Tickets for December 2014 concerts

Please visit the new website Ragazzi.org for ticket information. The blog will migrate to this site also. Thank you for your interest.

Thank you for the music.

Wow!  Look at this.  A whole choir full of young boys and men! (with apologies to Choralnet)

Who would think that a group of rowdy boys could be transformed into a disciplined team creating beautiful music

together.  Look at them now. Poised.  Confident. Well-dressed. Singing beautifully.  And it’s all YOUR FAULT!  Yes,

you the parents who believed in the power of music education and who made the commitment to drive and get them

to rehearsals through rain, traffic and around conflicting schedules with your other family members.

Look around at the boys in Ragazzi training levels. They could very well be singing like this in just a couple years.

Thank you for your herculean efforts and your faith. Thank you for believing in music to transform lives and create

powerful teams.

What it takes!

What it takes.

In order to accomplish something - to excel at something - one must persist with patience and fortitude.

My 9 year-old grand daughter, who loves gymnastics, has practices 3 hours on 3 days a week.  That’s 9 hours each week committed to gymnastic excellence.  She also has competitions every other weekend through the month of November.  Fitting in her other cherished activities has become a challenge.

Ragazzi is also committed to excellence.  We practice and repeat, celebrating what works and fixing what doesn’t.  We do this in one or two rehearsals a week (2, 3 or 4 hours per week).  We know and respect the time pressures boys and families deal with these days.  We don’t have regular extra rehearsals, and the few we do have (Singing Saturday, concert dress rehearsals) are scheduled well in advance.  We almost never schedule last minute extra rehearsals, and if a compelling new opportunity arises, we ask families if the boys are available for the extra time commitment.

Plato said that the best education involves music for the mind and gymnastics (read sports, generally) for the body.  This ideal requires balance in your commitment of time, energy and dedication.

Recently there have been some research studies showing the positive effects of arts and especially music education on students’ brain development and success in school.  Sadly, most of the arts training in California comes through private institutions like Ragazzi.  One of our goals is to allow you the opportunity to give this gift of increased capacity for success in school and in life to your sons.  For further reading, see the following websites:

 http://www.westerncity.com/Western-City/September-2014/Engaging-Your-Citys-Youth-Through-the-Arts/

http://www.today.com/health/music-lessons-may-boost-poor-kids-brainpower-study-suggests-1D80117501

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/09/10/343681493/this-is-your-brain-this-is-your-brain-on-music

To further this goal, Ragazzi will be initiating an outreach program to the children in our local Redwood City Schools this spring.  Look for more information about how we can make the gift of music education available to an even wider community.

Yes, we ask for your commitment, but we are respectful of your time and we are passionate about the importance of the relatively small amount that we have together.  Together, we achieve excellence and the bonus is we get to make other people happy with our achievements when we share our music with the public.

We look forward to our rehearsals this fall and even more to our concerts where we get show off excellent music and excellent boys!!!

The Value of Music Education

What is the value of music education? How do we define success?  Most of us are looking for the great college acceptance, a challenging and prestigious job and a happy life for our children.

A longitudinal study was conducted where male graduates from Harvard were followed and their self-defined happiness was measured over time. The overwhelming evidence from this study, with the men now in their 70’s, is that their happiness depended upon relationships and community, not on a high-powered job or even on the amount of money they made.

Of course money is important and students who submit audition tapes to colleges can receive thousands of dollars of scholarship money to just sing in the choir. We know personally of two such cases and in neither case were these students music majors. But just submitting an audition tape opened up the scholarship money for them.

Did you know that the acceptance rate for Stanford is 7% of all applicants? However, students who submit a music tape to the music department and whose musical abilities are desired by the department are recommended to the admissions committee. For those applicants, the acceptance rate is closer to 33%. It won’t hurt you to submit a music tape—in fact it may greatly increase a young person’s chances of acceptance.

Here’s another story of music education contributing to a student’s success: In USA today a story recently appeared about a first-generation American from Shirley, N.Y. This student was accepted by all eight Ivy league colleges. He sings and plays the viola and plans to study medicine and music. After visiting four of the eight schools, he chose Yale where  "I met people who were just like me—diverse in both science and music–and they told me how manageable it is doing both."

Last Wednesday a YME boy came up to me and told me that choosing Ragazzi was the best decision he ever made. At Singing Saturday he shared that Ragazzi has given him friends that will last a lifetime as well as skills that help him in many ways. He has branched out in his music studies to include theory and piano study. He encouraged all parents to make sure their boys stick with Ragazzi because he is sure that the boy will be grateful later.

Music, especially singing in a choir, will give boys those life-long friendships that will help build a happy life. And who knows, you may even get money for college!

Choral Singing Benefits, by Vance George

Some Thoughts About Choral Singing from March 22 and 23 2014 Program Notes

    By Vance George, Director Emeritus, San Francisco Symphony Chorus

Congratulations to the Ragazzi Boys Chorus and the Young Women’s

Chorus of San Francisco! All that these young people are learning

about music will be with them throughout their lives, and it will affect

their minds, bodies and spirits in amazing ways. The foundation for each

of these ensembles is high quality choral literature that challenges their

minds. To make music, they have to learn the symbols and basics of

music and then work together creating a unique synthesis of focus on

pitch, rhythm, harmony and languages in sync with others.

