Tafelmusik Launches TAFEL TALKS: Musicians & Physicians, June 23

Tafelmusik inaugurates Tafel Talks, a new series of online panel discussions launching on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 7 PM EST.

The first conversation, Musicians & Physicians, will explore the parallels between two professions that demand intensive training, continual improvement and reassessment, and a high level of precision. Moderator Meghan Moore will join three panelists with personal experience in both fields to discuss the overlap of skills, talent, and aptitude required to practise music and medicine professionally. Tickets are $5 and are now on sale at tafelmusik.org.

"As we learn to adapt to changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of heath care professionals has been top of mind. At Tafelmusik, we've been especially inspired by stories where the worlds of music and medicine intersect, from the World Doctors Orchestra, to Dr. Rachel Easterwood, a professionally trained musician-turned-physician who brings live classical music to her COVID patients in the ICU. We are delighted to begin our new series of Tafel Talks with this timely discussion," said Executive Director Carol Kehoe.

According to a 2018 report from Memorial University of Newfoundland, musical training is a good predictor of success in medical school, so much so that some medical schools are recruiting for musical ability. Some experts cite the relentless self-discipline required for both careers, while author Malcolm Gladwell maintains that "music is one of the few vocations that offers a kind of sensory and cognitive immersion similar to surgery: the engagement of hand and eye, the challenge of sustained performance, the combination of mind and motion-all of it animated occasionally by the full force of the imagination." Our Musicians & Physicians panelists will explore these questions from their own unique perspectives.

MUSICIANS & PHYSICIANS PANELISTS:

Emi Ferguson
Baroque and modern flutist, vocalist, and composer who studied epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Kensho Watanabe
Conductor and violinist originally headed for a career in medicine. Former Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2016 to 2019.

Dr. Jennifer Wilson MD FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia Site Medical Director, Chilliwack General Hospital, and former professional musician.

MODERATOR:

Meghan Moore, CEO of the Loran Scholars Foundation and a member of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir. Listing information:
Tafel Talk: Musicians & Physicians
Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM EST online
Discussion will be followed by a short Q&A
Ticket price: $5 Website: tafelmusik.org Social Media: Join the conversation on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Flutist, vocalist, and composer Emi Ferguson has always had the most wonderful time playing with Tafelmusik. Emi has spoken and performed at several TEDX events and has been featured on media outlets including the Discovery Channel, Vox, Amazon, and TouchPress apps about how music relates to our world today. Formerly, as a music student at Juilliard, Emi also studied at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, pursuing her interest in Epidemiology. Though she spends the majority of her time performing, Emi still loves reading epidemiological papers and figuring out ways to educate communities about health risks.

Former Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award winner, Kensho Watanabe is fast becoming one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors to come out of the United States. Recent highlights include debuts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Tokyo Philharmonic, and the Detroit Symphony. Prior to pursuing a career in conducting, Mr. Watanabe was a Pre-Med Biology major at Yale University.

Dr. Jennifer Wilson first picked up the French horn in grade seven and went on to complete a degree in music performance at the University of Toronto. She played professionally with orchestras and chamber groups in the Toronto area for several years before pursuing a career change into Medicine. After receiving her medical degree from McMaster University and subspecialty training in Internal Medicine and Respirology at UBC, she practiced in a large academic centre in Vancouver before moving to Chilliwack, BC, where she combines clinical practice with a medical leadership/administrative role at a busy community hospital.

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