Van Ragsdale

Texas Bandmaster Hall of Fame member Van B. Ragsdale has had a lifelong passion for playing in, directing, and consulting with bands. During his 33 years as an active band director, his bands earned numerous state and national awards, including two selections as Texas State Champion “Honor” Bands…in Odessa at the largest junior high school level, and in Midland at the largest high school level. The 2008 recipient of Eastern New Mexico University’s Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2018 Texas Bandmaster Association’s Meritorious Achievement Award, he is in demand as a consultant, clinician, conductor, composer, arranger, and speaker throughout the United States and has served as adjunct professor of music education at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Awarded membership in the prestigious American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers, he has over a dozen band works published, including A Walk With McCarley, which was featured in the 2013 award-winning feature film Bluebird. Van and his wife, Jean, live in San Antonio, Texas.