The physical aspects of singing such as posture, balance, and breath

control have a healthy effect on the body. And now studies are proving

singing even has the ability to fight disease in measurable ways. The

power of singing in a chorus creates a life support for young people, who

need a safe place to go to find relief from a stressful world.

The spirit of each singer is uplifted and fed in both rehearsal and

performance. As singers prepare for a concert like this, they have fun

trying new things, singing new repertoire, finding new ways of making

sound, and are challenged to do their best in the process. I was pleased

to work with these two groups in rehearsals as they were so well

prepared that we could work on color, phrasing, sensitivity to the text,

and commitment to making the music come off the page.

Singing in a chorus is belonging. Singing in a chorus is community. Singing

in a chorus enlivens our beings and feeds an inner need that nothing

else will satisfy. I’m delighted to know that the young men and young

women of these wonderful choral organizations will benefit from the

excellent training and soul enriching experiences that choral singing can

offer them.

Why Sine Nomine?

Why Sine Nomine?

In January of 2010 I first went to Cuba and was met by a friendly guy in an old ratty car who arranged to introduce me to various choirs and teachers in music schools in Havana. As I entered the tree lined courtyard of a beautiful yellow colonial building, I saw a full dinosaur skeleton. I then heard high pitched “whooo’s” like our Young Men’s Ensemble might do in their warm up. It was Sine Nomine warming up and I realized here was a Cuban Chanticleer. I then attended their rehearsal and listened to them sing - Renaissance music, Danny Boy and Beatles songs. Their intonation and phrasing was perfect, but more impressive and moving was their deep emotional engagement in the music. By the time we left, we were all in tears.

I learned that in Cuba there are many professional choirs (in the USA there is only one).  The Cuban economic system pays professional Cuban choristers the same salary as the hotel porters and the brain surgeons: $20/month. Most like the surgeons (and unlike the porters) they go through rigorous training to achieve their profession. I heard more of these fine professional choirs, but Sine Nomine stole my heart.

Looking at this group of eight young men, you would never believe they sang so beautifully. They represent all the diversity of ethnic groups in Cuba and definitely look like “cool guys.” I realized that we needed to show our community at home that people of all backgrounds can come together in music. Serious classical music does not exist only for a small, elite Western European population. This music belongs to everyone.

That is when I decided I had to find a way to bring Ragazzi to meet them. In June 2011, 68 of us arrived in Havana and our first workshop was with Leonor Suárez Dulzaides, the conductor of this eight-voice gem. We were pretty jet lagged, but we met Sine Nomine in a decommissioned church with sun streaming through the stained glass windows. We received excellent coaching from Leonor, who repeatedly exhorted us to “relate to the text.” At the time we were attempting the furiously difficult “Chanson d’Oiseaux” by Jannequin.

In 2012 I again went to Cuba on an educational tour and Leonor arranged to meet me and invited me to a rehearsal of her guys. They did a special performance for just me and a few friends. Imagine my surprise when at the 2012 American Choral Conductors Conference in Reno, I heard a small voice calling, “Joyce, Joyce!” and I turned and saw Leonor. She had been brought to the USA through the national leadership of ACDA as one of seven fine Cuban conductors. It was my luck that she was invited to the Western Region conference, my home region. We spent a lot of time together, haltingly trying to communicate - she in her limited English and me in my limited Spanish. None of the ACDA organizers realized the extent of the limitations placed on Cuban travelers in the U.S.  She had no money (she’s paid that same $20 per month) and no credit card (no Cuban plastic would have been allowed, anyway) to put down at the hotel. I helped her to get meals and to figure out the conference schedule.

At the conference, I approached the leadership and said, “You have to get Sine Nomine to the 2014 convention.” While they we stunned by the artistry of this group as shown by examples from Sine Nomine ‘s CD, the ACDA leadership was extremely reluctant to agree. They claimed they didn’t have money to cover the expenses, that it was really difficult to get Cuban groups into the USA, etc. etc. I then said, “I will organize this.” In the back of my mind was the desire to get these singers in front of our Redwood City community, including our local immigrant families, many from parts of Mexico and Central and South America, and show them that this music belongs to them too. Maybe, I hoped, we could expand our recruitment of local boys by getting them to connect with these singers who look and speak like them.

Tina Duyk, Ragazzi board member, offered to help me and we began to set up concerts all over California. Each presenting organization agreed to pay a fee and somehow we pieced together support enough for visas, immigration attorney fees and transportation. There were many nail biting moments as various strategies failed, but as of January 24, the last airfare was paid and confirmed.

Tina spearheaded efforts to connect with Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission and the schools. After months of trying to contact the schools directly and failing, Tina was able to go through Music for Minors and the Redwood City Education Foundation to gain performance opportunities for these singers in four Redwood City elementary schools during six morning assemblies.

