Press Contact:
Connie Tejeda
718-519-4168
email: ctejeda@bethabe.org

The IMNF's June 2008 newsletter is now available online. Please click here to download. You may also click here to view our "2007 Highlights" booklet and read our patients' inspiring success stories. To learn how your tax-deductible donation can help the IMNF serve those who are neurologically impaired, please click here.

 Legendary Singer/Songwriter Odetta Headlines the IMNF
2008 Music Has Power Awards Benefit at
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency

 

Institute for Music and Neurologic Function Honors Film and Broadway Star Geoffrey Holder and Renowned Neurologist Gottfried Schlaug, M.D., Ph.D. 
for their Contributions to Music &  Healing

 

August 7, 2008 (New York, NY) – The healing power of music and the helping power of musicians come together September 8^th when beloved three-time GrammyÒ nominated singer and songwriter Odetta headlines the 8^th Annual  Music Has Power^TM awards benefit at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency – The Nightclub of New York.  Known for her power and versatility, Odetta’s legendary musical legacy spans six decades and musical genres from traditional, folk and spirituals to blues and jazz.  

 

The Music Has Power awards are presented annually by the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), to honor those individuals in the arts, sciences and business communities whose work contributes to the advancement of vital, often groundbreaking music therapy research, development and programs. 

Honored for their contributions to music and healing are Tony Award®-winning director, actor, dancer, choreographer and painter Geoffrey Holder; and Gottfried Schlaug, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Music, Neuroimaging, & Stroke Recovery Laboratories at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the IMNF Scientific Advisory Board.

“We are proud to honor Geoffrey Holder and Dr. Gottfried Schlaug for their life’s work and for bringing attention to the important and inspirational role music can play in the science of healing,” states states IMNF Executive Director, Dr. Concetta Tomaino.  “Music Has Power is more than a fund raising event for our programs; it is a vital tool in raising awareness and spotlighting the value of music therapy and the effect of music on the human brain and mind.

 

A member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, The IMNF’s groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs use music therapy to assist in the “awakening and healing” of individuals with a wide-range of neurological conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.  The IMNF plans to expand its work in music therapy for childhood developmental conditions including autism.

 

The 2008 Music Has Power Awards event starts at 6PM and also features pianist Seth Farber and a special performance by honoree Geoffrey Holder.

 

Once dubbed the "Queen of American Folk Music" by no less a fan than the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Odetta was awarded the 1999 Presidential Medal of Arts by President and Mrs. Clinton.  One of the most influential artists of the last century, Odetta’s 1956 album, “Odetta Sings Ballads & Blues,” was cited as the inspiration for the late Janis Joplin to become a singer and for icon Bob Dylan to pick up an acoustic guitar and make his way in the folk music world.  The first solo woman performer singing blues, folk, work and protest songs to record and tour, Odetta was also among the first group of artists to be honored with the Duke Ellington Fellowship Award.

 

The 2008 Music Has Power Awards is sponsored by The Bank of New York Mellon Wealth Management with additional support from Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Steinway and Sons, and Ketel One.  The Music Has Power Awards was established eight years ago to celebrate and recognize the significant accomplishments of the men and women who have supported and 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.  Previous recipients of the Music Has Power Awards include Dr. Oliver Sacks, Mickey Hart, Remo Belli, moby, and Henry Z. Steinway.

 

For tickets or sponsorship information please contact: Teresa Simonetti at (718) 519-5880, fax (718) 519-4240 or e-mail tsimonetti@bethabe.org.

 

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF):

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.  Founded in 1995, the IMNF 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 M. 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 in the areas of music and language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury – leading to groundbreaking discoveries as to how music therapy can heal.

 

For more information about The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, visit us at www.imnf.org.

 

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services:

The Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a national leader in providing and coordinating residential, home and community-based long term care for chronically ill and disabled adults throughout the New York metropolitan area.  The network’s continuing care services include residential health care, subacute medical care, rehabilitation, home care, HIV/AIDS home care, managed care plans, adult day health care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  For more information about the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, visit us at www.bethabe.org.

