about carol

Carol Boyd Leon is a professional musician who shares the joy of music with everyone she meets. Her clear, loving voice invites students, congregants and audiences to sing with her. Carol’s enthusiasm for her work – songwriter/composer, performer and recording artist, music specialist, choir director, song leader and service leader – is apparent to all who know her.

Carol’s current music activities:

Songwriter/Composer (music/songbooks page):

• Dayenu! A Passover Haggadah for Families and Children (with CD, KTAV Publishing House release date Jan. 19, 2009)
• Habitat for Humanity theme song, Brick by Brick, Wall by Wall (2008).  Youtube video
• Voices In Prayer, 50 Liturgical Songs for Congregational Singing (songbook 2007, reference recordings/CDs 2008)
• Healing Service in Song (DVD of inspirational choral music, 2005)
• Gan Shirim, A Garden of Songs (children's double-CD and songbook, 2004)
• Jewish Life Cycle (songbook, 2002)
• Songs from the Heart: Family Shabbat (CD and songbook, 2000)
• Choral arrangements
• Songs celebrating Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Burke Centre, GMU

Cantorial Soloist/Song Leader/Service Leader

• Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria, VA (Tot Shabbat, Religious School services)
• George Mason University Hillel, Fairfax, VA (High Holy Days services)
• Greenspring Village, Springfield, VA (Shabbat evening services)
• Temple Shalom, Chevy Chase, MD (various services)
• Guest song leader/service leader for several other congregations
• Click here to see video of Carol leading a Tot Seder

Choir Director:

• Kol NoVa, The Youth Choir Of Northern Virginia, Fairfax, VA
• Olam Tikvah Chorale, Fairfax, VA
• Click here to see video of Carol directing combined choirs at the Strathmore Music Center

Music Specialist:

• Beth El Hebrew Congregation Religious School, Alexandria, VA
• Beth Emeth Early Childhood Center, Herndon, VA
• Etz Hayim Preschool, Arlington, VA
• Olam Tikvah Preschool, Fairfax, VA
• Temple Shalom Religious School, Chevy Chase, VA

Owner/Instructor:

• Encore Summer Performance Camp, Burke, VA

Performer and Presenter. Venues have included:

• U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, Jewish Community Centers, schools and synagogues
• Hospital pediatric wards through Pickleberry Pie, Inc.
• Jewish festivals and conferences including CAJE, Women Cantors' Network, PJLL, Jewish Folk Arts Festival, etc. 
• Fairfax County Public Libraries

Music awards, commendations…

Carol’s highly-acclaimed music is sung throughout the United States and has been performed worldwide including Canada, England, France, Argentina, Hungary and Singapore.

• Patriots’ Dreams was named the official George Mason University alma mater in 2002.
• Gan Shirim received a 2004 Parents’ Choice Award and was nominated as “Best Jewish Album of 2006” by Just Plain Folks which also nominated Modeh Ani for “Best Jewish Song of 2006.”
• Shalom Aleichem and Nakum Uvaninu were winners at the First Annual Shalshelet Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music in 2004
• Come See The Candles was selected for Transcontinental Music Publications’ “The Complete Chanukah Songbook” published in 2003
• Virginia, Ever Enshrined was presented to the Virginia Legislature in 2007 as House Bill 2662 for consideration as the official state song
• Shehecheyanu was performed on Kol Halev’s Argentinian concert tour in 2007
• Shalom Aleichem, Peace to Us is a Verizon ringtone!

A very brief bio…

Although young children know her as "Miss Carol," Carol is married and makes her home in the Washington, DC area with her husband, son and their Scottie, Sandy. Carol grew up in Baldwin, Long Island (NY) and graduated from Brown University before moving to Northern Virginia to work as a government economist/writer/editor and freelance writer/editor and raise three children, who are now adults. Her lifelong love of music eventually led her to discover what she was really meant to do... and she’s been doing it full-time since 1991! Carol began publishing music in the year 2000 to make her music more widely available; her publishing company is called "Chai Notes Publications" (ASCAP).  Her choral music now is distributed by J.W. Pepper but is more immediately available through this website.  Carol is a member of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education and the Women Cantors' Network.