Ragazzi is also sponsoring a concert at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26 at Carrington Hall on Sequoia High School campus, free to children (thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission) and only $5 for adults. It’s the best bargain you’ll get for any live music performance this year – and these are world-class singers.  As someone said, “I paid just $30 to hear Chanticleer!”

This group epitomizes excellence combined with warmth and emotional engagement. Please tell your friends and actively promote this opportunity to share these great musicians and this great music.

Music Theory for fun ! ? !!

I just want to sing. Why should I study music theory? 

When I got my first teaching job, I had to produce a holiday concert with only three months to prepare. I decided to teach a three part carol since my chorus was all girls. Since no one in this chorus knew how to read music, we had to trudge through each part note by note, learning everything by rote. It took us three months to learn one piece. After I survived that first concert, I became determined to teach music theory along with repertoire. All good music programs include theory instruction along with technical skills as well as learning pieces to perform.

Ragazzi has an amazing theory program, thanks to Carol Panofsky. At a recent alumni party, I heard three stories about the benefits our boys have received. One college freshman, a non-music major, reported that in his choir everyone had to take a theory test. He was the only singer who did well. He said everyone else got perhaps three correct answers. In two other cases, Ragazzi college freshmen, declared music majors, tested out of college-level, first year music theory. In our current Ragazzi Concert Group, the boys can sight read three part music, instantly. These are all testaments to the success or our music theory teaching.

Imagine how much more fun it is to learn music when you no longer have to trudge through the notes – keeping in mind that learning music is much, much more than just getting the right notes. Once you are freed from trudging, you can get right into interpretation, nuance and art. In fact some people get together to sight read music for an evening's entertainment. This was common in the Renaissance among well-educated upper class people. [Listen to Brian Eno’s This I Believe essay (http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=97320958&m=97365616) or read it (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97320958).]

During this holiday season it was my privilege to hear my friend's brother play through the Bach Goldberg Variations. While all in the audience appreciated the virtuosity of the keyboard playing and the beauty of the music, I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the brilliance of Bach's genius as I could appreciate the astounding mathematical structure. During the course of the set of variations, Bach manages to produce nine canons (the technical term for a musical “round,” like Row, Row Your Boat) at every interval of the octave scale. The variations also include fugues, a French Overture and glorious toccatas (which display free flowing technical virtuosity).

Music brings so much joy and as your boy learns the formal, technical language of music, his joy is multiplied. His ability to listen is enhanced, he’s able to sing new music easily, getting to the artistic meat of it much sooner, his sense of camaraderie with fellow musicians is strengthened and… it’s just more fun!  So, as he takes the time to learn the details and “solve the problems,” keep in mind the rewards that will soon accrue to him - the educated and trained musician!

  Joyce Keil edited by David Jones

Ragazzi December concerts

Can art change the world? Last weekend I attended the Berkeley Rep Theatre production of Tristan and Yseult, based on the legend of Tristan and Isolde. The Kneehigh company from England excels in singing, dancing, acrobatics and special effects. As the story unfolded, the actors engaged with the audience to the point that we were laughing with them, blowing up balloons and generally participating. The action moved back and forth from ancient legend to present day foolery. When it came time for the inevitable  tragedy, it was underlain with Wagner’s climactic music from the opera, the Liebestod. Maybe because the actors had loosened us up so much with their interactions with us, we were all completely taken away by the catastrophic sadness when it came. I found myself breathless.

At least for a few days, it changed me. I became conscious of the world around me, of my relationships, of the miracle of music and art.

As Ragazzi presents our holiday program, we have mixed in some beauty, some traditions, some cultural explorations and yes, some tomfoolery. It is my wish that you will join us in laughing and celebrating and that at least once during the concert, we take your breath away. I hope that you leave changed for a moment or an hour and that you are filled with an awareness of the incredible power of music.

Here are our program notes.

Gloria is a dynamic and rhythmic piece written by contemporary composer David Giardiniere.  Mr. Giardiniere is a teacher, conductor, soloist, clinician and composer.  His choral groups tour regularly throughout the eastern United States.  Premiere sings Gloria with the traditional Latin text.

Two French Noels is a beautiful pairing of two well-known and very old French Carols: Patapan and Noel Nouvelet.  Patapan, is a song written hundreds of years ago describing how fitting it is that Willie play his drum and Robin play his flute just like the shepherds played when Christ was born.  Listen for the words Pat-a-pat-a-pan which is the sound of the drum and Tu-re-lu-re-lu which is the sound of the flute.  Noel Nouvelet is presented in French and is also hundreds of years old.  “New Christmas, Christmas we sing here.  Devout people, let us shout our thanks to God!”

Program Notes                       Sarah Wannamaker

Awake, Awake to Love and Work combines an old American hymn tune from the Kentucky Harmony hymnal with a poem written by an Army Chaplain, Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy (1883-1929). Like other poems from his collection, “The Unutterable Beauty”, this text emphasizes the magic of the world as an expression of divinity. Like many folk tunes, this melody is simple with lots of scale-wise passages. The musical interest comes from rhythmic variations and canonic treatment in the different verses.