 

About Feinstein’s at Loews Regency

Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, the Nightclub of New York, was named “Best of New York” by New York Magazine and heralded as “an invaluable New York institution by the New York Post. The club was created by Michael Feinstein and the Tisch family to provide an elegant return to the classic era of New York nightlife. Since it opened in 1999, the club has presented jazz stars like Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing and Dame Cleo Laine; Broadway royalty like Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patti LuPone; pop/country artists like Glen Campbell, Crystal Gayle and Jimmy Webb; and celebrities like Tony Danza, Susan Lucci and Peter Gallagher.

 

###

Proceeds from this event will support the expansion of music therapy services at Schnurmacher by providing funding for staff positions, additional programming, supervision and research through the IMNF. 

 

For more information on how you can help launch this valuable program or to purchase tickets for $50.00 each, please call Teresa Simonetti at 914-287-7208 or email tsimonetti@bethabe.org.

 

###

Tickets to the Beastie Boys Benefit Concert Still Available
Exclusively Through the IMNF!!!

New York, NY, March 3, 2008 - If you are interested in purchasing tickets to the Beastie Boys Benefit Concert tomorrow, March 4, 2008 at Terminal 5 in New York City, please call Teresa Simonetti at the IMNF at 718-519-5880 before 12 noon. Please have your credit card number available. General admission ticket price is $75.00.

###

VH1 and MTV Sponsor Benefit Concert

Beastie Boys to Headline for the Institute for
Music and Neurologic Function
March 4, 2008 at Terminal 5 in New York City

New York, NY, February 6, 2008 - The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a leader in innovative music therapy treatments and research, is pleased to announce a special Music Has Power™ Benefit Concert on March 4, 2008 at New York City’s Terminal 5.  Beastie Boys will headline the event with special guests to be announced shortly.  The evening will be hosted by Moby, a long time friend and board member of the IMNF. Sponsors include VH1 and MTV.

The Bronx-based Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, is a nonprofit, 501 (c) (3) agency founded on the idea that music has unique powers to heal, rehabilitate, and inspire -- and that we can use music therapy to restore and improve our physical, emotional, and neurological health. The Institute is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages and was founded with the help of renowned neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks.  Past Music Has Power events have featured appearances and performances by Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dustin Hoffman, moby, Rob Thomas, the B-52's, Kris Kristofferson, Rufus Wainright, Bruce Hornsby, Vanessa Carlton and many others.  

General admission tickets are sold out, however, VIP tickets and sponsorships are still available. For information, please contact Teresa Simonetti at 718-519-5880 or email tsimonetti@bethabe.org.

For press inquiries, please contact Jill Strominger at 212-533-2121 or email jill@7-10music.com.

             

###

Dr. Oliver Sacks Helps Raise Funds for

Institute for Music and Neurologic Function

Benefit Book Signing Supports Innovative Music Therapy Programs and Research Initiatives

BRONX, NY, November 5, 2007 – Dr. Oliver Sacks -- the world renowned neurologist and author who was portrayed by Robin Williams in the triple-Oscar^®-nominated film Awakenings – recently returned to Beth Abraham Health Services for a benefit signing of his newest book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.  Community members and health care professionals alike filled Beth Abraham’s auditorium on October 30 to have their books autographed by Dr. Sacks.  More than 300 copies of the best seller were sold at the fund raising event, with proceeds benefiting the music therapy programs and research initiatives of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) at Beth Abraham, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency.

Since 1995, the IMNF’s groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs have used music therapy to assist in the “awakening and healing” of individuals with a wide-range of conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.  Plans are also underway to expand the IMNF’s work in music therapy to childhood developmental conditions including autism.

 

“We were honored that Dr. Sacks took the time out of his hectic schedule to revisit Beth Abraham in support of our music therapy programs,” said IMNF Executive Director and Co-Founder, Concetta Tomaino, “It is our hope that the messages in his new book continue to raise awareness throughout the community about music’s profound impact on the human brain and mind.”

