Family support for children and teens

The Importance of Family Support 

by Micaela Presti and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs

Family support refers to the ways that parents, siblings, and extended family 

show love, encouragement, and comfort to each other.  The Developmental 

Asset survey of Palo Alto youth in 2010, reveals that while younger youth 

generally experience family support, teenagers do so much less often: 89% 

of our 5th graders reported family support, 84% of our 7th graders, but only 

66% of our high school students reported the asset.  So, why the big drop 

off?  Some of it is developmental.  In achieving independence, kids don't 

think they need the support from parents as much as from friends and push 

us away. 

Clay Roberts recently came and spoke to Palo Alto community members, 

middle school teachers and parents about the developmental assets and how 

we can build them in our youth.   He spoke about the importance of "love 

languages".   To illustrate the point, he used the story of the husband who 

gives his wife an appliance for her birthday.  She was expecting jewelry.  In 

the husband's language, the appliance was a great idea because he knew she 

loved to cook.  In her language, well, she didn't find it romantic or 

thoughtful.  Robert's point was, we need to know how our partners and 

children interpret our love language. While we may think we are 

communicating support to our family members, it doesn't hurt to once in a 

while to check to see that they are actually feeling it! 

Support can be shown in many ways.  When you hug or kiss your child, and 

say "I love you," the support is pretty obvious.  Less obvious ways of 

showing support include just paying attention to them, listening to them and 

taking an interest in what they are doing.  Our teens are striving to develop 

independence from us. It is hard for parents to not be able to interact in the 

same ways with them.  Teens often want to just talk and have you listen, 

without giving any feedback or advice.  It allows them to work through the 

situation on their own. 

In their book Parenting Teens with Love and Logic, Foster Cline, M.D. and 

Jim Fay discuss the transition from parenting younger children—who 

typically require guidance and firm limits—to parenting adolescents, who 

benefit most from the freedom to make their own decisions within the 

boundaries of safe, reasonable limits. According to Cline and Fay, effective 

parenting in the teenage years requires clearly communicating expectations

and consequences while allowing youth to make their own decisions and 

"own" the results…even if their choices are not the ones that we would have 

preferred. 

One of the most important things to realize about providing family support 

to older children is that they need the love and support every bit as much as 

younger children do, even if they claim that they don't.  Although it can be 

challenging to remain connected to preteens and teenagers, the benefits of 

doing so are immense. 

The activities below offer a starting point to help build and strengthen the 

asset of family support. 

* Make family rules together, and agree on rewards for following the 

rules and consequences for breaking them. 

* Try to eat at least one meal together every day, and set aside at least 

one evening or weekend day for the family to spend together in a 

pastime that everyone enjoys or finds valuable. Make the effort to 

maintain these traditions and rituals even if your children complain 

about them when they're older. 

* Be sure to recognize your children's unique talents and encourage 

their interests, even when they don't match yours. For example, if 

they're interested in animation, check to see if there's a convention or 

film festival in your region that you can attend together. 

* Look your children in the eyes when you talk to them, and give them 

all of your attention in conversation. 

* Be empathetic about their struggles and concerns—no matter how 

silly or trivial their problems seem to you, they are significant to your 

children. 

* Praise your children for doing a good job and point out when they're 

being helpful. 

* At least once a day, try to express that you appreciate and care about 

your children. 

* Be affectionate, but respect their space; older children especially may 

be uncomfortable about displays of affection in front of non-family 

members. 

This article was adapted from Project Cornerstone and Bainbridge 

Community News. 

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Ragazzi December Concert Notes

CHRISTMAS CLASSICS

A Millenium of Song

 

Join Ragazzi December 3, 4, 11

See ragazzi.org for concert details

 

Program Notes                                                                              Sarah Wannamaker          

 

Biebl's (1906-2001) Ave Maria combines the traditional text with excerpts from the Angelus, a devotional book focusing on the Incarnation.  Although the texts are ancient, the musical language is modern: full, lush, modern chords enriched by the presentation of multi-voiced harmonies.  Biebl particularly exploits the texture of the piece by writing for different combinations of voices, presenting a single line of chant, a 4-part chorus, and a dual-choir conversation.

 

The chant, Of the Father's Love Begotten is a combination of medieval text and music – it is one of the oldest hymns still in use.  The fourth century text presents a tale of redemption for humankind, using the ethereal music of chant to link ancient prophecies with the Christmas story.

 

Like the Biebl, O Beata Trinitas, by Jacob Handl (1550-1591) presents a common liturgical text, this time written for double choir.  This is not an

overt Christmas carol, but a glorification of the Trinity.  This piece was written in the late Renaissance, when composers of choral music were just starting to use chords, as opposed to layered chant lines.  It's an example of the Renaissance penchant of writing for double choir.  "Cori spezzati" was popularized in Venice, where the cathedral choirs sang in alternation from opposing balconies in St. Mark's cathedral.