The Birds, penned by Canadian composer Eleanor Daley, is a setting of an imaginative poem by Hilaire Belloc. This allegorical text portrays the Christ Child as having a profound depth of wisdom and unworldly capacity for miracles, even as a child. Note the musical reinforcement (key change, running bass notes) to convey the birds in flight. The last phrase is a internal prayer for us to view life from a more timeless perspective to gain a wisdom for our own lives.

Laudate Dominum

Mozart's setting of Psalm 116 is a gentle interpretation of the text, "Praise the Lord." The soprano solo is written in long, luxurious lines over a simple guitar-like accompaniment. The obligato instrument echoes the soprano solo. In this arrangement, the elements (obligato, solo, and chorus) are introduced one at a time, and then combined at the end.

Let Voice and Instrument is the fourth movement from Purcell’s ode Arise, My Muse. Completed in 1690, it was the second of six odes that Purcell was commissioned to write for the birthday of Queen Mary; he was titled ‘Composer to the King’ and organist at Westminster Abbey at this time. The two lines are presented individually, and then combined and developed. This piece was originally written for tenor and bass soloists with a four-part choir, and has been arranged for two voices.

Handel was an English composer working in the generation after Purcell. Praise the Lord with Cheerful Voice comes from his oratorio, Esther. An oratorio is an opera without the staging or costumes, but with the plot and drama. The Old Testament story of Queen Esther is about the queen rescuing her people from persecution (which is celebrated as a traditional holiday, Purim). The music reflects the exuberant mood of celebration.  The text appropriately references songs of praise and the heavenly choir.

Bay Area composer, horn-player, and physicist Brian Holmes dedicated the score of The Mummers to Joyce Keil and the Ragazzi Boys Chorus. This playful arrangement gives space for the singers to take on the persona of mummers - Christmas-season entertainers and actors. The mummer tradition is based in 18th and 19th century England, as seen in the references to Saint George. This is a fun variation in the tradition of door-to-door Christmas caroling.

Creator of the Stars of Night is an arrangement of a ninth-century plainsong chant Conditor Alme. Originally in Latin, the formality of the translated text still evokes an archaic time. Each stanza presents a different unfolding of Christ’s story: the tumult of the world before Christ, the humble birth, the revelation of Christ, and Christ as judge. The music for the voices remains identical between the six verses; the interest and momentum is created by the increasingly-present organ accompaniment.

Ludovico Grossi (c. 1560-1627) was born in Viadana, near Parma. His life as a Franciscan monk is reflected by the sacred music he wrote for use in the church liturgy. Exultate justi is based on the first three verses of Psalm 33, and the buoyant music reflects the words of praise, thanks, and singing. The piece is in two parts - a chordal, homophonic introduction followed by an imitative middle section - and the different writing styles reflect the Renaissance and Baroque periods transitioning between the two eras. The piece is for four voices - there is an alto part, two tenor parts, and a bass line. This distribution is stylistically common as the advanced singers in a church group would be men singing in a bass and falsetto range.

Ubi Caritas is about juxtaposition: Latin and African languages, formal and pop singing styles, Western and non-Western cultures, and even different rhythmic ways of subdividing a measure. Paul Halley chose the text “Where there is love, there is God” because it speaks to him personally while also having a universal appeal. He writes: “I tried to bring out the inherent power and optimism of the Gregorian Chant. … Sometimes we need to look at the obvious through other people’s eyes.”  Despite the opposition between the individual elements, the composition works cohesively and emphasizes the fundamental connections of religious sentiment and musical expression. In today’s performance, the blocking of the choir according to part highlights the different melody lines in a spatial way.

All Glory, Laud, and Honor is a single piece taken from the larger work, The Passion According to Saint John. Bach’s mastery of line, ornamentation, independent voices and harmonic flexibility show through even in shorter works such as this. The chorale is stated twice - once as an ornamented solo line with instrumental support, and once as a four-part a capella arrangement. Note the independence of the violin part, which could stand as an instrumental solo. The text, by Paul Gerhardt, is an Advent meditation on the best way to invite God into the singer’s life.

Deck the Hall is a 16th-century Welsh tune celebrating the season - getting ready for festivities and greeting the new year. The ‘fa la la’ refrain is a moment of musical delight; it is about the fun of singing purely for the joy of the art.

Angels We Have Heard on High is a carol of French origin. This hymn is unusual because of the melismatic (many notes per word) setting of the refrain. Hark the Herald is an arrangement of a tune written by Mendelssohn. The final carol is a popular interpretation of O Come, All Ye Faithful by David Willcocks. This arrangement 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. The traditional combined choir, descant and organ accompaniment culminate to remind us how music can transcend the boundaries of time and difference, giving us the tools to find newness, potential, and light in our world.

