Summit pass holders will be able to attend performances, panels, and workshops from some of Jazz’s biggest names. Jane Monheit headlines the 2023 Festival with a Friday night performance, and Saturday night features a one-of-a-kind teacher’s showcase with GRAMMY-Nominated Artist Kate McGarry, Greta Matassa, and Brianna Thomas. 

“The teacher showcase is electric! It is very rare to see such big names in vocal jazz perform alongside one another in one jam-packed weekend,” said Terrell of the 2023 lineup. 

Attendees will have the chance to show off their own voices and perform alongside Johnny O’Neal and his trio at the Saturday night jam session. Ending the weekend on a high note, Sheila Jordan closes the Vocal Jazz Summit with a performance featuring famed duo partner Cameron Brown on bass. 

For a limited time, attendees can take advantage of early bird ticket prices, and receive $100 off their all-access festival passes. Early bird passes are priced at just $175, and include access to all festival events, workshops, performances, and networking. The sale runs through March 15, 2023. Virtual Passes are also available for $75. 

This year, The Z is proud to partner with the Virginia Beach Town Center Westin Hotel for specially discounted hotel rooms. Vocal Jazz Summit attendees can book their rooms with a 50% discount, and enjoy lodging for the festival within walking distance.  

Vocal Jazz Summit runs Friday, June 23 – Sunday, June 25, 2023. For tickets, lodging, and a full list of events, workshops and sessions, visit www.vocaljazzsummit.org 

Zeiders American Dream Theater is located at 4509 Commerce Street, Virginia Beach,  VA 23462 

Zeiders American Dream Theater is funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach  through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission. Additional contributing sponsors include Audacy and Mitsa Group  

ABOUT ZEIDERS AMERICAN DREAM THEATER 

Zeiders American Dream Theater, known as The Z, is a professional, non-profit performing arts  company whose mission is to provide a wide range of highly entertaining artistic experiences to  the community by fostering and introducing new works and exceptionally gifted artists in all areas of the performing arts. The Z is a community hub for celebrating creative growth and entertainment. With intimate performance spaces and unique programming that generates an exciting connection between the performer and the audience, The Z inspires audiences and performers alike to tap into their own creative spark, unleash their dreams, and achieve their full potential. 

www.thez.org 

ABOUT ALEXIS COLE – FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR  

A dozen albums into her career, vocalist Alexis Cole is hitting her stride. As a sought after international performer, she’s appeared with her trio, with whom she both plays piano and sings,  and is a frequent guest with big bands and pops orchestras. She’s the director of the Jazz Vocal program at the SUNY Purchase College conservatory and William Paterson University, the  founder and director of the online educational community JazzVoice.com, and the cofounder and artistic director of the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit. 

www.alexiscole.com 

ABOUT LIZ TERRELL- FESTIVAL PRODUCER

Liz Terrell has been a part of The Zeiders American Dream Theater team since 2015 and currently serves as the Music and Community Series Producer after having worn many hats as the Company Manager, Artistic Associate, and Bookkeeper. When not working behind the scenes at The Z you can find her on stage performing as one of Virginia’s most sought after  jazz vocalists. Over the past decade, Terrell’s musical career has navigated through the performance spectrum, ranging from musical theater and cabaret to touring Europe in a gospel ensemble until she found herself firmly planted in jazz. Her latest album “It’s All Right With Me” was met with critical acclaim and a warm welcome into the jazz world.

www.lizterrell.com 

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The Z and VEER Magazine Bring the Ambient Music Scene to VB This January Virginia Beach – Ambient music takes the center stage at The Z this January, in a special showcase for a genre often overlooked.

At the new Ambient Music Showcase, three ambient music composers will be featured in a new event as part of the Live at The Z Music series, in partnership with the Zeiders American Dream Theater and VEER Magazine.

“We have a number of uniquely talented, independent ambient music recording artists in the 757 region that often get overlooked due to the nature of their musical focus. I thought a showcase performance featuring three of the composers would be an ideal way for an audience to “experience” their work,” said Jeff Maisey, Editor of VEER Magazine, which publishes the annual VEER Music Awards.

Maisey and VEER keep a pulse on the Hampton Roads music scene, and its undiscovered emerging artists, and a partnership with The Z is helping to bring live performance opportunities to this underserved community.

The design and audio/visual aspects of Zeiders American Dream Theater provide an equally unique environment to optimally experience such music in an intimate setting.

“Ambient music creates an experience for the audience and when you pair the excitement and wonder of live composition with stunning visual displays it is truly a one-of-a-kind,” said The Z’s Music Series Producer Liz Terrell, “The Z is the perfect venue to showcase these 3 artists in their element.”

For this concert, the artists were given complete freedom to pair the production elements that The Z’s mainstage theater provides with new original compositions, creating an experience unlike other “traditional” concert experiences.

“Expect the music, paired with the visual component, to evocatively set and explore a mood,” said Maisey, “The sky — galaxy — really is the limit.”

Want to go? Ambient Music Showcase, January 20, 2023 at 7:30pm. GET TICKETS

Part-Time Position Announcement
Program Assistant

The focus of the Program Assistant is to support Arts for Learning’s Education and Program Team (EPT) in the implementation of In-School and Out-of-School Time (OST) projects and professional development for educators and parents. The position reports to the Chief Operations Officer, with day-to-day direction provided by the Artist and Programming Manager.