 

Peter Warlock (1894-1930) was an English musician and critic who reflected a full twentieth-century palette of influence: counterpoint, salon style (and saloon style), poetry, historical genres, and dance.  His music reveals his own personality of bohemian unrest, eccentricity, and sly humor (even his chosen pseudonym, "Warlock," has wry connotations).  Full harmonic color and lively syncopation characterize the Three Carols, which present three views of Christmas: a jaunty shepherd's tune, a lullaby, and a folk song.

 

Laudamus Te is an excerpt from Vivaldi's (1678-1741) setting of the Gloria - composed for the choir at a girl's orphanage in Venice.  The imitative passages, nimble scales, and intertwining melodic lines require a great deal of vocal agility to convey a light-hearted, dancing song of praise.  This Baroque piece stands in contrast with Mozart's (1756-1791) setting of the same text, also for two treble parts.  Mozart's interpretation reflects the Classical aesthetic of genteel gracefulness and courtly refinement.

 

César Franck (1822-1890) was a French organist credited with reviving a formal musical tradition in response to frivolous post-Revolution trends.  Franck's setting is for tenor, harp, cello, and organ; today's version is one of many variations on Franck's original.  The text for Panis Angelicus, penned by St. Thomas Aquinas for the Feast of Corpus Christi, conveys the mystical relationship between humanity and heaven, and is musically embodied in the sustained melodic lines and gentle accompaniment.

 

Little is known about Vierdanck (c. 1605-1646), a composer of the Dresden court, but his music demonstrates the gracefulness and flexibility of Baroque music.  Most of all, Lo, I Bring Tidings (Christmas Concerto) exemplifies the conversational style of the Baroque.  Instead of a long melodic line, small melodic gestures bounce between the two voice parts and violins.  This piece also plays with rhythm, alternating duple and triple meters.  The text is primarily sung by the Concert Group, with the Apprentices joining in to emphasize the exclamations, "Glory to God" and "Alleluia".

 

Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) was a Hungarian musician who strove to change the way music fit into society; in 1966, he wrote "mankind will live happier when it has learned to live with music more worthily.  Whoever works to promote this end, in one way or another, has not lived in vain."  The Dance of the Shepherds reflects Kodaly's two musical crusades – first to preserve the folk music tradition and second to write truly engaging music for children.  The carol captures the unfolding of the Christmas story from the viewpoint of slightly confused shepherds who quickly join in the excitement of a journey to see the baby Jesus.

 

Pueri concinite by Johann Herbeck (1831-1877) was premiered in the Imperial Chapel in Venice on Christmas Day in 1868.  This song of praise features a tenor soloist supported by a full choir, singing a stanza from the 14th-century hymn, Resonet in laudibus.

 

The setting of O Come, All Ye Faithful, by David Willcocks (b. 1919) is a popular choral interpretation of the hymn.  This setting is now part of the core repertoire for the King's College Festival of Lessons and Carols in Cambridge, featuring both an added descant and a new harmonization.

 

Both Ave Maria and O Little Town of Bethlehem present a melody superimposed over Bach's Prelude 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier (1722) – demonstrating the flexibility and potential of Bach's original work.  Both present a surprisingly romantic interpretation of this iconic Baroque work.

 

The carol, We Three Kings, focuses on the magi.  There is one verse reserved for each king's gift, which is a symbolic reference to larger themes of Christianity: gold symbolizes royalty, frankincense refers to worship, and myrrh foreshadows the death of Christ.  The expressive and reflective solo verses juxtaposed with the more playful and upbeat refrain reflect the duality of excitement and somberness associated with the full Christ-story.

 

Venite Adoramus is another traditional carol, mixing English text with a Latin refrain.  The lilting melody dances through another retelling of the Christmas story - celebrating the joys of Christmas - reveling in the story, family, angels, snow, and a renewed chance to bring the peace of heaven to humanity on earth.

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

What are they THINKING when they choose those songs?

What are they THINKING?

 

Why Ragazzi directors choose the music they do

 

We seek to teach many things through our music, but the most important thing is to teach the love of music, even music that might require repeated exposure to understand and appreciate.

 

A question that emerged from Ragazzi's satisfaction survey concerned choice of repertoire.  Parents are curious why we choose what we choose.  To address this, I will explain my process for repertoire choices, which, I believe reflects the process used by Ragazzi directors. 

