New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Vocalist Alexis Cole Joins Faculty At William Paterson University

originally published: 09/14/2021


(WAYNE, NJ) -- Starting in Fall 2021, New York based vocalist Alexis Cole will join the faculty at the prestigious conservatory at William Paterson University.  An alumnus from the class of 1998, Cole takes the baton from her mentor, Nancy Marano who held the chair for the previous 25 years, coincidentally Cole’s first year as a student at the college. 

Having grown up in Florida, Cole chose to start her education at the University of Miami.  Although a renowned jazz program; with its focus on group singing, and a large student body, she felt it was difficult to find her way there.  “William Paterson was a perfect place for me to land” says Cole, who transferred there for her Junior year.  “I felt it had an equal emphasis on skills building and creating artist/musicians.” She thrived under the tutelage of Marano and also Todd Coolman, her combo teacher whom she would later become colleagues with, when she began teaching at SUNY Purchase in 2014.  

Alexis began her teaching career as a private teacher at the 92nd St. Y in Manhattan.  She left that position to teach at the Berklee College of Music’s program in Quito, Ecuador.  Then following a six and a half year stint in the military, singing with the West Point Band’s Jazz Knights Big Band, she joined the faculty at SUNY Purchase, New York.  

In 2020, Cole founded JazzVoice.com, an online educational community, where amateurs and budding professionals could have access to a wide variety top notch vocal educators. With a membership of over 200 monthly subscribers, and weekly classes for skills building and professional development, the site has gained international recognition.  The opportunity to study with faculty like Tierney Sutton, Karrin Allyson, Catherine Russell, Jane Monheit and Cole’s mentor Nancy Marano, make the programming compelling and exciting for singers and fans alike. 

In 2021, Cole launched the inaugural Vocal Jazz Summit, in coordination with the Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach.  In 2021 it was presented online, but in 2022 they plan to gather in person, with daily workshops and jam sessions, and headliners Kurt Elling and Cole providing the evening entertainment, closing with Samara Joy, a rising star and recent student of Cole’s from SUNY Purchase.  Other presenters for 2022 include René Marie, Dominique Eade, Greta Matassa and Jane Monheit. 




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



William Paterson’s Jazz Program, originally founded by Thad Jones is nearing in its 50th year. With artistic director Bill Charlap and longtime academic director Dr. David Demsey, it boasts a faculty of all New York based working professionals like Vincent Herring, Dayna Stevens and Chico Mendoza.  It’s also the home of the Living Jazz Archive, including collections of music and ephemera from jazz greats. 

When considering her for the position at Paterson, Demsey reflected “It gives us great pride to have Alexis joining this faculty.  She has built such a wonderful career, and has so many links to our historic jazz program - not only that she is an alumnus, but also that she has recorded with her fellow WP alum Eric Alexander and with the late Harold Mabern, and that she remains connected to her predecessor, Nancy Marano.  We are all very excited to welcome her.”

William Paterson University is located at 300 Pompton Road in Wayne, New Jersey.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Tuesday

Tuesday Night Book Club - Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:30pm
VIRTUAL
category: community

Click here for full event listing

 

MMA

MMA Pro League Fight Night

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008
category: community

Click here for full event listing

 

Summer

Summer Brew Fest 2025

Friday, July 25, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008
category: community


Click here for full event listing

 

Miss

Miss Republica Dominicana of NJ US - Gala Final

Saturday, July 26, 2025 @ 6:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: community


Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Monmouth

Monmouth County Fair Offers Family Fun

(FREEHOLD, NJ) -- The scent of cotton candy! The thrill of the rides! The cheers from the crowds! There's something magical about the Monmouth County Fair. Find out for yourself when this five-day event celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Wednesday-Sunday, July 23-27, 2025 at East Freehold Showgrounds (Kozloski Road) in Freehold.



Newark

Newark to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Week July 7-13

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the Newark Municipal Council, the City's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Advisory and Concerns Commission, Newark Pride, Inc, and other organizations and partners will hold Newark Pride Week from Monday, July 7, to Sunday, July 13, 2025.



Creativity

Creativity Deep Dive: Class for Adults at Vivid Stage

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, is offering a new creative class especially for adults over the last weekend in July. Creativity Deep Dive, taught by professor and playwright Phoebe Farber, is an opportunity for grown-ups to have the fun of exploring their own imaginations and creative potential. The class is offered from 10:00am-2:00pm on July 26 and 27; lunch will be provided.



Carteret's

Carteret's Civic Center Park Hosts New Jersey's Most Popular Latin Fest on July 26th

(CARTERET, NJ) -- New Jersey's most popular Latin Fest will return on Saturday, July 26, 2025 to Carteret, but this year in a new location: the Borough's accessible Civic Center Park and Sports Complex at 272 Pershing Ave. The venue change is due to ongoing construction improvements to Waterfront Park, the home of Latin Fest since 2018.



Dining

Dining Out Jersey's 5th Annual Foodie Expo features Special Guests David Burke and Produce Pete

(PARAMUS, NJ) -- Dining Out Jersey presents the 5th Annual Dining Out Jersey Foodie Expo on Thursday, July 17, 2025 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at The Terrace at Biagio's in Paramus. This year's event will feature special guests David Burke and NBC's Produce Pete.