Pete Seeger to be Honored at Beth Israel Medical Center, 9/23; Cast of ONCE to Perform

Pete Seeger, a master of vocals, banjo, and guitar and well known for influencing the development of folk music and for his continued commitment to social justice, peace and environmental issues, is the recipient of the first Phoebe Jacobs Award of Distinction which will be presented by Beth Israel Medical Center's Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine at its 8th Annual What A Wonderful World event on Monday, September 23rd.

Also being honored are Fran Silverman, ACSW, LCSW-R, Director of Beth Israel's Department of Social Work and Home Care Services, and Music for AIR patient Joe Regan, Jr. -- recipients of the 2013 What A Wonderful World Award.

The honorees will be feted at a special cocktail reception and silent auction to be held at Beth Israel's Phillips Ambulatory Care Center's Nerken Family Atrium, 10 Union Square East in Manhattan. Proceeds from the event benefit the Louis Armstrong Center's clinical services.

With dancer/choreographer Mercedes Ellington presiding, the program will open with performances by the impressive ensemble of actor/musicians of Broadway's ONCE, winner of eight 2012 Tony awards including Best Musical. Jon Faddis, internationally renown jazz artist and recipient of the What A Wonderful World Award in 2009, will highlight with his unparalleled virtuosity at the trumpet.

"Our honorees are emulating the legacy of Louis Armstrong, a great musician and humanitarian. Each one of them is making a difference in the lives of many people and we are pleased to recognize and celebrate their achievements," said Joanne Loewy, DA, MT-BC, LCAT, Director, The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine (LACMM).

"The Phoebe Jacobs Award to Pete Seeger, who worked alongside his late wife Toshi-Aline Ota on his many endeavors, reflects our highest regard for his contributions to socially conscious music with a message and humanity as a peace and environmental activist," added Stephan Quentzel, MD, Medical Director of the Louis Armstrong Center.

Phoebe Jacobs was Executive Vice President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Years earlier, she was a press agent, manager and record executive who guided the careers of jazz greats, including Louis Armstrong, Duke and Mercer Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, among many. Until her demise in 2012, she worked tirelessly for many years in support of the Louis and Lucille Armstrong Music Therapy program at Beth Israel, established two decades ago.

In addition to leading Beth Israel's social work and home care services, honoree Fran Silverman also is Administrator for the Department of Pastoral Care and Education. She manages and supervises clinical programs, overseeing a professional and paraprofessional staff of varied disciplines while fulfilling a number of teaching and speaking engagements, and developing and directing graduate education programs for social work graduate interns, while fulfilling teaching and speaking engagements and developing and directing graduate education programs for social work graduate interns. A graduate of City College of the City University of New York and Adelphi University's School of Social Work, she has been with Beth Israel since 1987.

Joe Regan, Jr., is a writer, director and creative consultant with 30 years in professional theater and motion picture production. A graduate of Stanford University, where he majored in Speech and Drama, and English (creative writing), he has contributed to Cabaret Scenes and the Times Square Chronicles and Theaterpizzazz blogs. He is a recipient of the Cabaret Hotline Jeff Matson Award for his contributions to the cabaret community. He participates in the Armstrong Center's Music for AIR (Advances in Respiration) program since its inception.

The Louis and Lucille Armstrong Music Therapy Program at Beth Israel is a legacy of the beloved jazz trumpeter that became the foundation for The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, located in the Phillips Ambulatory Care Center, 10 Union Square East in Manhattan. It is made possible by a generous gift from the David B. Kriser Foundation and through the estate of John H. Slade, directed to Beth Israel by the late hospital trustee Richard Netter, and with additional support provided by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.

For more information about the 2013 What a Wonderful World Awards cocktail reception and silent auction, as well as programs and services offered by The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine, please call 212-420-2704 or check out its website at www.musicandmedicine.org and on Facebook (The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine).

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