 

In school, we learn about the great writers of the world.  Every child at some point in his career learns about Shakespeare, but we no longer teach the great musicians of the world.  We hear that music is good training, but most of us don't pursue it as an intellectual challenge.  One path to great music - music that will stimulate us and move us - is to find great texts from great literature, verse and scripture.  So, the first decision we make is to choose music that introduces the boys to outstanding texts that reflect the rich heritage of Western music. 

 

Next, we begin to think about our groups and what their needs are.  We think about educational goals:  what vocal technique (breathing, vowel formation) will this piece address?  What level of challenge does this group need, how difficult should the music be?  What is the variety of human emotions that are being explored in the various pieces?  What musical literacy challenges are in the music (difficult intervals, harmonies, rhythms)?  What variety is offered to entertain the audience?

 

Ragazzi is dedicated to educating our young boys in the great choral works of our society.  However, we expand our focus from Western culture to include world music, popular songs and even jazz.  (Note that the vocal technique learned from Ragazzi's classical training prepares singers to sing popular music, but it doesn't work the other way around.)

 

Sometimes a concert program's repertoire is designed around a single song.  We have designed programs around collaborations with other arts organizations, such as last year's bell choir.  One year we brought in a Native American composer who went on school visits with us to draw audiences for a concert where we used puppets!  We celebrated our 15^th anniversary with a video installation at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.  We once programmed around a literary reference, bringing in a reader for Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. While we have traditionally done a Christmas theme in December, we have explored traditions of other groups at other times of the year.  In June 2009, for example, we performed a concert of Jewish music based on poetry of children imprisoned in Terezin by the Nazis, as well as Jewish sacred music.

 

If you ask the boys what their favorite music is, you might be surprised.  Last week a boy commented to me, "I don't know…  I just prefer to sing in foreign languages."  Or, "Please, can we sing the Janequin Chant des Oiseaux," (a French Renaissance chanson).  If you think they like "upbeat" music best, what about the requests I hear for Brahms's lullaby-like O Schöne Nacht?

 

As I hear rumors of more school music programs giving in to the Glee aesthetic, I am so glad that Ragazzi still values the great music of the world in all its wonderful variety.

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Vocal Health and Beyond

It has become urgent to address the issue of poor vocal health. In the last two auditions, 10 boys showed up with hoarse voices. When I volunteered in a 4^th grade classroom, two girls sounded like their voices were trashed. Three boys in Concert Group of Ragazzi are having issues with hoarseness. People no longer even hear when voices are damaged because this is so common.

The following is from a slide presentation about vocal health and young singers.

Slide 1	Here is a picture of a healthy larynx with cartilage, muscle and mucous membrane. The vocal folds must vibrate 440 times per second to produce the pitch "a" above middle c. To produce a pitch an octave higher, they will vibrate 880 times per second.  Every breath we take passes by the vocal cords as air is inhaled into the lungs.
Slide 2	When the voice is stressed, it is covered with swollen tissue and blood vessels. There are no pain receptors in the larynx, so the only indication of a problem is that the voice will sound hoarse. If the voice isn't rested, callouses can develop on the cords which can be a permanent or serious problem.
Slide 3	Vocal cords can be damaged by acid reflux, allergies, the drying effects of antihistamines, yelling or talking loudly and dehydration
Slide 4	*There was a time when children were told not to yell, but now there is a high tolerance for loud talking. I hear children yelling at their parents in ways that would have shocked my parents.    *When music is played loudly and people try to talk over it, this stresses the voice. Often if you come home from a night at a club, you will notice some laryngitis the next day. *Sports coaches demand yelling to show support for the team. People are told to yell louder and louder and shamed if they refrain from this.
Slide 5	The first task is to recognize that damage has occurred by hearing hoarseness as something abnormal. Figure out the cause. Be willing to get the help needed.
Slide 6	Solo singing is an advanced form of vocal athleticism.
Slide 7
Slide 8	This lists how soloists are chosen by audition and what qualities directors look for.
Slide 9
Slide 10
Slide 11
Slide 12

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Ragazzi and Stress

Boys' Daily Stresses and Ragazzi

--A Perspective from members of the YME

 

One of the challenges that many Ragazzi boys face as they mature is stress from keeping very busy schedules while maintaining their academic standards. Especially at the CGA, CG, and YME levels, boys' parents sometimes wonder if Ragazzi increases their boys' stress.  One question the directors sometimes hear from parents is "Should my boy continue with his Ragazzi commitment given his busy schedule?"  To help answer this question and others about Ragazzi's relationship to the stress in boys' lives, I asked some experienced YME guys how sticking with Ragazzi has benefitted them.

 

1) Have you ever been super stressed and wanted to quit Ragazzi because of it?

 

"Yes.  But I remind myself every time of the amazing music that is unique to Ragazzi."

