2006 Music Has Power^TM Awards
Featuring Performances by Rob Thomas,
Patty Griffin, Timothy Fain
Honoring Acclaimed Neurologist and Author Dr. Oliver Sacks

September 20, 2006 (New York, NY) – On November 6, 2006 The 6^th Annual Music Has Power Awards benefit will once again return to the Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.  The awards show is presented by The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services and will be hosted by Emmy award-winning PBS Anchor Rafael Pi Roman. Actor Dustin Hoffman will be on site to present the award to honoree Dr. Oliver Sacks. Scheduled to perform at this year’s star-studded event are Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Rob Thomas, Grammy-nominated folk singer Patty Griffin, dynamic virtuoso violinist Timothy Fain, and fourteen year old violin prodigy and national concert artist Jourdan Urbach. Additional attendees include Lisa Edelstein, star of Fox’s Emmy-winning “House.”

This year, the IMNF is proud to honor renowned neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks. “We celebrate his 40 years at Beth Abraham and honor his outstanding contributions insupport of music therapy and the effect of music on the human brain and mind,” said Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Executive Director of the IMNF. 

Dr. Sacks has written extensively about his experiences and findings and in 1973, he penned the highly acclaimed book “Awakenings” based on his workat Beth Abraham Health Services.  His literature was later adapted into the 1990 Oscar-nominated Hollywood movie, “Awakenings” for which Dr. Sacks was the inspiration for Robin Williams’ character.

The Music Has Power Award was established six years ago to celebrate and recognize the significant accomplishments of the men and women who have brought new understanding to the use of the power of music to awaken and heal.  Through this celebration, funds raised will support music therapy programs, along with clinical and scientific research.  Past sponsors have included Kettle One Vodka; MTV; NAMM, The International Music Products Association; Steinway & Sons; and VH1.

The 2006 Music Has Power event begins at 7 p.m.  For tickets, sponsorship and journal tributes, please contact: Cheryl Burgos at (718) 519-5880.  All tickets include admittance to a special VIP reception.

Founded in 1995 at Beth Abraham Health Services in The Bronx, the IMNF is unique in that it is driven by 35 years of clinical observations on the actual effects of music on different types of physical and neurological trauma.  Directed by renowned music therapist Dr. Concetta Tomaino, with medical guidance from distinguished neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, its distinctive setting allows researchers to not only apply their theories, but to follow patient rehabilitation in the long term. The Institute actively collaborates with researchers and practitioners at other leading organizations to advance world progress in understanding and applying the power of music to promote healing and wellness. Some of the Institute's most promising research has been inthe areas of musicand language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury -- leading to groundbreaking discoveries as to how music therapy can heal.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is recognized internationally for its success in treating a variety of neurological conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinsons. Most recently, the IMNF expanded its work in music therapy for childhood developmental conditions including autism.

 

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function:

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a member of Beth Abraham Family of HealthServices. Through the scientific explorations ofmusic and the brain, it seeks to establish new knowledge and develop more effective therapies which awaken, stimulate and heal through the extraordinary power of music. For more information, visit www.musichaspower.org.

 

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services:

Founded in 1920, Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a not-for-profit, continuing care organization established to care for poor, chronically ill and disabled adults of varying ages and backgrounds.  In the forefront of continuing health care, Beth Abraham’s services include four residential skilled nursing facilities, adult day health care programs, home care and AIDS home care, and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  Beth Abraham sponsors the nation’s largest Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) through Comprehensive Care Management (CCM).  Its world-renowned Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages. With more than 3,000 employees, Beth Abraham serves nearly 5,000 people daily and remains committed to making life better for people.  For more information on Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, please visit www.bethabe.org.

 

Please click here to download our press kit.

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    Michael Fassler, President and CEO; Connie
     Tejeda, Corporate Director of Public Affairs 
       and Marketing; and Dr. Concetta Tomaino, 
     director of the IMNF; awarded certificates of
    appreciation to the patients who shared their
  stories and original music to create "Recording
 for Recovery." Among those who were honored 
 was Jeremy Delliote, who has 2 songs on the CD

May 10, 2006 (Bronx, NY)  – The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, recently held a CD Release Party featuring “Recording for Recovery,” a compilation of original music created by patients at Beth Abraham's skilled nursing facility in the Bronx.

The songs on the CD were written by individuals who have overcome physical and emotional challenges through music therapy. “This CD is more than a collection of original songs,” says David Ramsey, DA, ACMT, assistant director of Music Therapy. “It is the collection and re-collection of individual lives, of people discovering their voice – once silenced, but now have the power of music.”

The event showcased performances from the patients, who were given certificates of appreciation for sharing their original music to create “Recording for Recovery.”

Certificates were also awarded to the music therapy patients who helped promote the work of the IMNF and raise awareness to the power of music by sharing their stories to benefit others. Connie Tejeda, CorporateDirector of Public Affairs and Marketing, talked about media interest in the Music Has Power program, and introduced a clip featuring Carey Gordon, who spoke about his experiences with music therapy for ABC TV in Boston.

