CC Patient Brings Jazz and Ragtime to the Atrium
Episode #24
Uploaded: August 13, 2009
Running Time: 5:36
MARTINO: From the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, this is CLINICAL CENTER RADIO.
(BARSK PLAYING "DO IT AGAIN" ESTABLISHES AND FADES UNDER V/O)
MARTINO: The classic, rhythmic and cheerful sounds of ragtime and jazz filled the atrium of the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health on August 6th as Clinical Center patient Bennett Barsk serenaded staff, patients, and visitors with the music of George Gershwin and Scott Joplin. Barsk has been a patient at the Clinical Center for two years and an amateur pianist, as he calls himself, for over 35. He performed in the Clinical Center's atrium as part of the Clinical Center Piano Concert Series, made possible by the generous donation of a Steinway grand concert piano to the Clinical Center a few months ago.
BARSK: Its always good to have an excuse to perform in public and since I am a frustrated musician, wishing that I were good enough to do this as a day job, it is just nice to have an opportunity to perform for people because people usually enjoy this kind of thing and I think that especially with jazz and ragtime it is less rigid than classical music and people find that they can ease into it much more readily than with a classical piece. Not to say anything against classical music, I just think there is a rigor and a structure to it that demands more attention and more, silence frankly, to appreciate it than perhaps with jazz and ragtime. So an excuse to play in front of people, an excuse to invite some of my friends to hear me play, and frankly also a great excuse to perform on a Steinway grand concert piano which isn't something I often have a chance to perform on.
MARTINO: The Clinical Center Piano Concert series is open to performances from staff, members of the public and even professional musicians who would like to donate their time to bring music to the Clinical Center's healing environment. Soon after Barsk was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2007, he was referred to the Clinical Center, where he has been a patient for two years and currently returns every four months for regular screenings.
BARSK: One of the issues when I started receiving my cancer treatment was I was warned there might be some issue with some nerve damage in my fingers and I was told that it was an unlikely outcome but it might possibly have some impact later on and I was concerned about the piano playing ability of course. But it became clear that it wouldn't be really much of a problem and it was my I guess that I will call her my case manager Megan Disinski, she has been one of the nurses working with me most closely. And it was she that I told that I was a pianist and it was through her that I learned of this opportunity otherwise I wouldn't have known about it so she really got the ball rolling. And yes, I have been very satisfied with my care here at the NIH and the people I've met, and sure, an opportunity to give back to them and the patients is certainly welcome and I've really been marketing this piano recital to the members of the medical team and I am hoping that some of them can take time out of their busy schedules to at least hear one or two of my selections.
MARTINO: Barsk played 11 pieces, some that he described as not often heard as well as some more familiar tunes like Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag.
(BRIEF MONTAGE OF BARSK PLAYING MAPLE LEAF RAG)
MARINO: He ended the concert with the most modern piece he plays, Take 5, composed Paul Desmond popularized by jazz musician Dave Brubeck and his quartet.
(BARSK PLAYING TAKE 5 ESTABLISHES AND FADES UNDER V/O)
MARTINO: Listening to him play, it was easy to forget that Barsk was at the Clinical Center as a cancer patient. But that thought wasn't far from his mind
BARSK: I am currently, at least as of my last visit, I am currently cancer free and I am hoping for that same statement to be made later today.
MARTINO: The news was good. Halfway through the recital, Barsk told the audience that his doctors informed him that he was indeed, cancer free. For more information about the Clinical Center Piano Concert Series as well as updates from NIH Clinical Center, including news about the medical research going on here every day, log on to http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov. From America's Clinical Research Hospital, this has been CLINICAL CENTER RADIO. In Bethesda, Maryland, I'm Nicole Martino at the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Back to Clinical Center Radio