Responsibilities include:

Education, Programming, and Special Initiatives

• Participates cooperatively with the A4L Education and Program Team and other staff members to provide artist support services, Out-of-School-Time program support and oversight, and regular communication with schools/non-school community partners, teachers, and teaching artists.
• Facilitates Out-of-School-Time programs by sharing student progress, providing feedback, budget tracking, order and delivery of program materials, program assessment and evaluation collection, in-person site visits, program troubleshooting and documentation, and coordination of student recognition and culminating events for family and friends.

General
• Advances the organization’s commitment to the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA).
• Completes assignments timely, effectively, and accurately.
• Collaborates on and contributes to program-related marketing / public relations efforts.
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality.
• Supports and advocates for the organizational mission.
• Represents Arts for Learning at events as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands
The physical demands listed here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.

Work involves sitting, standing, walking, stooping, and bending intermittently throughout the day. Occasionally carries objects up to 50 pounds. Constant use of computer keyboard and monitor, and need for reaching with the hands or arms, and use of hands to finger, handle, or feel. Constant use of the spoken word and hearing ability.

Travel
The majority of Arts for Learning’s programming takes place within a service area that includes both the Southside and Peninsula areas of Hampton Roads. This position requires frequent travel throughout the identified service area. Travel compensation provided.

Work Hours
The Program Assistant will generally work in the office or remotely between the office hours of 1:30pm-6:30pm, Monday through Friday, with occasional later or weekend hours.

Qualifications
• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent, with associate’s degree preferred.
• At least one year of experience working with school-aged children.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communications skills including with diverse stakeholders.
• Passion, curiosity, and enthusiasm for educational potential of arts-based programming.
•Willingness to have fun and be engaging during hands-on work with youth.
• Minimum of mid-level of competency with office technology (MS Office, Google applications, Adobe, etc.)
• Group leadership skills, including an understanding of group dynamics.
• Reliable transportation.

Compensation Hourly rate range of $15-17/hour
Employment Type Part-Time, Non-Exempt

How to Apply
Please submit your application to us by email (info[at]arts4learningVA.org) including a cover letter, resume, and list of three references. Subject line should include “Application – Program Assistant.” Resume reviews will begin immediately. Successful background check will be required prior to start date.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, socioeconomic status, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, culture, religious beliefs, ethnicity, and (dis)ability status.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Z is hiring designers for 2 shows this spring.

Set Design – Taking Measure

Taking Measure fuses the world and characters of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure into a young woman’s struggle through contemporary academia to explore today’s Me Too movement and Cancel Culture in a surprisingly nuanced way.

Set, Projections, and Costume Design- Refraction of Light

Jazz Road Tours supports small, artist-led, three- to six-site tours at an array of venue types, often in rural communities and other areas traditionally underserved by the genre. Grant amounts generally range from $5,000 to $15,000.

Jazz Road Tours will operate on regularly recurring application cycles through 2026. The next deadline is Thursday, December 1, 2022 for tours taking place between March 15, 2023 and March 15, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their funding status by February 15, 2023. For additional deadlines and funding information, please visit the South Arts Jazz Road Tours web page.

This artist-centric grant program—designed to support approximately 50 tours each year—is made possible with funds from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from the Mellon Foundation.

• The Asheville, North Carolina-based Center for Craft invites applications for its Teaching Artist Cohort. Through the program, 21 mid-career craft artists will receive an unrestricted grant of $10,000 and participate in an eight-month cohort experience where they will be guided through training that encourages and sustains a generative practice as both artists and educators. Proposals are invited from mid-career craft artists who teach. Deadline: November 30, 2022.
• The Fine Arts Work Center invites applications for its 2023-24 Writing Fellowship, open to writers in the emerging stages of their careers. The seven-month fellowship includes a rustic but comfortable apartment, a monthly stipend of $1,000, plus an exit stipend. Residencies run from October 1, 2023, through April 30, 2023, and during this time, fellows can pursue their work independently in a diverse and supportive community of peers. Deadline: December 15, 2022.
• Saratoga Arts is inviting applications for its Community Arts Grants program, which will provide grants of up to $5,000 to support projects that are open to the community they serve and allow the citizens of that community to interact directly with art. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) or New York State nonprofit organizations with an active board of trustees either incorporated in N.Y. State or registered to do business in N.Y. State. Deadline: December 15, 2022.
• Folger Institute Artist Research Fellowships are open to artists working in all media whose work would benefit from significant primary research. This includes, but is not limited to, visual artists, writers, dramaturgs, playwrights, performers, filmmakers, and composers. Artist fellowships may be conducted either as a virtual fellowship for one month or as a residential fellowship at the Folger for one, two, or three months. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
• Adobe created the Stock Artist Development Fund to support and promote outstanding artists identifying with underrepresented communities and provide a platform to showcase and celebrate their independent, empowered, and creative forms of visual expression. The fund offers empowerment of artists’ voices and financial support for talented artists with the eventual impact of promoting imagery that has been historically underrepresented in commercial media and aims to ensure that artists are compensated for their work. Rolling Deadline: January 22, 2023.