Detroit Vocal Jazz Workshop

The Detroit Vocal Jazz Workshop, held at the historic Music Hall Performing Arts Center in Downtown Detroit, is a premier training experience for students of vocal jazz. In the same theater that once showcased legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, you will learn to sing jazz on the stage where history was made.

Throughout the week, you will rehearse and receive coaching inside Aretha’s Jazz Café, one of Detroit’s top jazz clubs and home base for our daily sessions. This intimate venue is where you will prepare for your solo performance at the end of the workshop.

The curriculum is designed to help you grow as a jazz soloist. You will learn the essential techniques of jazz singing, how to communicate with and guide a band, how to improvise, and how to take your vocal performance to the next level, whether you are headed toward a professional career, preparing for college, or building skills in high school.

Under the direction of acclaimed vocal jazz educator Atla DeChamplain, you will be coached onstage, in classes, and in private lessons. You will study with multiple master clinicians and work daily with professional jazz accompanists. Whether you come with extensive vocal training or raw natural talent, you will make meaningful strides with guidance from our expert faculty.

Your week of training, held 1:00–5:00pm, culminates in a solo performance at Aretha’s Jazz Café on the Sunday following the workshop. You will perform with the same professional band you rehearsed with all week, an inspiring showcase for friends, family, and community supporters.

The Vocal Jazz Workshop opens slots for a maximum of 25 vocalists. Vocalists can be from high school age to professional or amateur adult. If this program interests you, register early and reserve your spot. Participants will be required to arrive with two, memorized jazz solo songs to work on throughout the week. A detailed schedule will be released in Spring 2026.

Vocal classes will focus on musical subjects (like improvisation, and expression) as well as professional ones (like building a book, and how to book gigs). The workshop will be tiered into subjects appropriate for less experienced vocalists as well as more seasoned ones.

Please enjoy photos and video from the 2025 workshop, and get ready to learn, perform, and have fun in the heart of Detroit’s jazz scene. Do not wait. Once we reach 25 registrations, additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list and contacted if a spot opens.

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