CD Blends American Standards With Caribbean Beats To Enhance Overall Health and Well-Being

Deconstructed Percussion Tracks Enable Caregivers and Clinicians to Facilitate Movement Activities with Their Patients

BRONX, NY, February 7, 2011 – Establishing a strong connection between an individual and their caregiver, recreation therapist or creative arts therapist—one that makes them eager to participate in activities--has gotten easier thanks to Keep On Moving – Music for Therapeutic Rhythmic Activities, the newly released CD by board certified music therapist, accomplished musician and Manager of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Marlon Sobol. Accompanied by reggae, hip hop, and jazz influenced band Shem’s Disciples, jazz music icon David Amram, and an all-star line-up of special guest musicians, Sobol has taken American pop standards and infused them with a Caribbean beat, feel and flavor.

“We recognize that many of the caregivers are themselves of Caribbean, West Indian or African origin, and have a strong association with those traditional rhythms and the instruments that produce the rhythms. By taking music that is very familiar to the individual as well as their caregivers and therapists, while energizing it with new and lively beats, a shared relationship can be nurtured with great results,” said Sobol.

“We created the Keep On Moving CD as an effective and affordable tool for people who wish to enhance their interaction and communication with loved ones suffering from neurological impairments,” explains Sobol. “The power of music to stimulate people and encourage expressions deeply embedded in our brains is often found to be a key to unlocking abilities thought to be long gone. Music with a steady rhythm acts as a cueing device to promote physical activity while the familiar tunes have the power to help individuals with impaired cognitive function recall memories and connect with their past,” said Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Executive Director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services. 

The CD focuses on five American standards, Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies”; Cole Porter/Robert Fletcher’s classic “Don’t Fence Me In”; “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”, by Gus Edwards and Edward Madden; and two iconic American traditional numbers, “Home on the Range “and “Red River Valley.” Sobol and Shem’s Disciples first perform each song as a complete and fully mixed selection. Next, each song’s rhythm track featuring a variety of percussion instruments is isolated so that caregiver or therapist and patient can hear, learn and practice the participatory percussion parts of the song. Finally, an elongated production of each song, minus the percussion tracks, is offered, allowing patient and therapist to join in on the percussion parts they just learned to complete the musical arrangement.

Keep On Moving – Music for Therapeutic Rhythmic Activities is priced at $15 and is available from iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/keep-on-moving/id397046925 or by calling the IMNF at 718-519-5840. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each CD benefits the IMNF.

About the IMNF:

The IMNF is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a member of Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, a national leader in providing residential, home and community-based long term care for chronically ill and disabled adults throughout the New York metropolitan area. 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 apply new therapeutic theories and then, to follow patients’ long-term rehabilitation.

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 and groundbreaking discoveries are in the areas of music and language, memory, and recovery from nerve injury.

About Beth Abraham Family of Health Services (BAFHS)

BAFHS is a non-profit regional leader in providing and coordinating 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, AIDS home care, comprehensive care management, adult day health care and independent housing facilities for the elderly and disabled. For more information about BAFHS, visit us at www.bethabe.org.

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