Ragazzi boys shine in Korea

Korean Tour stories 2013

The boys have been amazing. Their level of maturity, their cooperative spirit, their endurance - in every way they made us very proud.

We found Korea to be very clean. The people are disciplined and yet they are warm, generous and friendly. The Korean Choir (6 boys out of 60 singers!)  is outstanding; they rehearse 3 days a week for 2 hours each and many commute 1-2 hours to rehearsal. They also know how to have fun. The audiences are wildly enthusiastic and participate in performances by whooping, laughing and yelling. We agreed that we wanted to incorporate the Korean rehearsal discipline into Ragazzi culture.

Seoul is dense (44,000 people per square mile) and the buildings are sky high. Most of the people live in apartments. There didn't seem to be any suburbs although when we traveled to Suncheon (6 hours south) we saw miles of greenery. The youth hostel in Suncheon was in a lovely wooded area. The boys stayed in rooms of 5-6 and they slept on the floor on comforters (see picture attached). We learned that traditionally Koreans sleep on the floor which is heated in the winter. They seemed to survive that fine. I never heard a complaint about this or about any other difficulties.

The heat was intense and constant. The air conditioning varied in effectiveness, with the bus being the most comfortable and the eating halls less so. With the humidity we were ringing wet most of the time-especially when we had outdoor concerts. The boys performed every day often in the midst of confusing schedule changes, attenuated rehearsal time and varying stage set ups. We sang mostly informal music as we were not given rehearsal time except for 10 minute staging times. I believe we will receive DVDs of at least some of the performances.

We had the opportunity to observe the beautiful Korean traditional music with costumes (see picture) and at the fair we all got to try on the traditional Korean dress. One of our favorite Korean experiences was watching the dancing drummer who played on the massed choir pieces. He moved with every stroke as he pounded the rhythms adding immensely to the excitement of the performance. We also saw fan dances and hat twirling. There will be many pictures for you to enjoy seeing these things.

The home stay families cared for the boys as if they were their own sons. Many cried when they had to say goodbye. Some of the hosts were at the fair on Thursday where they were eager to meet us, the staff.

Most of the choirs had more adult chaperons (who had to pay their own way) and we are so very grateful to our guides who shepherded our boys through all the events, made sure they had the right clothes, made them go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. At the end of ten days we felt a love for each other as well as gratitude.

There is a lot of ceremony as each official welcomes us. Today when we left Suncheon for the airport, representatives of the mayor thanked us for making the trip to their city and for accepting their accommodations. He said that while we must leave, our music will remain in their hearts. He talked about how people from so many countries and languages could come together and unite through music. He said that he hoped this would continue to help bring the world together.

Last night our boys wanted to initiate a final evening with all the other kids to share their favorite songs. During the bus ride back to the hostel from the Garden Expo where we had sung, Ragazzi boys shared their favorite experiences. Comments ranged from "I liked the heat" to "It was wonderful to share music with people from other cultures and to learn about them." Ragazzi initiated the group sharing where all the singers gathered together. It was a deeply emotional moment for all.

The food (see picture of my breakfast at the hostel): now we know why Koreans are lean. The basic diet is rice with a variety of sprouts, seaweed, sometimes with some processed meat or an egg. Sometimes there is soup.  The hosts provided the boys with snacks and one night brought them pizza after a late night concert.

A glimpse of the confusing scheduling can be seen in one example. At the closing concert in Suncheon which was held outside at the amazing Expo Garden, I was told to choose a boy and come on stage to stand for a speech by the mayor. When I went back to find my place, I was told that I wasn’t needed. No one remembered telling me to come. The director of the Taiwan choir was also there and although she didn’t speak English, we looked at each other and understood that we both had been given confusing directions. We went to the back of the arena and met Hee Churl, the music director of World Vision. He shrugged and laughed. So I went back to my seat. About 5 minutes later, someone came up to me and rushed me up on stage. Hee Churl came along and we wended our way through the orchestra to climb up for the ceremony. Things changed constantly.

I wanted to share with you the pride we all felt in your sons. In spite of confusing changes in schedules, occasionally odd food,  strange sleeping arrangements, stifling heat, daily performance pressure, the boys remained cooperative and cheerful. They were mature and represented the United State beautifully. They were strong in their endurance through difficult situations and willing to conform to the necessary regimentation that tour requires.

I am so grateful that you allowed them to share this experience with our singing colleagues from other countries. We made new friends and we learned a lot not only about other cultures, but also about music and performing.

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! "

Ragazzi 25 years of Boys who Love to Sing

I am moved by the stories I am hearing from our graduates as to how Ragazzi has impacted their lives. I have always loved music and specifically singing and I wanted to share this musical joy with boys because when I was teaching high school, I found it so hard to recruit male singers. I have learned that putting the boys together, alone, without girls makes it safe for them to explore their voices and their emotions. Beyond that, through Ragazzi, in addition to their musical achievements, they have created life-long friendships and developed other skills like  discipline, focus. We just had to build it, they have come by the hundreds.

