On behalf of the Board of Trustees, directors, and staff of Columbus Children’s Choir, I hope this message finds you healthy and safe. I am thrilled to report that, during these unprecedented times, Columbus Children’s Choir continues to be able to offer our community quality choral education experiences. While this has been a very challenging year, we have been able to return to in-person rehearsals for our most mature choir and will soon be implementing the same for our younger choirs.

The determination to return to in-person instruction is based on much research on going research. Through my research, CCC has determined that the key to in-person rehearsals is to implement social distancing and safety recommendations. The current research does not suggest the need for a total ban on singing, but rather a better approach to controlling the environment, understanding the risks, and rethinking our ensemble sizes.

Our top ensemble, New World Singers, has been rehearsing in-person since the beginning of our season. Our rehearsals have been extremely successful and we have had NO COVID-19 transmission within our ensembles! All singers are socially distanced, wearing masks, and have temperatures taken upon arrival. After thirty minutes, singers change rehearsal rooms and the vacated room is closed, disinfected, and left empty for 30 minutes. All windows and doors are open to provide the best ventilation possible. We have purchased four Conway HEPA Air Purifier Systems (one for each rehearsal room), which aid in the elimination of aerosol particles.

We have split our 84-member New World Singers choir into seven smaller ensembles. Because the ensemble size is smaller, each singer is getting more personalized one-on-one attention. This has resulted itself in greater and faster singer growth. Our in-person rehearsal success is due, in large part, to everyone respecting the safety protocols that we have put in place.

Those choirs that have not returned to in-person rehearsals are still making great progress through their zoom rehearsals. We look forward to bringing them back to in-person rehearsal soon. It is important to note that those families who are not comfortable with in-person rehearsal are given the option to remain on zoom. Our singers who remain on zoom meet once every two weeks with their director to ensure that they are making the same progress as their in-person counterparts.

We invite and encourage you to recommend Columbus Children’s Choir to your singers, family and friends as we continue to welcome new singers into our organization this season.

Thank you for your continued support, patience, and trust during these difficult times. Your singers are the inspiration that fuels our work.