The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a nonprofit based on the campus of the Wartburg senior living and health-care complex in Mount Vernon, will once again host the Music has Power Awards, at the Times Center in Manhattan at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20. This year’s honorees are André De Shields, Broadway performer, activist and philanthropist; Joseph LeDoux, neuroscientist, author and musician; and Music & Memory, a personalized music program.
The award given to honorees was designed specifically for IMNF, which is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry into music and the brain and developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages. Past recipients include physicians, scientists, musical artists, performers and members of the music industry and business community, all of whom have brought new understanding to the use of music to awaken and heal the mind. Past celebrity performers who have graced the stage at the Music Has Power Awards include the Beastie Boys, Vanessa Carlton, Dominic Chianese, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Michael Feinstein, Dustin Hoffman, Bruce Hornsby, Kris Kristofferson and Moby.
The awards had been on a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2020 would have been their 25th anniversary. This year the IMNF celebrates the milestone with an event sponsored by Mickey Hart, percussionist for the Grateful Dead and an IMNF board member. Performers include De Shields, violinist-composer Ittai Shapira and his partner, pianist Constanze Beckmann, and singer-songwriter Brïah, who will present her first live performance of “If the Sky Should Fall.”
The evening, which will be emceed by former PBS broadcaster Midge Woolsey, begins with a cocktail reception followed by the performances. Funds raised through this celebration will support patient care along with clinical and scientific research.
“We are thrilled to honor neuroscientist Joe LeDoux and Broadway legend André De Shields,” said Concetta Tomaino, Art.D., co-founding executive director of IMNF. “It is especially meaningful to honor Music & Memory because of our many years of collaboration. I thank the Wartburg Foundation, IMNF board member Mickey Hart and our many donors whose generosity will allow us to broaden our impact not only within Wartburg but nationally and internationally.”
In 2017, IMNF made its new home at Wartburg. Through Wartburg’s Outpatient Center, the institute offers individualized music therapy for those living with neurologic issues, such as aphasia, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia as well as for children with developmental needs. IMNF also hosts free programs such as “Healing Music” for veterans with traumatic brain injury, neurological issues and PTSD and a Parkinson’s support group on Wartburg’s 34-acre campus.
“The partnership between the institute and Wartburg continues to elevate Wartburg’s Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning programs,” said David J. Gentner, Ed.D., Wartburg president and CEO. “Through best practices, the institute enhances the quality of life of those we serve, many of whom are medically indigent. Congratulations to this year’s honorees and my continued gratitude to Wartburg’s Foundation for its generosity and support with this initiative.”
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