 

In 1966, Dr. Sacks began working as a consulting neurologist at Beth Abraham and it was here that he first encounteredan extraordinary group of patients suffering from the devastating effects of encephalitis lethargica, nicknamed the “sleepy sickness.”  In 1969, Dr. Sacks began treating the post-encephalitics with the then-experimental drug, L-dopa, which enabled many of the patients to “awaken” from their frozen states.  It was this work at Beth Abraham that Dr. Sacks chronicled in his now legendary book Awakenings that became thebasis of the movie of the same name. 

 

“In 1966, there was no medication of any use for these patients,” said Dr. Sacks, “But the nurses-- who knew them well-- said that nothing released them like music.”  He continued, “When I saw this myself, it blew my mind. And it still does--40 years later--the power of music to release people…is as astounding to me as the first day I saw it.”

 

There are still a limited amount of autographed books available to the public for a donation of $25 or more.  Please call or e-mail Teresa Simonetti at (718) 519-5880 or tsimonetti@bethabe.org for further information. 

###

 

Dr. Oliver Sacks Returns to Beth Abraham
for Benefit Book Signing
World-renowned neurologist and author releases new book about the power of music

BRONX, NY, October 4 – Dr. Oliver Sacks -- the world renowned neurologist and author who was portrayed by Robin Williams in the triple-Oscar^®-nominated film Awakenings – returns to Beth Abraham Health Services for a benefit signing of his newest book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.  Open to the public, the book signing will take place Tuesday, October 30, 2007 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Beth Abraham flagship facility located at 612 Allerton Avenue in the Bronx.   

 

For a donation of $25 or more, attendees will receive a copy of “Musicophilia” to be signed by Dr. Sacks at the event.  Funds raised will be used to continue funding music therapy programs and support research initiatives of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) atBeth Abraham, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency.

 

The IMNF’s groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs use music therapy to assist in the “awakening and healing” of individuals with a wide-range of conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.  Plans are also underway to expand the IMNF’s work in music therapy to childhood developmental conditions including autism.

 

“Dr. Sacks’ compassion for and dedication to people suffering from neurological impairments continues to be an inspiration to me and those who follow in his pioneering footsteps,” states IMNF Executive Director and Co-Founder, Concetta Tomaino.  “We are honored that Dr. Sacks has graciously agreed to revisit Beth Abraham to help support our work and reinforce his message that music can have a profound impact on the human brain and mind.”

 

While Dr. Sacks was influential in the establishment of the IMNF in 1995, his working relationship with IMNF director Tomaino goes back almost thirty years.  In 1966, Dr. Sacks began working as a consulting neurologist at Beth Abraham and it was here that he first encountered an extraordinary group of patients suffering from the devastating effects of encephalitis lethargica, nicknamed the “sleepy sickness.”  In 1969, Dr. Sacks brought the Beth Abraham post-encephalitics together and began treating them with the then-experimental drug, L-dopa, which enabled many of the patients to “awaken”from their frozen states.  It was this work that Dr. Sacks chronicled in his now legendary book Awakenings that became the basis of the movie of the same name. 

 

“Connie Tomaino came to Beth Abraham [Hospital] when I was working there with my Awakenings patients,” recalls Dr. Sacks.  “She went on to become President of the American Association of Music Therapists; founded the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham, and has been my co-worker and adviser in all matters musical for more than twenty-five years.”  

 

The IMNF encourages the public to reserve up to five copies of Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain now so that they will be available for signing by Dr. Sacks on Oct. 30.  Please call or e-mail Teresa Simonetti at (718) 519-5880 or tsimonetti@bethabe.org for further information. You can also click here to view our save the date flyer.

 

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF)

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.  Founded in 1995, the IMNF 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 M. 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 in the areas of music and language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury – leading to groundbreaking discoveries as to how music therapy can heal. For more information about The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, visit us at www.imnf.org.

 

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services
The Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a national leader in providing and coordinating residential, home and community-based long term care for chronically ill and disabled adults throughout the New York metropolitan area.  Its continuing care services include residential health care, subacute medical care, rehabilitation, home care, HIV/AIDS home care, Comprehensive Care Management, adult day health care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  For more information about the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, visit us at www.bethabe.org.    

