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
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Joyce Keil
