Geoffrey Holder Honored at 'Power' Awards at Feinstein's 9/8

The healing power of music and the helping power of musicians come together September 8th when beloved three-time Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Odetta headlines the 8th Annual  Music Has Power 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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