Here is a testimonial from one alum. From Patrick Wong, to the Ragazzi Family: 

My name is Patrick "Pawkit DJ" Wong.  I was an active participant and member in Ragazzi for about 4-5 years (1997-2002); a picture of me is even still on the website in the "about" section!  To this day, I am so honored and proud to have been a part of such a gifted and talented group of individuals.  The extensive musical training and education we received still proves useful to me even today!

 In addition to singing with Ragazzi, during my adolescent years I also studied the violin, piano, clarinet, and saxophone.  Having paid tens of thousands of dollars for over a decade of private lessons in all these instruments, I can still say with full conviction that none of it compared to the amount of musical knowledge and wisdom Ragazzi  Boys Chorus provided for me.

 Today, I am currently a full-time college student by day, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in audio production and music recording, and a seasoned DJ and music producer by night.  I started DJing in May of 2011, and so far have achieved unimaginable degrees of success on a multitude of levels in just under two years of solid dedication and commitment to the craft.  For example, as of this moment as I'm typing this, my online SoundCloud profile has generated a whopping total of 17,875 plays/listens!  (soundcloud.com/PawkitDJ) I am just now testing the waters with music production (starting with mashups) and the classical training I received in Ragazzi over a decade ago still pertains and is extraordinarily relevant in helping me to create musically sound pieces and compositions.  For example, my most recent release was a "duet" I created combining Britney Spears (pop singer) and Skrillex (dubstep).  I was so proud to see that it exceeded 200 plays/listens on the very first day I uploaded it!  In addition, I have been and am currently the resident DJ at a local venue in the South Bay Area called Britannia Arms Cupertino where I play live every Thursday night from 10pm-1:30am.

 One thing I am thankful for is how much Ragazzi truly enhanced my ears and gave me the gift of trained performance listening, which I need to accomplish my daily tasks as a music producer.  It is critical that I am always on high alert for any unmatched pitches or chords that clash, which are frequent obstructions that occur when trying to be creative.  Fortunately, with my experienced musical ear, I am able to extinguish these problems quickly.  Also, it is absolutely necessary that I pay close attention to all major and minor chords and the key signatures of each track that I choose to work with.  For example, if I am working with a track in A-flat minor, then I would need to compose a countermelody in the same key or, using the circle of fifths, harmonize with something in E flat minor or even B Major.  Fortunately, there is now computer software that can help supplement and aid in speeding up this process.  But as we all know, technology and shortcuts aren't always perfect and can never match or replace real life experience.

 Overall, I am so grateful for all of the hard work and dedication from all of the staff and parents at Ragazzi, especially Joyce Keil.  If it weren't for all of you, I probably would not have attained such high success so early on in this competitive industry.  Even though it's been so long and I was so young, I will always remember my experience at Ragazzi as my personal blessing as I continue to pursue this passion and chase my dream.  Sincerely, Patrick "Pawkit DJ" Wong From Patrick Wong

Sincerely,

Patrick "Pawkit DJ" Wong

http://www.soundcloud.com/PawkitDJ

http://www.facebook.com/PawkitDJ

pawkitdeejay@gmail.com

Choristers sing TOGETHER

From Jesse Buddington: I'd like to borrow Joyce's blog this week to talk about one of choral singing's central concepts - it's something so innate, so obvious, that we rarely actually mention it. It's something so central to choral singing that it makes up half of the name - the choral part. I'd like to talk about the difference between being a good musician, and being a good chorister.

Wait, what?

See, that's what I mean - most people assume (as I did for many years) that good musicians automatically make the best choristers. I experienced that in my high school choir, at San Francisco's School of the Arts. For those of you unfamiliar with SOTA, it's an audition-based public school where everyone has to "major" in an art. When I began attending, our vocal program was filled with the best young soloists the city (and its surroundings) had to offer - pop, rock, gospel, classical, etc. The then-choir director put a lot of the department's resources into small ensembles and individual voice lessons for everyone - better musicians are simply universally better, right?

Unsurprisingly, the choir often sounded like a bunch of soloists who were asked to sing something at the same time. In my senior year, we got a new vocal director who spent a lot more time on group blend and collective decisions within each section and each song. The change in the choir was remarkable.

Choral singing is a special kind of music, and it caters to a special kind of artist. Whereas many artists seek art as a way of expressing themselves individually, still others throw themselves into a collective whole, trying to feel out in colors or chords the strings that bind human beings to one another.

When people can't make group rehearsal dates, I often hear the argument that they'll practice on their own, or with their voice teacher. While this does indeed speak to an artist's dedication, it makes them very dedicated musicians - it does not make them dedicated choristers, because there's more to being in a choir than just being a good musician. There are plenty of musical avenues for soloists; what makes a choir special is the vocal blend, and that blend is only possible through mutual, collaborative work. It's something that can be guided, but cannot be taught(especially not in isolation)- it can only be learned through regular practice with the same group. Every choir makes many, many decisions in rehearsal that simply cannot be replicated or practiced at home.