Board member Beverly Taki
and Dr. Tomaino

In addition, plaques of appreciation were hung in honor of long time supporter Sandy Wilbur, multi-platinum recording artist and board member moby, and board member Beverly Taki to commemorate their generosity and tireless support towards furthering the IMNF's mission of using music therapy to heal, rehabilitate, and inspire. 

Copies of the "Recording for Recovery" CD are available for a small donation. For more information, call 718-519-5880 or email info@bethabe.org.

Photo on the left: Sandy Wilbur with Dr. Tomaino

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Concetta M. Tomaino, D.A., MT-BC, introduces
speaker Edward W. Large, Ph.D., at the March 2006 IMNF symposium “Dialogues Across Disciplines II: Exploring Rhythm, the Brain & Therapy."

March 2006 (New York, NY) -- A capacity crowd of more than 100 people turned out for March 13’s special event, "Dialogues Across Disciplines II: Rhythm, The Brain & Therapy," hosted by the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in New York City.

The full-day program explored rhythm and the brain from a neuroscience and music therapy perspectives. 

Presenters spoke about a variety of topics such as current theories on rhythm and expectation, cognitive aspects of rhythm perception, and the role of rhythm in neurorehabilitation and in community and human experience.

Special guests, in addition to the Institute’s own Concetta Tomaino, DA, MT-BC and David Ramsey, DA, ACMT, included Mickey Hart, Grammy Award-winning percussionist, musicologist, and the legendary drummer for the Grateful Dead; Rodolfo Llinas M.D., Ph.D., Thomas and Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at NYU; Christine Stevens, MSW, MT-BC, MA, owner of UpBeat Drum Circles; and Edward W. Large, Ph.D., of the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences at Florida Atlantic University.

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Institute for Music and Neurologic Function Holds Community
Drum Circle Led by Legendary Drummer Mickey Hart

     Legendary Drummer Mickey Hart with Beth Abraham
        residents Trevor Gibbons and Florence Buch at the
                              Community Drum Circle

The event was hosted by Monroe College in the Bronx and was attended by residents from Beth Abraham Health Services and registrants from its Adult Day Health Care program, staff, friends, and community members, who came to share an afternoon of musical healing and unity.

Below are some event highlights.

Christine Stevens rouses the crowd at the
Beth Abraham Community Drum Circle held recently.

Mickey Hart and IMNF Executive Director Concetta Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, display some serious drum power as they lead the crowd with an infectious rhythm.

Above (l-r): Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Executive Director of the Institute forMusic and Neurologic Function (IMNF); Dr. Edward Large, Associate Professor at the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences and IMNF Scientific Advisory Committee Member; and Mickey Hart, Grammy Award Winning Percussionist and IMNF Board Member

Bernadette Tomaino, Dr. Concetta Tomaino,
and music therapists Marlon Sobol and Benedikte Scheiby drummin' it up for Beth Abraham

MUSIC HAS POWER AT BETH ABRAHAM. Beth Abraham's
Music Therapy Department with Christine Stevens and
board members Mickey Hart and Dr. Edward Large

Christine Stevens and Beth Abraham
resident Josephine Figueroa start
a drum beat for the crowd to follow

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Beth Abraham Music Therapy Patients
Featured in WABC-TV's Eyewitness News

January, 2006  -- WABC-TV's Eyewitness News recently explored the healing power of music in a segment about Jeremy Delliotte and Carey Gordon, music therapy patients at Beth Abraham Health Services, a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services. Please click here to view the video clip.

Beth Abraham Music Therapy Patient Carey Gordon
Featured in WHDH-TV Boston and WB 11 New York

December, 2005 -- Carey Gordon, a music therapy patient at Beth Abraham Health Services, a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, and a registrant at its Adult Day Health Care program, was featured on "Empowered Doctor" of WHDH-TV Boston and "Healthcast" of WB 11 (WPIX-TV New York). The feature focused on music therapy and how it has helped Carey recover after his stroke and improve his quality of life. 

To view the video for the WHDH-TV Boston feature, please click here.

To view the video for the WB 11 feature, please click here.

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Music Therapy Patient Jeremy Deliotte
Featured on CBS 2 Morning News

December, 2005 -- Jeremy Deliotte, music therapy  patient at Beth Abraham Health  Services, a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, was featured on CBS 2 News This Morning. Medical reporter Sapna Parikh, M.D. interviewed Jeremy and told his story in a feature entitled "Overcoming the Odds: Medical Success with Music." To view the video, please click here.

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2005 Music Has Power ^TM Awards Honor Henry Z. Steinway

Evening of star-studded performances to benefit the
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function

August 9, 2005 (New York, NY) – The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, is proud to present the fifth annual Music Has Power Awards to be held on Monday, November 28,2005 at the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room. Henry Z. Steinway, former president and chairman of Steinway & Sons, will be honored for his outstanding contributions in the areas of music, music education and wellness.

 
                           Henry Z. Steinway

Henry Ziegler Steinway is the great-grandson of Henry Engelhard Steinway, who founded Steinway & Sons, which handcrafts what many consider to be the world’s finest pianos. Like his predecessors, Henry Z. Steinway made many contributions to Steinway & Sons during his years at the helm of the company. Manufacturing operations at Steinway’s Long Island City facility were renovated during his watch, and a number of improvements to the piano manufacturing process are also credited to him.