 

"I have always seen Ragazzi as a stress reliever instead of a stress adder.  After a tough day at school or an exceptionally hard water-polo practice, I would always look to Ragazzi as a place for emotional release instead of an extra burden."

 

"Yes, multiple times.  When I was younger the theory really stressed me out.  Especially in high school, however, with so many tests and activities I have felt serious stress to leave because it is such a huge time commitment."

 

"Yes, it was because I struggled with theory.  Ironic, right?"

 

These answers show that even though there is time committed to Ragazzi, boys find a way to stay committed.

 

2) So, what is it about Ragazzi that keeps you coming back?

 

"The music and the people.  I am the only Ragazzi guy who goes to my high school, and I've made some pretty great friends that I don't want to let go of.  High school music is nothing compared to the complex harmonies and rhythms that we do all the time in Ragazzi.  It lets me express my full musical capabilities (not to sound cheesy)"

 

"The companionship and camaraderie with the other members is unequal to any other relationships that I have ever had because not only have we grown up together, but we have a common love for choral music.  Also, the feeling of relief and satisfaction after finally fixing a phrase after countless hours of repetition kept me coming back for more."

 

 

Your boys' directors do as much as we can to help boys who are stressed to remain in Ragazzi.  In the past, we have utilized many methods for helping boys succeed in their other activities while maintaining their commitment to Ragazzi.  We have paired younger boys with older boys who have gone through stressful schedules to help them cope with it; we have given our boys excused absences if they have a huge academic commitment such as studying for finals or taking the SAT's; and we have discussed time management skills with boys.  In addition, we try very diligently to schedule challenging memory assignments toward the beginning of the semester so that boys don't feel overloaded when they have to study for tests and the end of the semester.  

 

3) What help have you received from your directors?

 

"Directors being understanding and reasonable has helped especially as a high school student.  I have nearly zero free time during the week and 3 hours a week is actually a huge commitment.  For example, in the winter I play soccer and practice doesn't end until 6 really so I try to leave early from that but I always end up late to rehearsal nearly all winter.  The directors have noticed this but haven't said anything because they know once I get to rehearsal I am focused and put everything I have left into the music.  Communication is key as well as working hard during rehearsal making up for any time lost."

 

"Directors have been relatively flexible with conflicts.  I've been allowed to leave early for other rehearsals during the final week of operas, school shows, etc."

 

 

All of these guys have developed very strong senses of personal responsibility as a result of being in Ragazzi.  Since they have to balance their academics and extra-curricular commitments with the Ragazzi schedule, they need to think ahead about potential conflicts and let their directors know about them.  

 

4) Has growing up in Ragazzi helped you to develop personal responsibility?

 

"I wouldn't be half as responsible as I am now if I hadn't been in Ragazzi.  The rehearsals enforce great rules and organizing tools that are helpful in daily life."

 

 "Yes.  I sit down to look at my rehearsal schedule every season for all of my production companies/groups.  It's great training for when I have my career as a performer"

 

"I am most definitely gaining a greater sense of responsibility.  Not only am I responsible for showing up to rehearsals and concert call times on time, but I must have my music memorized and ready to sing.  Although at times it is difficult to balance my busy schedule with Ragazzi, through the skills of responsibility and organization I have found a way to do all my other activities while being committed to Ragazzi."

 

"Absolutely.  Ragazzi has shaped me into the person I am today.  It has had a huge impact on my life and changed me into a more responsible adult and given me greater common sense and ability to get things done.  It has taught me to focus, behave, and work hard.  The leadership roles I held in Ragazzi and just being a member have prepared me for all the leadership roles I hold today outside of Ragazzi."

 

If you have a boy who is stressed and questioning if he can continue to maintain the Ragazzi commitment, I hope that you take into consideration these powerful statements from experienced guys who have been through it.  They all expressed a desire to quit at one point in their development, and they all share a common understanding that their choice to continue with Ragazzi has made them strong, responsible young men who are continually balancing all aspects of their lives and has allowed them to develop strong friendships here that they don't have elsewhere. We couldn't be prouder!

 

--Jennifer Cowgill

 

 

 

 

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Music and Verbal Skills

 

October 4, 2011 SF Opera Twitter feed, Courtesy Rob Wilen

Music Training Enhances Children's Verbal Intelligence

Canadian researchers report the verbal intelligence of 4- to 6-year-olds rises after only one month of musical training Tom Jacobs1 Comment and 275 ReactionsPRINTSHARE

The verbal intelligence of 4- to 6-year-olds rises after only one month of musical training. (Digital Vision)

A just-published study from Canada suggests early music education stimulates a child's brain, leading to improved performance in an entirely different arena – verbal intelligence.

