We were lucky to catch up with Zandrina Dunning recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zandrina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

As an artist with my own story, I know that so many of my peers have endured the hardship that comes along with living your dreams, achieving your goals, & succeeding to your highest potential. It’s that sauce that helps us to create meaningful work and what helps to builds our strength, our faith in God, & the heart to keep going. Our creativity gets us through.

I have a passion for success and helping people who possess similar goals excel. I want to see my people win and I am grateful to have the ability to provide some of the tools needed to take them to the next level in their careers.

I received a little bit of guidance along the way but a lot of what I learned was because I fell and had to get back up. I’m grateful for my formal education but I’m even more grateful for the experiences I went through so I can positively impact those who can use the information.

Zandrina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Zandrina Dunning; a Vocalist, Concert & Event Producer for Performing Artists, and Program Coordinator for 96.3FM Ohm Radio.

I have a Music Industry Degree from SC State University. (Go Bulldogs!) When I graduated, I wasn’t too confident about exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to sing but that was it. I worked for company after company and was always a top performer but kept losing jobs for what I thought were ridiculous reasons. Finally, I took a leap of faith and decided to allow Music to be my full-time job. 10 years have gone by and I haven’t looked back. I’m now working as the Program Coordinator for Ohm Radio, 96.3FM, Charleston’s Commercial Free, Listener Supported, Non Profit Radio Station. I’ve also been a full-time Vocalist and Concert/Event Producer for Performing Artists since 2013.

I work with performing artists, venue owners, managers, & more planning & creating live experiences for new album projects, tribute shows, intimate concerts, and so much more.

I have a program called Hall Pass that was created for students in middle to high school where we go into the schools and give them a mini concert with an opportunity to ask us questions.

Every area of my work gives me the daily inspiration & motivation I need to keep going and I can only hope that the people I have the privilege to work with feel the same. I have a radio show called The ZD Experience with the theme of “conversations & music to inspire the mind, body, & soul…” My website expresses that whatever we do, we’re aiming to “produce results to inspire.”

My journey has not been an easy one but as a single mother who’s daughter is following in my Creative Arts footsteps, I have no choice but to continue to push myself to provide an example for my daughter & for the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Stephen Washington is a well respected musician and musical director based here in Charleston who has toured several national & international cities with well-known artists in the Gospel, R&B, and Pop Music genres. He has been the Music Director for powerhouse vocalist, Quiana Parler of the Grammy Award winning group, Ranky Tanky for over 10 years. Stephen and I met years ago as he was playing with Quiana Parler & Friends.

Admiring his phenomenal talent, forward thinking mindset, and creative abilities, I was excited to learn that we were both hired to play with the same band; SC raised, Nashville based Singer Songwriter, Patrick Davis & His Midnight Choir, back in 2016. We connected and have had several conversations throughout the years about our goals and dreams as professionals in this industry.

Stephen co-founded & named the P.U.R.E. Concert Series which was created in the Fall of 2020 as a way to cope with the absence of live music during the pandemic. It highlights one artist per month from November-March. P.U.R.E. stands for peace, unity, & revival through entertainment. The acronym meaning was finalized by an assistant of mine, Randall Fernanders.

Our thoughts have aligned and conversations have turned into reality.

Stephen has been the Creative Director of The ZD Experience since 2020 and we continue to make music and memorable experiences for creatives and engaging audiences.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Venues pay Concert Promoters & Artists for providing entertainment and the amount depends heavily on ticket sales. What happens if the venue doesn’t sell enough tickets to properly pay the performer? As a Vocalist first, I know what it takes to put together a concert of any magnitude. There are rehearsals, band members to hire, music to learn, stage plots to design and so much more. As Producers & Creative Directors, we handle coordinating the behind the scenes tasks so the artist only has to focus on their music and performance. We are normally not in the budget when it comes to artists and venues.

Throughout this journey, our community of professionals have had a sense of the quality of our work. Some have asked, “How can we help to be a part of your growth?”

Our team of Community Partners have two things in common…a love and support for live music and respect for what we do. As professionals, they understand that what they see on stage takes work. It takes money. These Partners have been able to see a mutual support & business growth throughout our season of concerts as we highlight their business and showcase the goods and services they offer across radio, social media, website platforms, and more.

We’re grateful for our community partners.

I’d love to say THANK YOU to our P.U.R.E. Season 3 Community Partners

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thezdexperience.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/thezdexperience
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thezdexperience?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zandrina-dunning-4a77253a
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@zandrina

Image Credits
DJ Norway Rüta Smith Susannah Eliott