In addition to his outstanding leadership at Steinway & Sons, Henry Z. Steinway’s persuasive advocacy of music as integral to the fabric of life has inspired people allover the world. He has been commended for his vision and support as the founding president of The Museum of Making Music, an organization that recognizes music’s benefits – mentally, emotionally, and physically; and is committed to music education initiatives for people of all ages and walks of life.

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. Through this celebration, funds raised will support patient care, along with clinical and scientific research.  Sponsors this year include Ketel One; NAMM, The International Music Products Association; Steinway & Sons; and VH1.

Notable musicians and performers are expected to make this year’s event an unforgettable celebration of music and healing. Last year’s guests included popular recording artist Moby ; awardwinning actor and composer Kris Kristofferson; Grammy©, Tony©, Golden Globe© and Emmy© Award winning composer, Marvin Hamlisch; singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright ; Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider of The B-52’s, and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes. Additionally, Beth Abraham music therapy patients Trevor Gibbons and Jeremy Deliotte gave inspiring renditions of their original compositions.

Arnold H. Goldstein, director emeritus of the IMNF and assistant vice president of Corporate Relations at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, will also be honored at this year’s Music Has Power Awards.

The 2005 Music Has Power event begins at 7 pm. For tickets, please contact Cheryl Burgos at 718-519-5880. All tickets include admittance to a special VIP reception.

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function:

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a member of Beth Abraham Family of Health Services. Through the scientific explorations of music and the brain, it seeks to establish new knowledge and develop more effective therapies which awaken, stimulate and heal through the extraordinary power of music. For more information, visitwww.musichaspower.org .

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services

Founded in 1920, Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a non-for-profit, continuing care organization established to care for poor, chronically ill and disabled adults of varying ages and backgrounds.  In the forefront of continuing health care, Beth Abraham’s services include four residential skilled nursing facilities, adult day health care programs, home care and AIDS home care, and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  Beth Abraham sponsors the nation’s largest Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) through Comprehensive Care Management (CCM).  Its world-renowned Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages. With more than 3,000 employees, Beth Abraham serves nearly 5,000 people daily and remains committed to making life better for people.  For more information on Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, please visit www.bethabe.org .

To view our press kit, please click here.

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Beth Abraham Music Therapist Holds Workshops
at the University of Georgia

July, 2005 (Athens, Georgia) -- Benedikte Scheiby, MA, MMEd, CMT, DPMT, Assistant  Director of MusicTherapy at Beth Abraham Health Services, recently offered workshops on "Analytical Music Therapy" and "Bioenergetic Body Psychotherapy in Integration with Music Therapy"  to students at the University of Georgia in Athens.

The "Analytical Therapy" workshop was based upon her self-experiential work that demonstrated key concepts and clinical aspects of the method and videotaped/audiotaped demonstrations of applications of the method to a variety of populations.

During the workshop on "Bioenergetic Body Psychotherapy in Integration with Music Therapy," students learned that the human body body is an important work tool for music therapists. The body is an instrument that can be tuned and can resonate and communicate just as a musical instrument can. Body awareness, body consciousness, and body communication can be additional powerful tools for music therapists in clinical work.

For information on other workshops and presentations that will be offered by staff at Beth Abraham's Music Therapy Department, please click here.

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New York State Department of Health Grants More than a
Quarter Million Dollars to Beth Abraham Health Services

Bronx-Based Health Provider to Develop and Support a New Therapeutic Drumming
and Rhythmic Activities Program to Help Dementia Patients

BRONX, New York, July 29, 2005 -- The New York State Department of Health has given a grant of more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars to Beth Abraham Health Services todevelop and support its drumming and rhythmic activities program to help dementia patients.

Beth Abraham Health Services will use the grant to initiate and sustain an educational program for care staff andskilled nurses, instructing them on basic therapeutic drumming and rhythmic techniques, and enabling them to incorporate these techniques in the day to day care of patients with dementia.

With a proven track record of running music therapy programs, Dr. Concetta Tomaino, director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and vice president of Music Therapy at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, will lead the development of these music therapy activities through a multimedia training program.

Beth Abraham music therapists lead a therapeutic drumming circle at the facility's Dementia Center every day.

Scheduled to run for two years, this program will provide a full-day of training workshops and interactive, on-site instruction to staff of four other local skilled nursing facilities including: The Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn and Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in White Plains*; the Sephardic Home in Brooklyn; and the Masonic Dumont Home in New Rochelle.

At the conclusion of this program, Beth Abraham will develop a multimedia-training curriculum to instruct additional facilities on basic therapeutic drumming techniques.

"Through the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, Dr. Tomaino has consistently demonstrated that drumming and other rhythmic activities are effective techniques to awaken, stimulate, and help reduce agitation in patients suffering from dementias such as Alzheimer's disease," said Michael Fassler, president and CEO of Beth Abraham Family of Health Services. "By receiving this grant from the New York State Department of Health, it shows that others believe that music therapy is an effective treatment for improving the lives of dementia patients."

