NY Premiere of “The Music Never Stopped” To Benefit IMNF

Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart with Dr. Oliver Sacks and Cara Seymour Expected at 92nd Street Y Event on March 16th

BRONX, NY, March 4, 2011 – The New York premiere of Jim Kohlberg’s acclaimed new film, “The Music Never Stopped,” takes place on March 16th at the 92nd Street Y’s Kaufmann Concert Hall. The movie stars Julia Ormond, J.K. Simmons, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Cara Seymour and will be released theatrically by Roadside Attractions beginning March 18th.

Based on the case study “The Last Hippie” by Dr. Oliver Sacks, “The Music Never Stopped” tells the real-life journey of a father (Simmons) adjusting to his estranged son’s (Pucci) cerebral trauma and a lifetime of missed opportunities. As he learns from a music therapist (Ormond) the songs that animate his son's soul – the counterculture 60’s rock-and-roll, particularly The Grateful Dead -- he begins to form an unusual but emotionally vibrant bond with the child he thought he had lost.

Ticket proceeds from the premiere will benefit the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function’s (IMNF) groundbreaking research, public education, professional training and clinical music therapy services. The IMNF was co-founded by Dr. Oliver Sacks and Dr. Concetta Tomaino (on whom Julia Ormond’s film character, Dr. Dianne Daly, is based).

Celebrity guests expected at the premiere of “The Music Never Stopped” include Grateful Dead icon, IMNF supporter and board member Mickey Hart, internationally renowned neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks, IMNF Executive Director Dr. Concetta Tomaino, cast member Cara Seymour and the film’s director Jim Kohlberg.

The music of the Grateful Dead looms large in this story, as the main character’s last permanent memories are of the late 1960s. His fractured relationship with his family, due mainly to a generation gap, is trapped in that tumultuous time. In a stunning transition, the man’s passive persona that developed as a result of his brain tumor, becomes energized, aware and engaged, as music by the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and others that was significant to his life in the 60s, is played.

“As fantastic and poignant as the turn of events in ‘The Music Never Stopped’ may appear, the almost light switch change from blankness to recognition is accurately represented,” states Dr. Tomaino. “What’s more, the science and value of music therapy in the treatment of many other types of neurological conditions, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, is as encouraging and inspiring as the case depicted in this wonderful film.”

The premiere begins at 7:00p.m., and includes a Q & A session with Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Dr. Oliver Sacks, Mickey Hart and Jim Kohlberg. Tickets are priced at $25 (balcony), $50 (side and rear orchestra), and $100 (center orchestra), which includes a special, post-screening VIP reception. Tickets may be purchased in advance by phone at 212-415-5500, on the web at http://www.92Y.org or in person at 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York.

For more information on “The Music Never Stopped,” please visit the official website at http://themusicneverstopped-movie.com.

About the IMNF:

The IMNF is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and a member of the 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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