MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, USA, August 28, 2019 — The Institute for Music and Neurological Function is excited to announce several recent foundation grant awards enabling it to develop and enhance existing programs
The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) has received a generous grant of $10,560 from the Veterans Support Foundation (VSF) to provide a music therapy program to benefit veterans with neurological disabilities such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Established in 1991, VSF was founded by veterans to provide discretionary grants for programs that improve the lives of veterans and their families. Focus areas include programs that promote veteran camaraderie, female veterans and job transition and training.
IMNF, co-founded in 1995 by Dr. Oliver Saks and Dr. Concetta Tomaino, has long been a pioneer in research of music and brain health as well as a provider of innovative music therapy services. IMNF is driven by nearly 25 years of clinical observations on the actual effects of music on individuals who have experienced different types of physical and neurological trauma. Veterans experiencing PTSD tend to have difficulty talking about their experiences. “Healing Music,” an interactive music therapy program, is designed to support self-expression while diminishing feelings of anxiety and/or fear that may limit a veteran’s quality of life after a traumatic event or injury.
IMNF’s Healing Music program also received a first time grant of $5,800 from the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Lifting Lives Foundation. ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the ACM and is dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives® develops and funds music-related therapy and education programs. The program has a 50 year history of charitable giving and since 2008 has given more than $8 million dollars to more than 150 causes and supports projects that create awareness and help those in need. IMNF was one of 33 organizations receiving awards this year.
Additionally, The ASCAP Foundation awarded IMNF $4,030 to provide a “Music Therapy for Aphasia” program as part of Wartburg’s Outpatient and post-acute Rehabilitation programs. In addition, with interactive technology developed by the Biodex Company, the IMNF will research the impact of music therapy on gait rehabilitation for improved mobility in persons with Parkinson’s disease.
In 2017, IMNF made its new home on Wartburg’s beautiful 34-acre campus. Wartburg, a senior residential and healthcare facility in Mount Vernon, NY, is partnering with the IMNF to provide innovative music therapy programs to their residents and in the community and advance neurological studies of music and the brain through research.
“Now that the IMNF has a home on our campus, evidence-informed music programming is playing more of an integral role in Wartburg’s Creative Aging & Lifelong programs and we are grateful to these funders who recognize how vital these programs are to overall quality of life,” said Wartburg’s President & CEO, David J. Gentner, Ed.D.
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