VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

Zeiders American Dream Theater is a professional, non-profit theater that introduces new works and emerging artists, presents unique artistic experiences, and inspires creative growth in the Hampton Roads Community.

The Z’s founding principles are that creativity drives the growth of individuals and communities; and that the imagination, passion, and discipline of creation are universal requirements for all successful endeavors, artistic and otherwise.

Our mission is accomplished through programming balanced between developing projects and artists, presenting regional, national and international artists, and community-driven events.

The Z is about ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES. The Z is about ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITY. The Z is about COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. The Arts start HERE.

Welcome to the third-annual Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit, we’re so happy to see your faces! We are a vibrant and diverse community of vocalists who come together to learn, enjoy and create community. We believe in the power of the human voice, and self-expression. If there’s a song inside of us, it must come out.

When I lived in at Koinonia Farm, a christian/social justice intentional community in Georgia at age 20, I was part of an a cappella trio called the Blueberry Patch Singers - so called because we began singing together when we were out harvesting blueberries and discovered that though our voices were very different, they blended beautifully. This one song from our gospel repertoire always stays with me.

My life goes on in endless song above earth´s lamentations, I hear the real, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife I hear its music ringing, It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing?

If there is a song inside of you, you must let it out. If that song comes from joy or sadness, peace or longing, you must sing it.

While though the tempest loudly roars, I hear the truth, it liveth. And though the darkness ‘round me close, songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I´m clinging. Since love is lord of heaven and earth how can I keep from singing?

No matter what the sound is that comes out of you, it is exactly as it should be. As a voice teacher, I make my living helping people sound better. But whatever is coming out of your mouth right now, if it comes from your heart, it’s a perfect expression.

I’m so over shame. I’ll never get enough time to practice, and I still go out there and do gigs. I’m forced to accept the chasm between the freedom I wish I had and what I can do. As a young singer, I attended a workshop with Kenny Werner, the jazz pianist who wrote the ground breaking book Effortless Mastery. He gave an analogy that has helped me a lot.

“Imagine you went to your refrigerator and you kicked it and it made a booming sound of say, crashing your hand on a cluster at the bottom of a piano. You’d be calling all your friends over, “Man, you got to come over and hear my refrigerator!”

Find this freshness in your music - it is amazing that we have sounds and tones and our voices can make pitches and have this musical expression at all. I invite you to free yourself from things needing to be perfect. Experience radical self-acceptance, and arrive in this present moment with the music that is happening, instead of living in the past (all the things you don’t know/can’t do) or fantasies of the future (the ineffable someday when you’ll be a musical god). Let’s get ourselves out of the way, and together, we’ll watch the magic that can happen!

ALEXIS COLE - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

JULY 8, 15, 22, 29