### 

Michael Feinstein Helps Raise $170,000 to Fund 
Innovative Music Therapy Programs for the
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function 
The 2007 Music Has Power Awards/Benefit at New York’s Regency Hotel supports patient care, scientific research, education and training in music therapy.

NEW YORK, NY, September 24,2007 – New York music icon Michael Feinstein recently helped raise more than $170,000 to continue funding music therapy programs and support research initiatives of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF).  Making his first New York appearance following his triumphalsold-out summer concert tour of Japan, Feinstein took the stageon September 10 at his Park Avenue nightclub, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency – The Nightclub of New York, to host and headline the 2007 Music Has PowerTM Awards.  Held at Loews Regency Hotel for the first time, this annual benefit event and awards ceremony celebrates the visionary spirit and pioneering mission of the IMNF to combine science and music to promote healing and wellness. 

According to aProclamation issued by New York City Mayor MichaelR. Bloomberg declaring September 10, 2007 as Music Has Power Day, “Great music invites us to smile, dance, and sing along – but thanks to the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, it can also do much more…Their important work, and the generosity of those who havemadeit possible, should be music to all New Yorkers’ ears.”

Pictured (l-r) Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Executive Director/Co-Founder of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function; honorees Thomas E. Nobile and Thomas F. Roberts IV of BNY Mellon Wealth Management, The Bank of New York Mellon; legendary performer and IMNF board member Michael Feinstein; and Chairman of the IMNF Board of Directors Edwin H. Stern III.

A member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, the IMNF’s groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs use music therapy to assist in the “awakening and healing” of individuals with a wide-range of conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. 

Plans are also underway to expand IMNF work in music therapy to childhood developmental conditions including autism. 

More than a star performer, Michael Feinstein is also a dedicated member of the Board ofDirectors of the IMNF and has donated his time and talents to making the Music Has Power event a resounding success. 

“I’ve learned from personal experience the extraordinary transformation that can occur with music,” says Feinstein, “I am amazed at what has been accomplished in regards to music therapy already, and even more so by the possibilities on the horizon.” 

Honored for their ongoing involvement, guidance and support of the IMNF are Thomas F. Roberts IV and Thomas E. Nobile, both from The Bank of New York Mellon.  Thomas F. Roberts IV is a managing director and head of the New York City Private Banking Offices of BNY Mellon Wealth Management and Thomas E. Nobile, CFA, is vice president and a senior portfolio manager of BNY Mellon Wealth Management.  “There are so many people who've experienced a loss of function, and the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is giving them a chance to live full lives again,” said Nobile, “When music therapy can help give people back their lives, you have to do what you can to support it.” 

“We are grateful for the support and commitment to the innovative work of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function demonstrated by our honorees Thomas F. Roberts IV and Thomas E. Nobile and for our extraordinarily talented and generous host Michael Feinstein,” states IMNF Executive Director, Dr. Concetta Tomaino.  “As much as Music Has Power is a fund raising event for our programs, it is also a vital tool in raising awareness and spotlighting the value of music therapy and the effect of music on the human brain and mind.” 

The 2007 Music Has Power Awards were underwritten by The Bank of New York Mellon with additional support from Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Steinway and Sons, Francis Ford Coppola Presents, and Tumbador Chocolate.  

The Music Has Power Awards was established seven years ago to celebrate and recognize the significant accomplishments of the men and women who have supported or have brought new understanding to the use of the power of music to awaken and heal.  Previousrecipients of the Music Has Power Awards include Dr. Oliver Sacks, Mickey Hart, Remo Belli, moby, and Henry Z.Steinway.  

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF)
The Institute forMusic and Neurologic Function is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a member of Beth Abraham Family of Health Services.  Founded in 1995, the IMNF 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 M. 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 in the areas of music and language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury – leading to groundbreaking discoveries as to how music therapy can heal. For more information about The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, visit us at www.imnf.org.

