Dear Joyce
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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