"These results are dramatic not only because they clearly connect cognitive improvement to musical training, but also because the improvements in language and attention are found in completely different domains than the one used for training," said York University psychologist Ellen Bialystok, one of the paper's co-authors. "This has enormous implications for development and education."

The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, was conducted at York University by psychologist Sylvain Moreno, who is now with Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute. It focused on 48 children between the ages of 4 and 6, who took part in one of two computerized training programs Moreno designed.

Half participated in a music program, which "included training in rhythm, pitch, melody, voice and basic musical concepts," the researchers write. The other 24 took part in a visual-arts program, which "emphasized the development of visuo-spatial skills relating to concepts such as shape, color, line, dimension, and perspective."

All received their respective training one hour per day, five days per week for four weeks. The programs were projected onto a classroom wall and conducted in groups led by a teacher.

Before and after their four weeks of training, the children took a vocabulary test designed to measure verbal ability and a "block design" test to measure spatial intelligence. (In the latter, they were shown abstract designs and then asked to recreate them using colored blocks.) In addition, their level of brain activity was measured using an electroencephalograph.

The results showed, in Moreno's words, "a rapid transfer of cognitive benefits" for the music students. Specifically, those who received music training raised their scores the visual-intelligence test.

This increase in verbal intelligence was large and virtually across the board, with 90 percent of the 24 children showing improvement. What's more, using ERP analysis, the researchers measured changes in the kids' brain activity. This suggests the music training had a "transfer effect," enhancing their ability to understand words and explain their meaning.

The children who received the visual-art training did not fare as well: They showed no significant increase in either verbal or spatial skills.

"Preschool children are auditory experts with well-developed language abilities, but visuo-motor skills are less developed at this stage of life," the researchers note. "A longer or more intensive training period in visual art might significantly influence spatial intelligence."

Nevertheless, "Our findings represent the first demonstration of broad transfer of an educationally vital skill," the researchers write. "Training in music-listening skills transfers to verbal ability."

This finding echoes the results of a recent study of second-graders, which found the reading skills of those who received structured musical training were superior to those of their peers. Such research suggests cutting music education to concentrate on "the basics" is based on a misunderstanding of the way young minds work.

"Our findings demonstrate a causal relationship between music training and improvements in language and executive function," the researchers conclude, "supporting the possibility of a broad transfer between high-level cognitive abilities."

The famous Mozart effect was certainly overhyped and oversimplified, but it now appears that learning to appreciate complex music really can boost overall intelligence. Piping sonatas into your womb is unlikely to make a difference, but enrolling your kid in an early music-education class sounds like a very good idea.

Submitted by Rob Wilen, Ragazzi Board of Directors member

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Judy Collins is appearing in SF. Famous as a pop and folk singer, she was trained as a classical musician. Here is a quote from the Thursday September 22 SF Chronicle Pink Pages:

"Everything that I learned growing up musically has helped me to learn about discipline, about working and showing up and doing what has to be done. I don't think there is any doubt that all those years...after school helped me to know that's how you do it. You do it a day at a time, a little at a time....I think any training like that is valuable for teaching you how to survive..."

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Ragazzi Attendance Policy

Demystifying the Ragazzi Attendance Policy

 

When I speak with most Ragazzi parents about their son's schedules, I hear stories about after school schedules that include boy scouts, sports practices, homework, instrument lessons, play practice, community service, chess club, karate or judo, and on top of it all—making it to every Ragazzi rehearsal and performance!  Ragazzi's music directors know that parents struggle with learning the ins and outs the organization and understanding and meeting Ragazzi's attendance policy.  I must admit that it took me quite a while to "get" the policy.  I had so many questions...  What constitutes a planned or excused absence?  What happens if a boy gets sick after he has already missed his three allotted absences for the semester?  Is he penalized for having the flu?  Are three excused absences enough for one semester?

 

We live in a culture that expects kids to be well-rounded and community oriented along with being top students.  School commitments and other important extra-curricular activities can conflict with Ragazzi rehearsals.  Most parents know that Ragazzi's policy only allows three excused absences per semester and that all performances are mandatory.  So, what do you do?  My first response as a director is: "please don't run away scared!!!!"  Instead, please take a look at the reasons for the policy and how directors will make every attempt to be flexible about it when we can.

 

The "Why" of the Attendance Policy

 

Choir is a "team sport."  Much of our rehearsal time is focused on group development and learning.  Can a football team practice without their quarterback, runningback, and defensive end?  Nope.  I asked my brother, who is a college football coach, this question and he laughed at me for implying that missing practice was even a possibility.  Singing in a choir is just like playing on a team—the director (or coach) and the team simply need everyone there to have a fully successful practice and to make steady progress.