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services
The Beth Abraham Family of Health Services is a national leader in providing and coordinating residential, home and community-based long term care for chronically ill and disabled adults throughout the New York metropolitan area.  Our continuing care services include residential health care, subacute medical care,rehabilitation, home care, HIV/AIDShome care, comprehensive care management, adultday health care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  For more information about the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, visit us at www.bethabe.org.

About Feinstein’s at Loews Regency
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, the Nightclub of New York, was named “Best of New York” by New York Magazine and heralded as “an invaluable New York institution by the New York Post. The club was created by Michael Feinstein and the Tisch family to provide an elegant return to the classic era of New York nightlife.  Since it opened in 1999, the club has presented jazz stars like Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing and Dame Cleo Laine; Broadway royalty like Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patti LuPone; pop/country artists like Glen Campbell, Crystal Gayleand Jimmy Webb; and celebrities like Tony Danza, Susan Lucci and Peter Gallagher.

About The Bank of New York Mellon
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and move their financial assets, operating in 37 countries and serving more than 100 markets.  The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team.

A unit of The Bank of New York Mellon,BNY Mellon Wealth Management ranks as one of the top 10 US wealth managers with approximately $155 billion in private client assets and an expansive network of 83 offices globally.

### 

 Music Legend Michael Feinstein Headlines
the 2007 Music Has Power^TM Award Benefit
at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency
September 10th Fete Honors Thomas F. Roberts IV and
Thomas E. Nobile of The Bank of New York Mellon

August 21, 2007 (New York, NY) – The power of music to help healing joins with the power of musicians in funding that healing on September 10^th when Michael Feinstein – New York’s consummate cabaret star and an iconic interpreter of American popular music – headlines the seventh annual Music Has Power^TM awards benefit at his Park Avenue nightclub, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency – The Nightclub of New York.

The Music Has Power^TM benefit and awards ceremony is presented by the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services.  The IMNF’s groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs use music therapy to assist in the “awakening and healing” of individuals with a wide-range of conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.  The IMNF plans to expand its work in music therapy for childhood developmental conditions including autism.

 

The Music Has Power benefit marks Feinstein’s first appearance at the Regency following his triumphal sold-out summer concert tour of Japan.  At the benefit, Feinstein will welcome benefactors, friends and fellow performers to his intimate nightclub on East 61^st for an unforgettable evening of  Song. 

 

World-renowned for his commitment to performing and preserving the art and legacy of American popular song for present and future generations, Michael Feinstein is celebrated as one of the music genre’s premier practitioners.  A household name for nearly two-decades – following the success of his Broadway one-man show, “Isn’t It Romantic” in 1988 - Feinstein received his fourth GRAMMY® nomination for his 2003 recording with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. 

 

More than a star performer, Michael Feinstein is also a dedicated member of the Board of Directors of the IMNF and has donated his time and talents to making the Music Has Power event a resounding success. The 2007 Music Has Power event begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed by dinner, the awards presentation, and a specially planned performance by Michael Feinstein. 

“I’ve always believed that music has a unique way of tapping into our emotions and memories in a very profound way,” says Feinstein, “I am honored to be involved in supporting the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in their mission to raise awareness about the power of music.”

Honored for their ongoing involvement, guidance and support of the IMNF are Thomas F. Roberts IV and Thomas E. Nobile, bothfrom The Bank of New York Mellon.   Thomas F. Roberts IV is a managing director and head of the New York CityPrivate Banking Offices of BNY Mellon Wealth Management and Thomas E. Nobile, CFA, is vice president and a senior portfoliomanager of BNY Mellon Wealth Management. 

 

“We are grateful for the support and commitment to the innovative work of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function demonstrated by our honorees Thomas F. Roberts IV and Thomas E. Nobile and for our extraordinarily talented and generous host Michael Feinstein,” states IMNF Executive Director, Dr. Concetta Tomaino.  “As much as Music Has Power is a fund raising event for our programs, it is also a vital tool in raising awareness and spotlighting the value of music therapy and the effect of music on the human brain and mind.”

