Singing means so much to me, from a Ragazzi alumnus

From Lukas Elzayek

Singing to me means more than notes on a paper; as a child growing up during the civil war of Lebanon, singing was an escape, a blessing, and a way to keep the mind and the heart alive. My earliest memories with singing were when we would be rushed to the bomb shelters, terrified by the horrific sounds of canon fire, gun shots, and chaos, we would sit there in almost complete darkness, and, to lift our spirits, and mask the sounds of War, we would all sing. We would sing nursery rhymes, popular songs, even make up our own songs; we would sing until we knew that the world was safe again, and [we would] leave the shelter with peace in our hearts. In a way, it saved our lives. When I joined Ragazzi under the superb direction of Joyce Keil, all those memories came back, and no matter how bad my day seemed, singing with Ragazzi always made me smile through my heart. One year, after my family received citizenship, Ragazzi was invited to sing the National Anthem at the Giants game. A day that literally brought tears to my eyes as I sang on that field: to be a citizen with the choir that brought me so much joy, and peace, I felt a joy that can never be explained through words, but maybe through song (haha).
To this day I remember the friendships, the songs, Joyce and her passion and dedication to Ragazzi. I remember Italy tour, all the fun times we had, a Nun named Sister Maria that yelled at me for "sagging" and the beautiful memories that will stay in my heart for ever. Ragazzi is a family, a friend, and peace of mind for me, that I can never forget, and that I, to this day tell all my friends about. And once in a while, you can catch me singing along to the Raggazzi CD at the top of my lungs.
Thank you Joyce Keil, and the entire Ragazzi family for helping preserve the gift of music that means so much in my life.

Thank you! Boys singing together, what a concept!!

Thank you! Boys singing together, what a concept!! 

25 years ago the only Bay Area boys chorus was located in San Francisco. Getting there from the peninsula was almost impossible, so for many boys  there was no opportunity to sing.

Meanwhile, the schools and childrens choruses were having trouble recruiting male singers. What was going on?

I  learned that in order to give the gift of singing to boys, they needed to be together and separate from the girls. They form a unique camaraderie and love the freedom to express themselves in song. That is how Ragazzi was born. We exist to help develop the other side of boys' natures, their spiritual, artistic and emotional sides. As Plato said, Gymnastics for the body, music for the mind. In our world today, there is so little opportunity for boys to nurture this side, so we are glad to provide that opportunity. 

It is amazing to me that we have grown from seven to 170 in these 25 years, but it shows the power of music to feed the souls of our young males.

Thank you parents for your hours of time driving, setting up events, chaperoning, selling raffle tickets and everything you do to give this gift to our boys. And because we cherish excellence, we work hard and create something that can be shared with a wide and appreciative audience hungry for beauty.  We couldn't do it without your presence and your caring. 

Ragazzi Alum Jeremy Weinglass Speaks

From Jeremy Weinglass, original Ragazzi member, professional musician with permission to use media from his website as needed: www.jeremyweinglass.com

 "Ragazzi was monumental in giving me the well-rounded music education I was very fortunate to have at such a young age.  The musicianship training, music theory and experience performing in front of people regularly, really complemented my piano studies which I was doing simultaneously at that time.  From age 10, Ragazzi gave us countless opportunities to mature into young adults.  Touring out of the country for the first time to Canada, a 2 week summer camp to Camp Gualala, and multiple appearances singing the National Anthem at Giants' games are just some of the incredible highlighted memories I will cherish forever.  But even after I graduated (due to my voice change), Ragazzi continued to support the development of my music career; specifically as a pianist.  I was thrilled to have my first job with Ragazzi both as a camp counselor at Gualala and as the accompanist for some of the choirs.  By the time I was 15, I was leading the boys in sport activities, playing the piano in rehearsals and I even got to teach my own theory class!  Because of Ragazzi, I was able to accelerate my piano studies at an even greater rate and I believe the experiences I had gave me a significant advantage in becoming a professional pianist and composer.   Looking back, I can't say enough about how Ragazzi influenced me in my development as a musician as well as a human being.  Ragazzi got me started doing everything that I still love doing today.  That is playing music, performing, teaching, creating, singing, traveling, working with children and continuing to share music my with the world! "