 

When a boy misses a rehearsal, parents often assure directors that their boy will work on his music outside of Ragazzi rehearsal.  We thank you for the commitment and admirable willingness to work, but it misses one vital point: individual practice is not a substitute for group development.  When your boy misses a rehearsal, it means that he is not present when directors share information about the nuances of the music such as blend, tuning, dynamics, articulation, expressiveness and communication.  These are musical, artistic elements that need to be internalized uniformly throughout the group and they honestly cannot be communicated to the boys outside of rehearsal.  Missed rehearsals result in having to repeat information and in extra rehearsal time devoted to sections of music that shouldn't need it. This is the core issue that Ragazzi's policy tries to address.  However, we are aware that our expectations have to be realistic.  This is why the policy also allows three excused absences.

 

Excused Absences/Illness/Unexcused Absences

 

An excused absence is anything that is planned ahead of time.  This includes school concerts, trips, events, and other extra-curricular activities.  Because your sons have so many activities in addition to Ragazzi, we urge parents look at their boys' schedules for the entire semester and let us know about planned absences as early as they can.  This makes it easier to ask directors about an extra absence should special circumstances arise.

 

An unexcused absence is anything that director was not informed about or an absence exceeding the normal three excused.  So, if a child misses a rehearsal, and we later discover that he was at a boy scouts party and we had not been informed, then we would deem it "unexcused."

 

Expect a phone call in the case of an unexcused absence.

 

If a boy is sick, we do not expect (or want!) him to be at Ragazzi rehearsals.  We know that parents cannot control illness, and we definitely do not want sick boys sharing nasty colds.  We simply ask that parents inform us of their boy's illness and absence as early as they can.  A normal number of sick days doesn't count toward the three excused absences.

 

 

 

Flexibility in the Policy

 

We directors want to help each boy while maintaining the integrity and musical success of the chorus. We will always handle absences that may exceed the normal allotment on a case-by-case basis.  So, while the attendance policy in the handbook is clear and concise, it also states that a boy "may be ineligible to perform in all or part of the next concert" depending on the director's assessment of the boy's progress and the specific musical needs of the pieces being performed on the upcoming concerts. This statement does not use the words "definitely will be ineligible to perform."  We make decisions based on the each boy's situation and on the needs of the particular pieces of music being performed.  It is always best to talk with your director about conflicts ahead of time so that directors can discuss with you how extra absences may affect your boy as well as the group.  We will always try to be flexible.

 

What do we mean when we say that we will "try to be flexible?"  Let's take a normal 11-year old boy whose school goes to outdoor education in the fall as an example.  Perhaps in addition to missing two rehearsals for outdoor education, this boy's parents notice that he also has Ragazzi rehearsals conflicts with a band concert and the science fair.  Being told about this well ahead of time would give me the best chance to plan around those absences - keeping in mind the needs of our rehearsal schedule and repertoire – and find a way to accommodate this boy's conflicts.

 

Because your directors try to be flexible, we also ask parents to be flexible, too.  If your boy had already missed three rehearsals, for example, but you really wanted him to be available for a family dinner with your cousins from out of town, we might ask you to consider scheduling your dinner on a Tuesday or Thursday night.

 

Friendly Attendance Reminder Emails

 

This year, your director will email you a friendly reminder if your boy misses two rehearsals in a semester.  This email will quote the attendance policy.  We think that by sending out standard reminders, we will help you remember how many absences your son has accumulated and encourage you to look ahead.  We hope that after receiving a reminder email, you'd look at his full schedule and pinpoint any additional conflicts.  Say your son had one for a boy scouts activity and one for a dress rehearsal for the school play.  In this situation, we would ask that you consider the importance of those two events and only skip a Ragazzi rehearsal for the event that absolutely could not be missed.  If you found yourself in a situation where your son could not miss either event, we would then begin talking with you about how this extra absence could affect your son this particular semester and work towards a solution that could hopefully benefit everyone.

 

Questions?

 

Talk to your director about conflicts and possible solutions as soon as you know about them.  It gives all of us the best chance to find a win-win solution.  If you have further questions about the attendance policy, please feel free to ask any of us.  We welcome parent questions and concerns. 

 

--Jennifer Cowgill

 

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Music is Medicine

 Welcome backto the fall season of Ragazzi. I hope this TED talkgiven by Robert Grupta inspires you as it does me. He refers to the manfeatured in the movie, The Soloist, which you may have seen. The Ragazzi Sings blog has his full talk.

 "...Music is medicine. Music changes us... becausemusic allows [us] to take thoughts…and shape them . And I understood that this was the very essence of art. This was the very reason why we made music, that we take something that exists within all of us, at our very fundamental core, our emotions, and through our artistic lens, through ourcreativity, we're able to shape those emotions into reality. And the reality of that expression reaches all of us, and moves us, inspires and unites us."
 