The commitment-argument holds some weight where an effort is made to organize the whole group or at least members of a section outside of rehearsal, but most people who miss rehearsals end up working on music alone or with their voice teacher (probably because organizing one's section outside of regular rehearsals is next-to-impossible - that's why we have regular rehearsals!). Although these people will continue to grow as musicians, I don't see how they could possibly be as prepared blend-wise as a person who has been at every rehearsal at which an important musical decision has been made - which is pretty much every rehearsal.

To draw the ever-popular sports analogy, imagine that you have every member of a baseball team train alone, with a separate coach. Imagine that they attain Olympic-level physical condition and learn all there is to learn about the game of baseball. Now, put them on a team against a team that practices together every day, and see how well they do. I imagine there will be more than a few dropped balls, if not outright outfield collisions.

When I sing with Continuo, or conduct YME, I sometimes experience this sixth-sense of where everyone is and what everyone is doing - it's a common phenomenon in driving ("feeling" the external dimensions of a familiar car), and that sense transfers over pretty well to choral singing. When you crescendo through a chord, or take a breath at just the right time with everyone else, you experience a sense of collective awareness. It's a wonderful feeling, and I bet that every single boy in CG or higher can immediately recall at least one story of having felt that sensation.

I think it's a huge part of why generation after generation of Ragazzi boy keeps putting in the long hours of hard work to achieve those magic moments.

Music Knowledge is Fun!

Musical knowledge is fun!

Last week I attended a movie - new release.  I will keep the name of it secret as there are some plot twists that you will want to discover for yourself if you see it.

In one scene, one of the male leads is in an elevator.  The plot has indicated that he may be questioning some of the decisions he has made and that he might be uncomfortable with the situation he is in.

In the background is the Allegri Miserere which our boys sang a few Decembers ago.  It was one of their favorite pieces, featuring a glorious high “C” in a repeating refrain.

I recognized the music (as would the boys) and knew that the director was telling us something about the mind of the protagonist.  He was actually really upset and in a difficult situation.

Isn't it fun to be an insider?  Our understanding of the world is enriched because we know about music and we pay attention to it! 

Choral Music is Vital

As many of you know, I recently returned from my third visit to Cuba. I have been drawn to this country because of the incredible commitment to arts education even though there is a shortage of basic supplies and food. The music and particularly the choral music is outstanding and the children with talent and interest are nurtured and given rigorous training which is tested regularly. For those who persist and survive the testing, there is a guaranteed job in the professional music world, singing with a band, singing in a chorus, or conducting.

In the last year and a half, the city of Havana has started a revitalization project to maintain the beautiful buildings that have been crumbling due to lack of attention. Under Raul Castro there is a new openness to private enterprise and some families are opening restaurants, bed and breakfasts and even retail stores.

As Cuba moves to incorporate the positive aspects of capitalism, which are sorely needed to help the vast number of poor people in the country, there is an economist who is advising the process who cautions Cuba to take best of free enterprise, but to avoid becoming its slave.

As I read this article written by an American student in high school about the importance of choral music in his life, I applaud Cuba’s dedication to this art form and I am reminded of the critical nature of the work we do. It is my belief that Ragazzi is a positive force for connection among young men who are seeking understanding and meaning in our modern world. I am glad that there are Americans who understand the importance of choral music.

WHY CHORAL MUSIC IS VITAL TO TODAY’S YOUTH by Reilly Dougherty

The world today is changing at a swift pace. Every day we are advancing as a whole technologically, but as we progress in these areas, it seems that we are regressing in others to a point where personal human understanding is no longer prevalent. There is an endless amount of solutions to this problem, but my personal savior would have to be choral music. Unfortunately, despite popular belief amongst my fellow students, sheer participation isn’t enough. You must immerse yourself in the art form. I have found that a looming fear of failure is a contributing factor to the decline in the arts as a whole. Being an artist of any form requires effort, and students can save themselves from the possible embarrassment by pursuing something far less complicated. Examples of which might include video games, or avid tweeting.
 

My experiences in choir are what saved me from mediocrity, complacency, and a great deal of ignorance. Whether it is during a performance or in the classroom, I’ve gained much more than I ever could have hoped to through the internet or television. Singing has taught me humility through error, reward through success, feeling through understanding, and most importantly, how to use singing to identify with the piece I am performing, and the audience I am performing for. This creates a bond of emotions that helps me realize that each individual has their own story, along with a series of battles in which they were forced to contend. A strong sense of community is provided and that is what our youth needs most to prevent a fracture in today’s society. Choral music helps us remember what is significant, while maintaining a development of our natural qualities and existence, cohesively as a race.

(Reilly Dougherty is a senior at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio)

Ragazzi sings Rutter Mass of the Children Mar. 23 and 24

Choral music stands alone among performing arts in at least two ways. Communal affirmation and healing after tragic events are expressed through choral music, an art form uniquely and equally suited for both. Recall the Congressional chorus on the Capitol steps singing God Bless America after 9/11, expressing a nation’s resolve to stand together. This December, a usually irreverent Saturday Night Live responded to the shootings in Newtown with a children's chorus singing Silent Night. Touchingly, the Sandy Hook Elementary School choir itself led a moment of healing by singing America the Beautiful before February’s Super Bowl.