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services

Founded in 1920, Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a not-for-profit, continuing care organization established to care for poor, chronically ill and disabled adults of varying ages and backgrounds. In the forefront of continuing health care, Beth Abraham’s services include four residential skilled nursing facilities, adult day health care, home care and AIDS home care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled. Beth Abraham sponsors the nation’s largest Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) through Comprehensive Care Management (CCM). Its world renowned Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages. With more than 3,000 employees, Beth Abraham serves nearly 5,000 people daily and remains committed to making life better for people. For more information on Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, please visit  www.bethabe.org .

* Members of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services

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Music Therapist at Beth Abraham Health Services Goes on Tour
with Electronic Pop Recording Artist, Moby

           Luci Butler, MT-BC

March 4, 2005 (Bronx, NY) – Beth Abraham Health Services’ Luci Butler, MT-BC, will be going on tour with multi-Platinum recording artist Moby to promote his new V2 album, “Hotel,” (due March 22) in North America and Europe starting in April.

Butler, a music therapist at Beth Abraham for the past two and a half years, has been working closely with patients and residents, tapping into music’s healing powers in order to restore, maintain and improve their physical, emotional and neurologic functioning.

The tour will give Butler a chance to increase her understanding of the music industry and learn about the power of music in a different way, by expanding her knowledge of musical performance. 

More importantly, she sees this as an opportunity to promote the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function’s work and raise people’s awareness of music’s ability to rehabilitate and heal.

At the recent Music Has Power™ Awards, an annual event hosted by Beth Abraham’s Institute for Music and NeurologicFunction (IMNF), at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, Butler performed with music therapy patient Trevor Gibbons, a stroke victim who had difficulty speaking, but after months of therapy with Butler has produced two CD’s of his original compositions.

Luci Butler performing with multi-platinum recording artist Moby            
and his band at a promotional stop in Europe.                       

 

Moby, a Board Member of the IMNF and one of the honorees and performers that night, asked Butler to join the band for his promotional tour. Shortly thereafter, she became a part of the music video for “Lift Me Up,” the first single off his new album. In a few weeks, she will be playing the keyboard and providing back up vocals for Moby all across the United States and Europe.

                    Luci Butler provides back up vocals. 

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and an affiliate of Beth Abraham Family of Health Services. Through the scientific explorations of music and the brain, it seeks to establish new knowledge and develop more effective therapies which awaken, stimulate and heal through the extraordinary power of music. For more information, visit www.musichaspower.org .  

For more information on Moby and for tour dates and venues, please visit www.mobyhotel.com .

At theUHF Grants Awards, from left to right: Howard Smith,Chairman of the Board, United Hospital Fund; David Ramsey,D.A., ACMT, assistant director of Music Therapy atBeth Abraham; James R. Tallon, Jr., President, United Hospital Fund; and Concetta M. Tomaino, D.A., MT-BC, director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and Vice President for Music Therapy at Beth Abraham.

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2004 Music Has Power^TM Awards Honor Moby, 
Karl T. Bruhn and Concetta M. Tomaino

Evening of star-studded performances benefits the
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function

November 29, 2004 (New York, NY) – The Institute for Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services successfully held its fourth annual Music Has Power^TM Awardson Monday, November 29^th, 2004 at the Jazzat Lincoln Center's Allen Room. Renowned recording artist, Moby; president of Karl T. Bruhn Associates and music advocate, Karl T. Bruhn; and Director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and Vice President for Music Therapy, Concetta M. Tomaino, D.A., MT-BC, were honored for their outstanding contributions to the area of music and wellness.

The 2004 Music Has Power^TM Awards recognized the significant accomplishments of men and women who have brought new understanding to the use of the power of music to awaken and heal. Funds raised at the Awards will support patientcare, along with clinical and scientific research.  Sponsors included NAMM, The International Music Products Association; International Foundation for Music Research; and MTV Networks.

The night was filled with powerful performances by popular recording artist Moby; award winning actor and composer Kris Kristofferson; Grammy©, Tony©, Golden Globe© and Emmy© Award winning composer, Marvin Hamlisch; Oscar-nominated actor, singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright;  Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider of The B-52’s, andRich Robinson of the Black Crowes.

Special moments of the night included a duet between Rufus Wainwright and Kris Kristofferson who sang a rendition of the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have To Do Is Dream;” a duet between Kris Kristofferson and Moby who sang “Me and Bobby McGee” -- which was written by Kristofferson in 1970; individual performances by Beth Abraham music therapy patients Trevor Gibbons andJeremy Deliotte,who gave inspiring renditions of their original compositions; and a well-applauded duet of the song “I Can See Clearly Now” between Laura Dawn and Jeremy, with Moby on guitar. At the conclusion of the event, Moby asked for the lights to be turned off in the Allen Room, and he and Laura Dawn performed Neil Young’s “Helpless.” 

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organizationand an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, based in New York, which provides a continuum of health-based services to thousands of people each year. For more information visit www.musichaspower.org or www.bethabe.org.