 --------------------------------------------
 
 Fulltranscript follows: 

 One day LosAngeles Times columnist Steve Lopez was walking along the streets of downtown Los Angeles when he heard beautiful music. And the source was a man, an African-American man, charming, rugged,homeless, playing a violin that only had two strings.
 
And I'mtelling a story that many of you know, because Steve's columns became the basisfor a book, which was turned into a movie, with Robert Downey Jr. acting as Steve Lopez, and Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, the Juilliard-trained double bassist whose promising career was cut short by a tragic affliction with paranoid schizophrenia. 
 
Nathaniel dropped out of Juilliard, he suffered acomplete breakdown, and 30 years later he was living homeless on the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.I encourage all of you to read Steve's book, or to watch the movie to understand not only the beautiful bond that formed between these two men, but how music helped shape that bond, and ultimately was instrumental, if you'll pardon the pun, in helping Nathaniel get off the streets.

 I met Mr.Ayers in 2008, two years ago, at Walt Disney concert hall. He had just heard a performance of Beethoven's first and fourth symphonies, and came backstage and introduced himself. He was speaking in a very jovial and gregarious way about Yo-Yo Ma and Hillary Clinton, and how the Dodgers were never going to make the World Series, all because of the treacherous first violin passage work in the last movement in Beethoven's fourth symphony. And we got talking about music.And I got an email from Steve a few days later saying that Nathaniel was interested in a violin lesson with me.

 Now, I should mention that Nathaniel refuses treatment because when he was treated it waswith shock therapy and Thorazine and handcuffs, and that scar has stayed with him for his entire life. But, as a result now, he is prone to these schizophrenic episodes. The worst of which can manifest themselves as him exploding, and then disappearing for days, wandering the streets of Skid Row,exposed to its horrors, with the torment of his own mind unleashed upon him.

 And Nathaniel was in such a state of agitation when we started our first lesson at Walt Disney Concert Hall he had a kind of manic glint in his eyes, he was lost. And he was talking about invisible demons and smoke, and how someone was poisoning him in his sleep.
 
And I was afraid, not for myself, but I was afraid that I was going to lose him, that he was going to sink into one of his states, and that I would ruin his relationship with the violin if I started talking about scales and arpeggiosand other exciting forms of didactic violin pedagogy. (Laughter) So, I just started playing. And I played the first movement of the Beethoven violin concerto.
 
And as I played I understood that there was a profound change occurring in Nathaniel's eyes. It was as if he was in the grip of some invisible pharmaceutical, a chemical reaction, for which my playing the music was its catalyst. And Nathaniel's manic rage was transformed into understanding, a quiet curiosity,and grace. And in a miracle, he lifted his own violin, and he started playing,by ear, certain snippets of violin concertos which he then asked me to complete, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius. And we started talking about music, from Bach to Beethoven, and Brahms, Bruckner, all the B's, from Bartók,all the way up to Esa-Pekka Salonen.

 And I understood that he not only had an encyclopedic knowledge of music, but he related to this music at a personal level. He spoke about it with the kind ofpassion and understanding that I share with my colleagues in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. And through playing music and talking about music this man had transformed from the paranoid, disturbed man that had just come from walking the streets of downtown Los Angeles, to the charming, erudite, brilliant,Juilliard-trained musician.

 Music is medicine. Music changes us. And for Nathaniel, music is sanity. Because music allows him to take his thoughts and delusions, and shape them through his imagination and his creativity into reality. And that is an escape from his tormented state. And I understood that this was the very essence of art. Thiswas the very reason why we made music, that we take something that exists within all of us, at our very fundamental core, our emotions, and through our artistic lens, through our creativity, we're able to shape those emotions into reality. And the reality of that expression reaches all of us, and moves us, inspires and unites us.
 
 And for Nathaniel, music brought him back into a fold of friends. The redemptive powerof music brought him back into a family of musicians that understood him, thatrecognized his talents and respected him. And I will always make music with Nathaniel, whether we're at Walt Disney Concert Hall, or on Skid Row, becausehe reminds me why I became a musician. Thank you. (Applause)

 To hear the talk visit this link: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/robert_gupta.html
 

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

The power of music

Recently the following video was posted on Choral Net. This is an audition for America's Got Talent by a choral group made up of homeless veterans. 

After our tour to Cuba the boys and chaperons and I were moved by the power of the common language of music. Those of us who heard the boys speak at our "Animal Crackers" tour concert heard them marvel at how joyfully the Cuban choirs sang, even though the the singers were poor in material things. I saw our Ragazzi singers begin to sing with smiles and movement emulating the inspiring choirs they met and heard in Cuba. 

