Honorees at the gala, from left, Paul Zucker, Vanessa Williams, Charles Radcliffe, and Shantelena Mouzon, with Joanne V. Loewy, DA.
With live music, dance, and heartfelt tributes, the 13th annual “What a Wonderful World” gala was held on Monday, October 15, to benefit the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Nearly 200 guests attended the event, which was hosted by the nonprofit Wonderful World: Friends of Music Therapy Inc. at The Cutting Room night club in Manhattan.
This year’s honorees were five people who have “made the world more wonderful” with their support of music and healing: singer and actress Vanessa Williams; jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri; Charles Radcliffe, philanthropist and jazz enthusiast; and Paul Zucker, Vice President of Ambulatory Operations, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, who was thanked for his broad vision of integrative care and his support in creating an environment that promotes wellness through music and medicine.
Honoree Shantelena Mouzon received medical care and music therapy at Mount Sinai Beth Israel for neuropathy and laryngeal disorders. At the gala, Ms. Mouzon performed a piece she had written called “Metamorphosis” about her journey to wellness—starting out cocooned in a hospital gown and then untying it to reveal a sparkling white evening dress.
Honoree Eddie Palmieri at the piano
Guests also enjoyed jazz and cocktails, a performance by the dance troupe Urban Bush Women, and a silent auction to benefit the Center’s clinical services throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. Mercedes Ellington, dancer, choreographer, and granddaughter of Duke Ellington; and Bill Daughtry, host of WBGO jazz and sports radio programs, served as emcees. Ellen Devens was the Chair for the event.
“Each year the scope of practice and the range of our community service and commitment grow. We are proud of our growing research projects with doctors and nurses—from neonatal care to cancer and dementia,” says Joanne V. Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, the founder and Director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine. The Music Therapy Department at Mount Sinai Beth Israel provides a range of clinical services to adults and children, both in-house and in the community. The department’s music therapists are licensed to provide care that complements medical treatment, assisting with sedation, pain management, and neurologic and respiratory function.