Together, Masterworks and Ragazzi offer our own moment of healing today: John Rutter’s Mass of the Children was his first large work following his own son’s death. Choral music has the power to transform perspective and emotions… and lives. Is there another performing art form where children and adults can collaborate as equals? Where present and future mingle so expressively? Choral music is so much a part of our culture that it’s often taken for granted. We invite you to experience it – and truly hear it – anew.

Joyce Keil, Artist Director Ragazzi Boys Chorus

             David Jones, Executive Director Ragazzi Boys Chorus

What if it's gasp (!) entertainment!!

Ragazzi sings classical repertoire, “pop” songs and world music. Here is a fun article from the February 5 San Francisco Classical Voice, an online magazine for classical music lovers, considering what constitutes “real” music or “high” art. What if it’s (gasp) entertainment?

For your amusement, here is the URL if you want to read readers’ reactions to the article: http://www.sfcv.org/article/classical-what-if-its-gasp-entertainment

From SFCV:

It just may be time to give up on one of the most exhausted, long-lived cliches about classical music: that it is “high” art, uniquely deserving respect and support for its greatness. Otherwise, we risk smothering the thing we love and missing avenues to pull it out of its financial doldrums.

The last few years have been difficult ones for classical music in America, if by that term you mean the fortunes of the opera houses and symphony orchestras that usually symbolize “classical.” Almost everywhere you look, organizations face budget battles, cutbacks in programming, worries about the future.

As SFCV has been continually reporting, however, renewal is arriving through the back door: smaller, more mobile groups that are light on overhead and also generally do away with one or more of the rituals that define so many classical concerts. A few months ago, the readers of Greg Sandow’s blog began to weigh in on classical organizations that were “breaking the mold” in one way or another: Choice of venue, interest in new music and in popular and world music, and discarding old rituals of presentation and concert etiquette were the common themes in that series of posts. And one of the things that most impedes our getting to that place is adherence to high art ideals.

“High” art as an idea has gone through several definitions in the centuries of writings on aesthetics, but the most current usage refers to art that is the most autonomous (individual, thought-provoking). It still heavily depends on the idea of a genius author with enormous insight, grappling with the big issues of human existence. In presenting art of this sort, performers should efface themselves, to let listeners focus on the greatness of the musical work.

The classical tradition is made of entertainments seasoned occasionally with philosophy.

An immediate problem crops up with this definition, which is that it’s too restrictive: It would probably exclude Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, Ravel’s Bolero,Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore,various capriccios espagnole or italienne, all the so-called “light classics,” and much more that features dancing, slapstick, sentiment, and moonstruck romance. The classical tradition is made of entertainments seasoned occasionally with philosophy.

You can try to liberalize the definition — for example, by declaring that classical music’s complexity and craft qualify it generally as high art, while other music is too simplistic to stimulate our brains. But this definition is significantly compromised by modern neurological studies and in the generally observed phenomenon that quite a lot of great classical musicians, not to mention numbers of eminent composers, think of great “popular art” musicians as their equals. (See a related story.) If highly trained musicians don’t believe in the “complexity divide” and, in fact, “cross over” all the time themselves, then it’s not easy to maintain intrinsic value differences between “pop” and classical — you end up simply comparing unlike traditions and stating a preference.

Most of us are looking for an emotional connection, a hit of adrenaline, indulgence in fantasy, an experience that resonates with our lives.

Many works with high cultural prestige violate the implicit and explicit rules of high art: Think of Charles Dickens’Christmas Carol. His little prefatory statement — “I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it” — emphasizes entertainment over the message that, in the text, the author delivers with a heavy hand and much sententiousness. Dickens was exactly right: We love this great story for itself, not for the improvement it has made in our minds. Scrooge’s nephew says as much, arguing for the value of Christmas: “There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say.”

In the end, the biggest problem with “high art” is that it is irrelevant to the way most of us approach culture. Most of us are looking for an emotional connection, a hit of adrenaline, indulgence in fantasy, an experience that resonates with our lives as we live them — that’s entertainment, in the wide sense of the word. Sometimes we can get that by contemplating sublime things and the deep-set psychology of human beings, and sometimes we can get it by cutting a rug.

When classical music presenters think about the value of their productions, they need to proceed from this idea of entertainment, rather than from the notion that their core audience is made up of superior human beings who are willing to forgo entertainment for enlightenment. Many of the musicians and executive directors I’ve talked to already think in this fashion, asking the question where that entertainment value is coming from, not only whether the music will be satisfactory. And if that means that “high art” distinctions are driven out of critical discourse, so much the better.

Michael Zwiebach is the senior editor/ content manager for SFCV. He assigns all articles and content, manages the writing staff and does editing. A member of SFCV from the beginning, Michael holds a Ph.D. in music history from the University of California, Berkeley.