As they were inspired by the music, the boys were able to overcome great obstacles such as jet lag, stifling heat, the tension of being together day in and day out. I saw boys helping other boys and encouraging each other. I saw boys sing with a joy and abandon that was new to them.

In this story of the choir of homeless vets, we can witness again the tremendous power of choral music-something we do together, something we can invest in to aspire to excellence - together, something that lifts us out of troubles and gives us new purpose in our lives.

Ragazzi parents are wise to invest their children's lives in this powerful work!

http://www.choralnet.org/view/288623

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

From a Ragazzi alum who was just accepted to Stanford and Yale

Does Ragazzi have an impact on college admissions? Does it make you a better student, a better citizen, a more organized worker? Read this from a Ragazzi alum:

Dear Ms. Keil,

           

            Watching my little brother's mini choir concert and seeing you there reminded me of my long, enriching experience at Ragazzi. I didn't really begin to comprehend the true benefits of Ragazzi until more recently. I realize now that while I was in the choir, I took for granted the tremendous music and camaraderie we all experienced under your leadership.

            I grew up in Ragazzi. When I joined in first grade, I immediately began to learn the music theory, musicianship, and focus that so defines the choir. By the time I began taking piano lessons in second grade and then learning trombone in fourth grade, Ragazzi had provided me with a solid foundation of music theory and many other essential skills a musician must have. This gave  me a huge jump-start in learning how to play my instruments. Today, as my high schools musician friends still sometimes struggle with theory, I think back to Ms. Panofsky and the whole Ragazzi staff and how thankful I am to you for getting me started on it early!

             From participating in Ragazzi, I soon learned that I genuinely loved singing in a group; no matter what problems I had when I walked into rehearsal, eventually they would fizzle out of my conscience and I could immerse myself in the challenge and beauty of the music we were making together. This is the beautiful thing about Ragazzi. When everyone is locked in to each other and to the music, there are no limits to what can be created.  Ragazzi is an intense team. Everyone has to put in individual work, bring it to rehearsal, and then work and compromise with others to make the final product. I am lucky to have been in this rich environment at an early age; the leadership skills and focus I acquired  have helped me more and more as I interact with my peers today.  

            When it was time to apply to college this fall, I wrote a lot about my musical pursuits and experiences. The more I wrote about my more recent high school experiences playing trombone and piano, the more I realized just how much of a presence Ragazzi has in my musical life. Even though I left after my freshman year, I didn't know that Ragazzi would stay with me so firmly. I take for granted all the skills you taught me, ranging from how to breath properly to shaping a musical phrase to how to conduct. Many of them come more naturally to me now, because I used them so consistently from the age of seven to fifteen. Thanks to Ragazzi, I learned how to express myself and get closer to my friends through music, but also to find solace in it. Even the general level of discipline that I maintain in any endeavour developed completely during my stay at Ragazzi and I thank you for that!

            But beyond the music and the focus, I also formed profound friendships in Ragazzi and had the opportunity to travel to several new places and open my mind. I always look forward to attending Ragazzi concerts and seeing how my friends have grown musically; for me, Ragazzi was as much about my friends as it was about the music. Singing together in a choir creates an incredible bond that is hard to come by in other activities.

            As I look forward to attending college, I know Ragazzi has had a significant role in defining who I am today, and I am grateful for that! I hope you have a great time in Cuba (wow!), and I wish you all the luck in the future!

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Mark Fedronic

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Ragazzi: How we choose our music

HOW DO RAGAZZI DIRECTORS CHOOSE MUSIC?   As educators, directors want to introduce our boys to the great works, much as an English literature teacher explores the great writers from our history.  So, we try to give them a little Mozart, a little Bach, and a little Schubert over the course of their years with us.  We also explore music of other cultures, often in the original languages, e.g. music from Africa, South America, the Middle East, Central Europe, Asia.   Added to this is the challenge of meeting educational goals at various age levels and to develop a healthy singing voice.   Are we programming music that develops beautiful tone, vowel purity, breath control?  What about the technical musical skills like rhythm, harmony?  Are we learning pieces in lots of keys so as to take advantage of the boys' theory education?  Are we providing appropriate challenges for their age levels?  Is the music too easy?  Too hard?   We also look at the variety of human emotions being expressed in the music. Are we singing music with great texts?  Are we learning about ourselves as we explore different poets and songs?    And last but not least, we think about the concert program.  Is there a range of tempos and moods so that our audiences will be engaged by the variety and enjoy hearing our concert?   As you can imagine, it is a juggling act to bring all these factors into play, but it is also a lot of fun as we explore music we love and get ready to introduce it - first to our boys and then to our audiences.

--
Joyce Keil

Artistic Director

Ragazzi Boys Chorus