Press Contact:
Connie Tejeda
718-519-4168
email: ctejeda@bethabe.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE
THIRD ANNUAL MUSIC HAS POWER™ AWARDS TO HONOR
MICKEY HART, LORIN HOLLANDER AND REMO BELLI
Gwyneth Paltrow to Emcee an evening of star-studded performances benefiting the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
October 28, 2003 (New York, NY) – The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, part of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, is proud to present the Third Annual Music Has Power™ Awards to be held on Monday, December 1st, 2003 at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center. Grammy Award winner Mickey Hart, renowned solo artist and percussionist from The Grateful Dead; Lorin Hollander, legendary concert pianist, conductor, and noted lecturer, and Remo Belli, CEO, Remo Inc., innovator and developer of percussion products including the first successful synthetic drum head, will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the area of music and wellness.
The Music Has Power™ Awards recognize significant accomplishments by men and women who have brought new understanding to the use of the power of music to awaken and heal. The funds raised through this event support scientific inquiry into music and the brain, patient care, and clinical music therapy research.
According to renowned music therapist and Director of the Institute, Dr. Concetta Tomaino, “through music therapy, we’ve been able to assist patients that were once considered helpless. We’ve witnessed everything from recovering speech to regaining the ability to walk again.” Adding, “through the commitment of people such as the event’s honorees and performers, we are able to focus attention on the important work done at the Institute and further our mission by bringing the healing power of music to an ever expanding network of healthcare providers.”
Scheduled to perform and present at the awards are popular recording artist Moby, who will feature a special film and musical presentation; Walter Cronkite, distinguished broadcast journalist and television anchor; as well as Ann Reinking, Broadway and film star and eminent choreographer; Marvin Hamlisch, Grammy, Tony, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning composer; recording artists, The Bacon Brothers and Metropolitan opera soprano, Korliss Uecker will be accompanied by Dr. Len Horovitz on the piano. The evening will also include a very special surprise performance and Gwyneth Paltrow will act as Emcee.
The funds raised through the Music Has Power™ Awards support patient care, along with scholarships and fellowships in scientific research. Sponsors this year include NAMM, the International Music Products Association, Moet & Chandon, and Ciroc Frosted Vodka.
For more information or tickets, please contact Diane Domenech 718-519-5840 or e-mail ddomenech@bethabe.org
The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) foundation and an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, based in New York, which provides health-based services thousands of people each year. For more information call 718-519-5880.
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Interview with Dr. Samuel Wong
How did you become aware of Beth Abraham and the Institute for Music and
Neurologic Research?
I first became aware of the Institute through the writings of Dr. Oliver Sacks. I called Beth
Abraham and was directed to Dr. Connie Tomaino, who was most gracious and receptive to
my inquiries. My introduction to this whole world of music therapy began two summers
ago. Now I sit on the board and come to observe and participate in music therapy whenever
I can. The Institute has become the epicenter of music therapy and neurological research.
You are here filming a documentary that will be shown in Hong Kong early next
year. What do you hope to accomplish on your trip?
I want to bring the message of music therapy and the power of music to people in the Far
East: Hong Kong and China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. My hope
is to shoot a substantial documentary that will introduce the whole concept and show the
important and groundbreaking work that is being done in America.
How was it to work with our patients? Did you find any of the groups easier or more
difficult to work with?
Working with patients at the Institute brought me back to my clinical days at Harvard. There
are some disturbing scenarios and tragic lives here, to be sure, but seeing these patients
progress, and watching their transformation through music is very inspirational. I was moved
by the drumming in particular -- to see people joining in a community and fusing their hearts
and minds is very joyous for me.
And then to see halting speech becoming fluent through music is akin to a miracle. To
watch interrupted and effortful speech contrasted with the fluency and normalcy of singing
that is remarkable to me.
Music therapy here is tailored to individual cultural identities. What did you notice
about the range of music played at the Institute?
I found the work of one music therapist, Thomas McClellan, particularly remarkable in that
he is able to sing, with the aid of the guitar, many different styles of music. I watched him
move with equal ease from the Hava Nagila and other Jewish songs, to Black gospel, to
rock, to folk, to classical. It is remarkable to be able to reach so meaningfully into the
backgrounds -- the inner child, if you will -- of patients.
Is there any formal academic training for music therapists in China?
I think there is some training in Beijing. Our Hong Kong producer will travel there to observe
music therapy being done with traditional Chinese instruments. I’m not aware of work in
Hong Kong or Singapore;this is precisely what we are trying to introduce.
Do you think certain individuals are born with a natural talent for music? Is it in the genes? Or do you believe anyone can learn to play an instrument?
Certainly musical talent is partly genetic, and God-given, but a lot of it is due to hard work,
too. So I think nature and nurture are equally important. I think anyone can learn to play an
instrument. And the keyboard or percussion can be used to enhance anyone’s life whether
in sickness or in health, whether young or old.
Music seems to accompany every human milestone – from baby naming and marriage to memorials for the dead. Do you think it is hardwired into the brain?
There is a case to be made for that. We baptize to music, marry to music, bury to music,
even march our armies to war accompanied by music. We express our patriotism through
music and when we don’t find words powerful enough, we worship to music. We also try to
find the infinite and God through music. Certain chord progressions are almost archetypal
and are understood in many cultures. Just one example is the 1-4-5-1 progression of
harmony that is found in Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, church anthems, and the Beatles.
Some researchers question whether music is essential to long-term survival. What is your feeling about this?
Music is central to survival in many ways. In a purely physical way we have seen how
music can help Parkinson’s patients initiate complicated movements. On an emotional
plan e, it can provide a support system for the depressed and for the isolated. Music can
also distract us from physical and psychic pain. It can help us reach back into early
memories and carry us over devastated landscapes.
Over the past several years, the trend in this country has become one of active music
making versus passive music listening. It’s been shown that that interactive music making
enhances the body’s immunity. Why do you think this change is important?
I think interactive music is one of the most powerful areas of music therapy because it
allows people to give and receive at the same time… to contribute to a community of sound,
while improving their own well being.
You seem to have a tremendously busy schedule, yet you find time to help others by using
music as an educational and inspirational tool.
Yes, I’m a busy person. I am music director of three orchestras and I also guest conduct a
lot in Europe and North America. Yet I find it important to give back, to the hospitals and
clinics, to the patients.
Saturday, February 2, 2002