 

The 2007 Music Has Power Awards is sponsored by The Bank of New York Mellon with additional support from Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Steinway and Sons, Francis Ford Coppola Presents, and Tumbador Chocolate.  The Music Has Power Awards was established seven years ago to celebrate and recognize the significant accomplishments of the men and women who have supported and brought new understanding to the use of the powerof music to awaken and heal.  Through this celebration, funds raised will support music therapy programs, along with clinical and scientific research.  Previous recipients of the Music Has Power Awards include Dr. Oliver Sacks, Mickey Hart, Remo Belli, moby, and Henry Z. Steinway.

 

For tickets or sponsorship information please contact: Teresa Simonetti at (718) 519-5880, fax (718) 519-4240 or e-mail tsimonetti@bethabe.org.

 

About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF):

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.  Founded in 1995, the IMNF 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 M. 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 practitionersat 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 in the areas of musicand language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury– leading to groundbreaking discoveries as to how music therapy can heal. For more information about The Institutefor Music and Neurologic Function, visit us at www.imnf.org.

 

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services:

New York metropolitan area.  Our continuing care services include residential health care, subacute medical care, rehabilitation, home care, HIV/AIDS home care, comprehensive care management, adult day health care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled.  For more information about the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, visit us at

 

About Feinstein’s at Loews Regency

Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, the Nightclub of New York, was named “Best of New York” by New York Magazine and heralded as “an invaluable New York institution by the New York Post. The club was created by Michael Feinstein and the Tisch family to provide an elegant return to the classic era of New York nightlife. Since it opened in 1999, the club has presented jazz stars like Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing and Dame Cleo Laine; Broadway royalty like Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patti LuPone; pop/country artists like GlenCampbell, Crystal Gayle and Jimmy Webb; and celebrities like Tony Danza, Susan Lucci and Peter Gallagher.

 

About The Bank of New York Mellon

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and move their financial assets, operating in 37 countries and serving more than 100 markets.  The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team.

 

A unit of The Bank of New York Mellon, BNY Mellon Wealth Management ranks as one of the top 10 US wealth managers with approximately $155 billion in private client assets and an expansive network of 83 offices globally.

 

###

Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham
AppointsLinda Wagner as Associate Director

Bronx, New York, June 29, 2007 -- Linda Wagner, a nonprofit executive and strategic planner, has been named Associate Executive Director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a Bronx-based member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services.

In this newly created position, Wagner will oversee operational management, strategic planning, and fundraising for IMNF, a nonprofit music therapy organization that provides clinical services to patients suffering from neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, and more.  Through research and education, the Institute is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages.

Just prior to joining IMNF,Wagnerwas the director of media relations andpublic affairs for The Associated Press at their headquarters in , where she was responsible for strategic and crisis communications, external media relations, and corporate archives.  Before joining AP, Wagner had been the seniordirector of communications for Consumer Reports and Consumers Union, the national nonprofit consumer publishing and advocacy organization based in Yonkers, New York.  Her responsibilities there included strategic communications efforts for health care information projects.

 

“Ms. Wagner’s extensive professional accomplishments, combined with her determination and dedication, will undoubtedly aide us in our mission of increasing awareness about music’s unique powers to heal, rehabilitate, and inspire,” stated Concetta M. Tomaino, D.A., MT-BC, LCAT, executive director/co-founder of the IMNF and senior vice president of music therapy services at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, “We are delighted to welcome her to the IMNF team and the Beth Abraham family.”

 

A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ms. Wagner is currently pursuing a master's degree in public policy and public administration (MPA) at Columbia University.  She has served as director of public relations at the Brooklyn Historical Society and worked for more than a decade as an independent freelance journalist for NationalPublic Radio and other newsmedia organizations.  Her earlier work in public radio included promotion and development activities such as grant writing, corporate underwriting sales and on-air fundraising.

 

Wagner residesin Westchester County with her husband, a senior investigative attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.  This fall, their son will be a senior at the University of Chicago and their daughter will be a freshman at McGill University in Montreal.  She loves to hike, write, and sing and has dabbled on the piano in the past. 

###

Purchase Fashionable Tees, Support the IMNF!