For more information, please contact:

Connie Tejeda, Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, 718-519-4168
Heather Lylis,Ken Sunshine Consultants Inc., 212-691-2800

To download the press kit for this year's Music Has Power Awards, please  click here. To view photos from the event, please click here.

View The MHP Awards videos
(Please note viewing videos requiresahigh speed connection.)

 

 

Quicktime Media files	Windows Media Files
Trevor Gibbons performs "Song of the Birds" with Luci Butler, MT-BC Moby accepts his award Connie Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, accepts her award Jeremy Deliotte performs "Still Beautiful" with David Ramsey, DA, ACMT Karl Bruhn accepts his award	Trevor Gibbons performs "Song of the Birds" with Luci Butler, MT-BC Moby accepts his award Connie Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, accepts her award Jeremy Deliotte performs "Still Beautiful" with David Ramsey, DA, ACMT Karl Bruhn accepts his award

 

 

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Institute for Music and Neurologic Function's Concetta
Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, Speaks at the 20th Annual Mayoral
Conference for Alzheimer's Disease

November 23, 2004 (New York, NY) -- The 20th Annual Mayoral Conference on Alzheimer's Disease was held on November 23, 2004, at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Centerin New York City. Dr. Concetta Tomaino, director of Beth Abraham's Institute for Musicand Neurologic Function (IMNF) was one of the featured speakers. As part of a special panel called "Dementia and the Arts," she spoke on the benefits of music to Alzheimer's patients. In her 15-minute talk, she also presented the great work being doneat the IMNF, placing emphasis on its renowned recording studio.

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Local Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Receives Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation Grant

October 6, 2004, (Bronx, NY) --  The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) at Beth Abraham announced today that it has been awarded a $5,000 Quality of Life Grant from the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to support music therapy services in its recently opened Music Has Power™ Recording Studio. 

The IMNF’s therapeutic recording studio enables people with spinal cord injuries and other central nervous system disorders to make music using specially adapted MIDI-based instruments, and to record their own music in a way that restores function, provides a medium for creativity, and improves thequality of life. 

"We have found that clients are eager to participate in our recording studio program,” said Dr. Concetta Tomaino, director of the IMNF. “This generous award will increase access to this vital therapy from 40 to 60 participants a week. We are delighted to receive a grant from this national foundation, which acknowledges the innovative work of our music therapy program.”

For many clients with injuries or neurologic disorders, music provides, at its most basic level, a powerful motivation for therapeutic exercise.  Music therapists may also use the rhythmic stimuli of music to help clients improve their gait or balance.  Or they may use musical instruments to enhance a client’s range of motion, flexibility, or fine motor skills.  Music making provides outlets for self-expression and creativity, and may be used to help clients overcome the depression that often accompanies loss of function.

Dana Reeve, director of the ChristopherReeve Paralysis Foundation and founder of theChristopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, started the prestigious Quality of Life program in 1999. Grants are awarded to programs or projects that improve the daily life or well being of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.  The grant to the IMNF was one of the largest grants given by the Foundation to any arts-oriented program this year.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, based in New York, which provides health-based services to thousands of people each year.  For more information visit www.musichaspower.org.

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New Article by Oliver Sacks,M.D. to Appear
in August 23rd Issue of The New Yorker

SPEED, by Oliver Sacks, M.D., will appear in the August 23, 2004 issue of The New Yorker, on stands August 16th. The article will mention, among other things, Tourette Syndrome and the post-encephalitic patients at Beth Abraham Health Services.

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Oliver Sacks, M.D. Speaks on Encephalitis Lethargica:
Not a Disease of the Past

BBC 1, July 28, 2004, 10:35 p.m.

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 1^st, 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 thefirst 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 NeurologicFunction is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) foundation and an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of HealthServices, based in New York, which provides health-based services thousands of people each year.

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Lectures by Benedikte B. Scheiby, MA, CMT, Assistant Director Music Therapy Department, BAFHS

Aalborg University, Music Therapy Program: Bachelor, Master and Ph.D.Programs.
Monday, September 1 -Wednesday 3, September 2003, Denmark.

Monday September 1: 13-17: A Music Psychotherapeutic Model used in a medical context: Why music psychotherapy in a medical context? Examples from clinical work: Individual and group music psychotherapy with a variety of populations in short and long term rehabilitation at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services.

References:

Scheiby, B.B.  (1999). "Better trying than crying":  Analytical music therapy in a medical setting. In Cheryl Dileo (Ed.), Applications of Music in Medicine Vol. II: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives. AMTA: Silver Spring, Maryland.

Scheiby, B.B. (2002). Improvisation as a musical healing tool and life approach - theoretical and clinical applications of analytical music therapy (AMT) in a short and long-term rehabilitation facility. In Johannes Th. Eschen (Ed.), Analytical Music Therapy. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Scheiby, B.B. (1999). Music as symbolic expression: An introduction to analytical music therapy. In Daniel J. Wiener (Ed.), Beyond talk Therapy: Using Movement and Expressive Techniques in clinical practice. APA Books: Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, September 2, 9-12: Former and current research studies at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services are presented.

