Back by popular demand, the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) is hosting its 15th annual jazz festival. Running from June 9 through June 19, the festival will feature 18 free outdoor concerts showcasing the musical talents of JGH staff members and local musicians who will provide the pleasant summer entertainment for the public and an emotional and spiritual lift for patients and staff.
“Music is much more than just entertainment; it creates an entertaining environment that has the potential to put patients, visitors, staff and the public at ease,” explains Bryan Highbloom, JGH music therapist and originator of JGH Jazz. “Music is a part of the healing process and cuts across all boundaries – physical and physiological – providing anyone and everyone with comfort, hope and an opportunity for reflection.”
JGH Jazz is also a proud part of the network of medical and therapeutic services that the JGH offers to its patients and staff, says Highbloom. “The festival’s goal is to explore and enhance the connections between medicine and music, and aims to bring together everyone in a common experience that is life and health affirming. This shared experience in art is what our motto, ‘Music is healing.’ aims to illustrate.”
“At the JGH, the patient experience encompasses not just treatment and care, but all aspects of the hospital visit,” says Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, JGH Executive Director. “This is why JGH Jazz has been a highlight of the hospital’s spring activities for so many years. It raises patients’ spirits and contributes to healing, as well as serving as a welcome form of musical entertainment for visitors and staff.”
The event will feature music from such artists as WDJ, Nouveau Jazz Libre du Québec, Ian Ferrier with Body and Light, Nouveau Zodiaque, Dave Turner, Nina Simone, Magillah, Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra and many more.
Concerts begin everyday at noon at the hospital’s Côte-des-Neiges entrance. In case of rain, the musicians will perform indoors, in the hospital’s main lobby (3755 Côte Sainte-Catherine Road).
The special summer concert series is presented again this year in partnership with Suoni per il Popolo – an annual not-for-profit Montreal music festival that is committed to showcasing new artists and engaging communities in the thriving independent Montreal music scene. This partnership renews both organizations’ commitment to reach out into the community and promote the shared idea that music is, in fact, healing.
For more information about this year’s JGH Jazz event, go here.