Children's Choir coming to Holland

Do you love to sing?
Would you love to be in a children's choir? 

Then this may be for you!

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Greetings!
We are writing to announce an exciting musical opportunity for your young singers. Our area does not have an auditioned children’s choir, and a desire clearly exists for such an experience. This fall the West Michigan Children’s Choir, under the direction of Sarah Cox and Jennifer Wolfe, will begin its debut season, welcoming treble singers from third through eighth grades. A two-level choir will present concerts in November and March. We’ll rehearse on Monday evenings. Modest tuition of $200 a year will cover all costs (except uniforms) for the children. Partial tuition scholarships will be offered to those who qualify.

The West Michigan Children’s Choir will
• nurture and safely develop the natural abilities of children who love to sing
• confirm the importance of each individual singer as a critical part of our program
• offer quality music education at each level
• introduce our singers to the world’s diverse cultures through music
• develop self-confidence, self-esteem, and pride through musical excellence
• instill a love of music that will continue to grow long after they leave us

Walk-in auditions for the ensemble will take place on Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18, from 4:30-6:00 at East K-7 School (373 East 24th St. Holland, MI 49423) in the choir room (blue hall). Students will sing “Happy Birthday” without accompaniment and then sing the same melody against a harmony played on the piano. In addition, students will perform short tonal memory and rhythm exercises. Those who audition will be notified of their placement in the choir by email before the Memorial Day weekend. In August we will come together on the campus of Hope College for a one-day retreat, during which students will have a chance to get to know one another, engage in team-building activities, and begin learning the repertoire for the fall session. 

Please feel free to email if you have further questions and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We are very much looking forward to making this vision a reality for our community and our students. 

Sincerely,
Sarah Cox & Jennifer Wolfe

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Sarah Cox 
Hope College 2006; Cleveland State University 2010 (Music Education)
cox.sarahk@gmail.com

Sarah is married and lives in Holland, where she teaches elementary music and middle school choir, and works with the high school marching band in Holland Public Schools. She is a soprano in the Holland Chorale and studies voice with Stuart Sharp and Nicholas Loren. Sarah maintains a private voice and violin studio.

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Jennifer Wolfe  
University of Toronto 1985; University of Illinois 1990 (Choral Music); Michigan State University 1991 (Piano Performance)
wolfe@hope.edu

A native of Canada, Jennifer is married to Hope choir director Brad Richmond and they have two sons in high school. She teaches full-time in the music department at Hope College, where she directs the Women’s Chamber Choir, teaches musicianship classes and a freshman seminar, and serves as a staff accompanist. She has directed adult and children’s choirs at Grace Episcopal Church and appears frequently as a collaborative pianist.