Examples from research on clinical work are shown. 3 different qualitative research methods are presented. Results are presented. Current work together with brain researchers, neurobiologists, neuropsychologists and neuropsychoanalysts are presented.     

References:                 

Scheiby, B.B., Tomaino, C.M., Ramsey, D., Asmussen, S.M., Shah, V., & Goldstein, A. (1999) Final Report on The Effects of a Music Therapy Intervention on the Levels of Depression, Anxiety/Agitation and Quality of Life Experienced by Individuals Diagnosed with Early and Middle Stage Dementias:  A Controlled Study. Final Report to the 1996 Dementia Grants Projects, Office of Continuing Care, NewYork State Department of Health.

Tomaino, C.M. (1998). Music on theirminds: A Qualitative study of the effects of using familiar music to stimulate preserved memory function in persons with dementia. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. New York University, Michigan, UMIDissertation Services.

Ramsey, D.W. (2002). The restoration of communal experiences during the group music therapy process with non-fluent aphasic patients. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. New York University, Michigan, UMI Dissertation Services.

Tomaino, C.M. (2002). How music can reach the silenced brain. In:   Cerebrum: the Dana Forum on Brain Science, Vol. 4, No 1, New York, The Dana Press

Tuesday, September 2, 13-15: Description of postgraduate Analytical Music Therapy Training Program in New York.
Structure and content. What is being trained when and why?
Examples from clinical work and theory from different elements of the training:

a) individual training music therapy
b) Intermusictherapy training
c) Individual supervision
d) Group supervision

Videotape with interviews of students that are sharing their opinions about therelevance of the training in relation to their clinical work.                

References:

Scheiby, B.B. (2001). Forming an identity as a music psychotherapist through analytical music therapy supervision. In Michele Forinash (Ed.), Music Therapy Supervision. Gilsum, NH, Barcelona Publishers.

Scheiby, B.B. (1999). Inter music therapy in the training of music therapy students. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 8 (1).

Scheiby, B.B. (1991). Mia's fourteenth - the symphony of fate: Psychodynamic improvisation therapy with a music therapy student in training. In Kenneth E. Bruscia (Ed.), Case studies in Music therapy. Phoenixville, PA: Barcelona Publishers.

Tuesday, September 2,  15-17: An intersubjective perspective on music therapy: Identification and use of musical countertransference. A practical and clinical introduction in different ways of categorizing musical countertransference:

a) intrasubjective and intersubjective musicalcountertransference
b) use of musical countertransference as a diagnostic tool and technique
c) training of music therapy students in use of musical countertransference, use of music to uncover countertransference dynamics and to process countertransference reactions.

References:                  

Scheiby, B.B. (2003). An intersubjective approach to music therapy: Identification and management of musical countertransference. In: Music Therapy Perspectives, Vol.? AMTA, Silver Spring, Maryland. (In press.)

Scheiby, B.B. (1998). The role of musical countertransference in Analytical Music Therapy. In Kenneth E. Bruscia (Ed.), The dynamics of music psychotherapy. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers

Scheiby, B.B. (1998). Listen to the music of the unconscious: Using countertransference as a compass in Analytical Music Therapy. In Arthur Robbins (Ed.), Therapeutic presence: Bridging expression and form. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Wednesday, September 3,  9-12: Music Psychotherapy and spirituality in a medical context and in work with victims of the 9/11 terror attack. Examples are demonstrated of how music therapeutic spiritual work individually and in groups can promote healing and motivation.

References:                  

Scheiby, B.B. (2002). Caring for the Caregivers: Trauma, improvised music and transformation of terror into meaning through community music therapy training. In Joanne V. Loewy & Andrea Frisch Hara (Eds.), Caring for the caregiver: The use of music and music therapy in grief and trauma. Silver Spring, MD: AMTA.

Scheiby, B.B. (1995). Death and rebirth experiences in music and music therapy. In Carolyn B. Kenny (Ed.), Listening, playing, creating: Essays on the power of sound. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

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Benedikte B. Scheiby: Keynote Speech for the Danish Music Therapy Conference in Brandbjerg, Denmark, August 29, 2003

A Model of Music Psychotherapy in a Medical Setting: Clinical and Theoretical Applications to a Variety of Populations, Student Training and Research.

Through videotaped/audiotaped material following will be demonstrated:
Model of integrative medical music psychotherapy where 3 levels of functioning are addressed simultaneously in one session:

Physical neurobiological reconstructive level: The physical trauma is addressed in the musical activity: moving, vocalizing, playing, listening simultaneously. Facilitation of connection between left and right brain hemispheres and facilitation of establishment of new neural pathways.

Mental psychological reconstructive level: The physical trauma and its psychological consequences is addressed in the musical activity: improvising, composing, vocalizing, playing, listening.

1. Mutual sharing and empathizing in music with or without verbal elements.
2. Identification of trauma in music with verbal elements. Structuring/restructuring the unconscious.
3. Integration of trauma through music with verbal elements.
4. Forming new identity through music with verbal elements.

Spiritual transpersonal reconstructive level: The physical trauma and its impact on the client’s spirituality is addressed in the musical activity: musical meditations, vocalizing/playing music with spiritual content, composing. Facilitation of spirituality, resources, hope and meaning. With or without verbal elements.

Implementation ofthis model in a context of a medical paradigm will be discussed and demonstrated. Countertransference reactions specifically related to music therapeutic work with this population is identified. Student training program is described and demonstrated with examples from ongoing training. Current research will be described and exemplified.

References:

Scheiby, B.B. (1999). “Better trying than crying”: Analytical music therapy in a medical setting. In Cheryl Dileo (Ed.), Applications of Music in Medicine Vol. II: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives. AMTA: Silver Spring, Maryland.

Scheiby, B.B. (2002). Improvisation as a musical healing tool and life approach – theoretical and clinical applications of analytical music therapy (AMT) in a short and long term rehabilitation facility. In Johannes Th. Eschen (Ed.), Analytical Music Therapy. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Scheiby, B.B. (2001). Forming an identity as a music psychotherapist through analytical music therapy supervision. In Michele Forinash (Ed.), Music Therapy Supervision. Gilsum, NH, Barcelona Publishers.

Frattaroli, E. (2001). Healing the soul in the age of the brain. Becoming conscious in an unconscious world. New York, New York, Viking, Penguin Putnam Inc.

Kaplan-Solms, K. & Solms, M. (2000). Clinical studies in neuro-psychoanalysis. New York, London, H. Karnac (Books) Ltd.

Damasio, A. (1999). The feeling of what happens. Body and emotion in the making of consciousness. San Diego, New York, London, Harvest Book Harcourt, Inc.  

Cozolino, L. (2002). The neuroscience of psychotherapy. Building and rebuilding the human brain. New York, London, W.W. Norton & Company.

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Saturday, February 2, 2002, 7:30 AM, Cityscape - WFUV 90.7 (Simultaneous webcast on www.wfuv.org)  

This half hour show will focus on The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and how music therapy is used to restore, maintain, and improve physical emotional, psychosocial and neurologic function.

Other topics include, how one becomes a music therapist, music and technology, and The Institute's announcement of a $500,000 Federal Earmark.

If you miss Saturday's broadcast, you can listen to the show starting Thursday, February 7. 2002. Visit www.wfuv.org and from the front page, click through to archives and choose the show "Cityscape Public Affairs."

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$500,000 Grant to Boost Research Effort at Institute for Music and Neurologic Function

BRONX, N.Y. February 1, 2002. The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) will receive $500,000 from the U.S. Congress in 2002 to advance its work in music brain research and develop new clinical applications to benefit patients challenged by the complexities of aging, disability, and chronic diseases. The Institute, founded in 1995, has been combining music and science to create new therapies to increase and restore function to profoundly challenged people.

These Federal funds will be used to explore new music-brain treatments that can potentially benefit those living with common diseases as well as autism, dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and the effects of stroke or trauma, explained IMNF Director, Dr. Concetta Tomaino.

The Institute's success in bringing together leading scientists, physicians, therapists, and musicians to advance this field has already yielded significant results. The grant will allow the Institute to network with some of the leading scientists in the country and will provide the platform to develop new knowledge and enhanced understanding of the music brain connection.

The distinctive work of the Institute holds enormous promise to thousands of men, women and children suffering from neurologic and other debilitating conditions, says Henriette Kole, president of the IMNF. This grant offers critical support at a time when the study of the neurological mechanisms by which music works to restore lost function is beginning to receive serious attention.

Mickey Hart, the legendary drummer for The Grateful Dead and influential music advocate played an important role by speaking to many in Congress about the important contributions our Institute is making to advance music therapy and music-brain research. As a board member and spokesperson, he understands the benefits our work holds for people challenged by the complexities of aging, disability, and chronic diseases.

Accelerating progress in expanding new treatments which draw upon the music-brain connection is a cause that people in the music, science, and education communities should embrace. Hart noted. Music's ancient power to heal, teach, and socialize human beings can finally be advanced through a serious and sustained scientific effort. This young Institute is pioneering this critical work.

U.S. Representative Eliot L. Engel, of New York's 17^th district sponsored the request.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a non-profit agency was foundedin 1995 to restore, maintain and improve people's physical, emotional and neurological functioning through the systematic use of music. Its chief scientific advisor is Dr. Oliver Sacks, the renowned neurologist and author. IMNF is an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services based in the Bronx, which provides a continuum of health-based services. For more information visit www.musichaspower.org or call 1-888-238-4223.

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Institute for Music and Neurologic Function Announces Partnership 
with Musicians On Call

Organizations Dedicated to Improve the Quality of Life for Patients

BRONX, NY December 11, 2001. Today the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) announces a new partnership with Musicians On Call (MOC), a non-profit organization of volunteer artists that use music to complement the healing process of patients in healthcare facilities.áá To kick off the partnership MOC will play at the bedsides of patients at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services before the Open House tonight and will perform for the guests at the event.

Using scientific research, The IMNF works to prove music's abilityto heal. In partnering with MOC thisjoint venture will enhance the music therapy that our patients receive, says Henriette Kole, president of IMNF. She adds, Music Therapistson our staff provide a systematic treatment, while Musicians On Call provides an additional dimension of enjoyment and relaxation to the patients.

Musicians On Call volunteers, from the metropolitan region, are dedicated performers who bring music directly to patients' bedsides. We are very excited aboutthis partnership opportunity with IMNF, says Leslie Faerstein,Ed.D.C.S.W., Executive Director for Musicians on Call. Our mission is to serve a population that cannot attend concerts, and rely on us as a community, and this co- venture only validates further the work that we do.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is located at the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, (BAFHS) which is home to many long-term rehabilitation clients. In addition to ground breaking music/brain research, BAFHS has used music therapy as an integral part of the clinical programs offered for more than twenty-five years. Specific interventions using music therapy is based on emerging knowledge of how music affects brain function.

Musicians On Call was founded in 1999 with the mission of using music to promote and complement the healing process in healthcare facilities. Additionally, Musicians On Call seeks to raise awareness of the beneficial effects of music and entertainment for people in healthcare facilities.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a non-profit agency was founded in 1995 to restore, maintain and improve people's physical, emotional and neurological functioning through the systematic use of music. IMNF is an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services based in the Bronx (www.bethabe.org), which provides a continuum of health-based services.

 

 

Oliver Sacks, M.D., renowned neurologist and Chief Scientific Advisor of theInstitute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Health Services, speaks on Encephalitis Lethargica -- an extraordinary sickness that turned normal people into living statues -- in "Medical Mysteries --Mysteryof the Forgotten Plague", the last in a 3-part series for BBC. Encephalitis Lethargica swept the world in the 1920s. It disappeared tenyears later, but recently new cases are starting to emerge yet again...proving that Encephalitis Lethargica is not a disease of the past. The series seeks to answer if indeed we are about to face a new epidemic, and gives new hope in statingthat experts may have finally cracked this 80-year mystery and found the cause of this devastating illness. "Medical Mysteries" will be airing on BBC 1 starting July 14, 2004 at 10:35 PM.The documentary on Encephalitis Lethargica, "Mystery of the Forgotten Plague", is last in the series and will be shown on July 28, 2004 at 10:35 PM.

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Beth Abraham Health Services Celebrates
Grand Opening of Recording Studio

Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Moby Donates Equipment to
Nursing Home Music Studio

April 28, 2004 (BRONX, NY) – The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) at Beth Abraham Health Services, a skilled nursing facility and rehabilitation center, announces the grand opening of the Music Has Power™ Club Recording Studio. With the support of music therapists, this studio provides a medium for creativity and rehabilitation.  Using equipment ranging from electronic drums to devices that translate movement to sound, patients have the opportunity to advance their physical, cognitive, and emotional goals through composition, performance and self-expression.

According to renowned music therapist and Director of the Institute, Dr. ConcettaTomaino, “With the addition of the recording studio, we’ve been able to assist patients in many areas, from recovering speech to regaining physical function.” Adding, “through the commitment of people like Moby, we are able to further our mission by expanding our services to include a recording studio dedicated to awaken hidden creative talent, while meeting rehabilitation goals through an innovative approach.”

Well-known pop recording artist Moby joined the Institute boardin 2003, after visitingBeth Abraham and observing the work firsthand.  Realizing that he could make a difference, he immediately arranged to donate recordingequipment that he no longer needed.  “I am gratified to see the work of the Institute expanding, and proud to have been able to make a difference,” says Moby.  “The work that is being done at Beth Abraham is remarkable.” 

As a result of the expansion, more than 40 patients every week are making their own music, recording their own CDs, and restoring function at Beth Abraham.  These songwriters include a professionalmusicianwho suffered brain damage in a tragic accident, a small elderly woman in a wheel chair (who is great on the tambourine) and a 47-year old stroke victim with no musical training who has become a “star” at Beth Abraham, after recording his first CD.

“The work of the Music Therapy Department at Beth Abraham helps make a vital differencein the health and well being of our patients,” says Michael Fassler, president and CEO of Beth Abraham.  “Our music therapists work with these individuals every dayusing music to enhance speech, mobility, and improve memory.”

Both technologically and clinically Beth Abraham is far more advanced than other healthcare facilities in its use of adaptive musical instruments to treat patients at any level of functioning.Music and technology have been a part of the Music Therapy Program since 1993.

The Music Has Power Club Studio Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will take place in the auditorium, on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at 612 Allerton Avenue, Bronx, NY.  For additional information or toattend, please call the IMNF at (718) 519-5840.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a research and training institute is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and an affiliate of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, based in New York.  For more information on how you can help contact the Institute at 718-519-5840 or visit www.musichaspower.org

Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, est. 1920, is the second largest continuum of long-term health care providers in New York State, offering both inpatient services and community based healthcare programs for the frail, elderly, and chronically ill.  Corporate affiliates include:  Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing; CNR Health Care Network; CCM; Best Choice Home Health Care.  For more information, please call 1-888-BETH ABE, 1(888) 238-4223, or visit www.bethabe.org

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