youth choir

Kol NoVa, the Jewish Youth Choir of Northern Virginia, is open to all children in grades 2-8 who love to sing contemporary Jewish music.

Our fun, spirited rehearsals are held about 3 Sundays per month at Congregation Olam Tikvah, 3800 Glenbrook Rd, Fairfax from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and are conducted by Carol, the group’s founding director.

Kol NoVa is a non-audition community youth choir; its members come from all over Northern Virginia. Kol NoVa members are wonderful kids!

Our 2008-09 performances included the City of Fairfax Festival of Lights and Carols, the Greenspring Village Chanukah Party, a Purim musical at Beth El Hebrew Congregation and Greenspring Village, and songleading at a Tot Seder.  Our 2007-08 performances included a Chanukah event at the Pentagon, a Chanukah sing-along at the Hebrew Home, a Washington-area Jewish choral concert at the Strathmore Concert Hall, and a Habitat-for-Humanity "Building on Faith" concert.  Each year, Kol NoVa has led two  Greenspring Village Friday evening services.  Kol NoVa families end the year with a fun family activity, such as mini-golf and frozen custard.

Children are welcome to try out a rehearsal before deciding whether to join. They really are fun! Just let Carol know to expect you. Tuition is $85/semester.  Semester 1 is October-January.  Semester 2 is February-May.  Pro-rated tuition is possible for those who join late.  Children may register for only one semester, but the learning is cumulative and essentially everyone sticks with it the whole year.  In fact, most of our members return year after year after year...  Choir members are provided with a personalized music binder, a Kol NoVa t-shirt and are loaned a performance vest.  Most of our singers stay with the group year after year and look forward to moving up from one size to the next!

Read the testimonial and survey finding below the choir schedule... and then please give your child an opportunity to be part of our choir! 

The Kol NoVa 2009-2010 season begins Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009

Calendar 2008-09

Semester 1:

Oct 12     rehearsal

Oct 19     rehearsal

Oct 26     rehearsal

Nov 2      rehearsal

Nov 9      rehearsal

Nov 14    Shabbat Evening Service at Greenspring Village Chapel, Spring Village Drive, Springfield.  Arrive 7:00 for 7:15 p.m. service.  Black skirt for girls, black pants for boys, white shirts, choir vest

Nov 16    rehearsal (for singing adults, too)

Nov 23    rehearsal (for singing adults, too)

[Nov 30] NO rehearsal - Thanksgiving Weekend

Dec 6      Fairfax City Festival of Lights and Carols - outdoor Hanukkah concert and sing-along.  Arrive 2:45 p.m. for 3:00 performance. No special attire required.  Kitty Pozer Garden of the Ratcliffe-Allison House, 10386 Main St behind the Old Town Hall.  (Nearby underground parking at regional library)

[Dec 7]   NO rehearsal unless rained out Dec 6

Dec 14    rehearsal

Dec 21    Greenspring Village Hanukkah Party - begins 2:00 p.m. in the Accotink Room.  Black pants for all, white shirts, choir vests

[Dec 28]  NO rehearsal - winter break

2009

Jan 4      rehearsal at the JCC - we begin rehearsing for our Purim musical, "The Wickedly Wonderful Wizard of PersOz"

Jan 11    auditions for Purim musical

[Jan 18]  NO rehearsal - MLK, Jr. Weekend

Jan 25     rehearsal

Semester 2:

Feb 1      rehearsal (tuition due)

Feb 8      rehearsal

Feb 15    NO rehearsal - Presidents' Day Weekend

Feb 22    rehearsal

Mar 1      extended rehearsal/dress rehearsal at Greenspring Village theatre, 3-6 p.m.

Mar 8      "The Wizard of PersOz" (arrive at Beth El at 10:00 for 11:00 performance; arrive at Greenspring Village 2:00 for 2:30 performance

Mar 15    rehearsal

Mar 22    rehearsal

Mar 29    rehearsal

Apr 4      Tot Seder 11:00 a.m. at Beth El Hebrew Congregation (arrive 10:45 a.m.). Families welcome.  Kol NoVa t-shirt, black pants

[Apr 12    NO rehearsal - Spring break]

Apr 19    rehearsal

Apr 26    rehearsal

May 3     rehearsal

May 8     Shabbat Evening Service at Greenspring Village Chapel, Spring Village Dr, Springfield.  Arrive 7:00 p.m. for 7:15 service.  Black skirt for girls, black pants for boys, white shirt, choir vest

[May 10]  NO rehearsal - Mother's Day

May 17   rehearsal

May 31  NoVaShir Choral Festival, Greenspring Village Theatre

June 7    End-of-year Kol NoVa Family minigolf-and-ice-cream get-together at 2 p.m.

The letter that follows comes from a devoted father of a Kol NoVa member.  It helps explain what makes membership in Kol NoVa something that can have both an immediate and a lasting impact on our young singers.

• There are approximately 10.1 million American children singing in choruses today.
• The majority of parents surveyed believe multiple skills increased after their child joined a chorus. Seventy-one percent say their child has become more self-confident, 70% say their child's self-discipline has improved, and 69% state their child's memory skills have improved.
• More than 80% of educators surveyed—across multiple academic disciplines—agree with parent assessments that choir participation can enhance numerous aspects of a child's social development and academic success. Educators also observe that children who sing are better participants in group activities, have better emotional expression, and exhibit better emotional management.
• Children who participate in a chorus get significantly better grades than children who have never sung in a choir. Forty-five percent of parents whose children sing state their child receives “all or mostly A's” in mathematics (vs. 38% of non-choir parents) and 54% get “all or mostly A's” in English and other language arts classes (vs. 43%).

• Dear Carol,

  We are so pleased that our daughter is in your Kol NoVa Youth Choir.

  I was thinking about what you do, as part of our raising a Jewish daughter.  In an era of unprecedented peace, freedom and prosperity and at a time of decreasing synagogue memberships and increasing intermarriage, how do we get our children to make Judaism a positive choice?  This is one of the problems documented in studies and books such as "Getting Our Groove Back" by Scott Shay.

  I believe you have a major part of the answer.  Your choir is fun.  Our daughter chose to skip a Girl Scout meeting to sing with the choir at your preschool seder which was packed with children and their families and where the enthusiasm, spirit, and fun were obvious.

  When I come home from work during the week, our daughter is singing along with the youth choir practice CD while playing in the living room.  Another Kol NoVa parent and I were discussing how much her daughter is learning through the choir.  When her daughter was asked to name the Hebrew months in order, her daughter's hand went up immediately.  She knew, because that's one of Miss Carol's songs. 

  It's the Mary Poppins theory.  "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.  Find the fun, and snap, the job's a game.... A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, in a most delightful way."

  I think you may have one of the answers.  If children are exposed very early in their lives and learn that Judaism is a lifelong pursuit filled with song, joy, stories, and fun, then these problems will take care of themselves.  At that point, people will have to squeeze in time for a soccer game or shopping after their choir and Hebrew school are over rather than the other way around.  Judaism is a very positive religion and way of life.  And if children learn that early enough, then it's something they will enjoy choosing to do for the rest of their lives.
  
  

  Keep up your great work.

  Stuart (Weiss), Para-rabbi and Kol NoVa dad, 4/08

  ZT"L

Did you know... Children who sing in choruses have academic success and valuable life skills

The following findings are from a recent Chorus America study of young singers: