Sidney Ragland—A Positive Voice in the Community


by Constance Dalton



Sidney Ragland. Photo courtesy Constance Dalton.

Click to enlarge.

We raise our voices to salute Sidney Ragland, a graduate of St. Elizabeth High School and an accomplished tenor, has been singing since June 2008 in the Young Musicians' Program (YMP) at UC Berkeley. He has mastered Italian, Spanish, and English Art Song, as well as German Lieder. This spring, YMP mailed Sidney's audition tapes to several conservatories. Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle accepted him on the basis of his tape, without requiring a visit. Four others invited Sidney to audition live, resulting in trips to Oberlin Conservatory in Cleveland, the New England Conservatory in Boston, Manhattan School of Music in New York, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.'

Noting that it is an honor to pass the pre-screening stage to live audition status, Daisy Newman, Director of the Young Musicians Program, stated that, "Sidney has a very good chance to get into some of the top schools in America. I have been the Director of YMP since 2003. Sidney is the most gifted singer that I have encountered since my arrival."

Since his tour, Sidney has been accepted by all the programs listed above. He decided to attend the San Francisco Conservatory, which offered a generous financial aid package, and which will enable him to stay close to family. Sidney has two enormous gifts to help him: his fabulous voice and his personality. Schools, clubs, and churches have asked him to sing at their events. Sidney has even sung with himself, as both Seymour Krelborn and the singing voice of the plant, Audrey, in Little Shop of Horrors. If you'd like to hear him for yourself, check www.YouTube.com under "The Patrick Landeza Project." You can't miss tall, joyful Sidney!