Van Ragsdale composer / arranger

Van Bob Ragsdale is the luckiest person alive. Born in the Texas panhandle town of Pampa in 1946 to Audie and Robert B. Ragsdale, he was named after his grandfather, Levander, so he’s lucky his parents only gave him the “Van” part. Although neither of his parents were musicians, he began playing the trombone at the age of nine, as he knew the slide could be a great weapon if he ever needed it to push an enemy over a cliff in hand-to-hand combat. He learned to march in 4th grade beginning band to the 6/8 cadence: “I left..I left..I left my wife with seven kids…I left..I left…”

Van’s luck continued when he advanced to the Robert E. Lee Junior High School band directed by Joe DiCosimo. Graduating from Pampa High School in 1964, he won many individual and group awards in the Harvester Band under the direction of Bill Tregoe and Fred Stockdale. As a senior, he learned a valuable lesson the last night of a band trip to Enid, Oklahoma, when the assistant principal opened the door to a very raucous motel room that Van and seven roommates were staying in and said, “Boys, there’s a very thin line between bravery and stupidity…and you’re about to step over it.”

Van chose to attend Eastern New Mexico University in Portales over West Texas State in Canyon because he wanted some distance from a high school girlfriend who wanted to marry him. His good friend and mentor, Gary Garner, later told him, “I’ve had lots of students attend WTSU to be with a girlfriend, but you’re the only one who didn’t attend, to get away from one!” This was also lucky for Van, as he met an All-State vocalist named Jean Parker at ENMU. Van soon knew that he would have to marry Jean…as she stood him up on their first date. He also had three great mentors there: Floren Thompson, Jr. (band), Harold Popp (trombone), and Doreen Grimes (composition).