Saturday, October 19th
Emmanuel Baptist Church
275 State St, Albany, NY
4 – 6pm
Doors open at 3:30pm
Limited on-street parking. Garage parking available at:
Renaissance Albany Hotel
114 State Street
Maiden Lane Parking
111 Washington Avenue
For additional information please contact:
Jodi Radley @ 518-525-1070 or Jodi.Radley@sphp.com
Seating is limited to 200. Reservations will be held at the door, no tickets issued.
By day, John Joseph Bulawa is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital who specializes in outpatient orthopedics and manual therapy. By night, he is working musician/singer/performer/multi-instrumentalist.
He plays piano, guitar, bass, drums, and performs vocals as well.
Having grown up in the small central Texas town of Brenham, Monolesia has a natural affinity for music. During her early years, Monolesia was accepted into the American Music and Dramatic Academy on Broadway in New York as a “Best Newcomer.” She then had to return home to help her mother care for her ailing father until he regained his strength.
Determined to keep her dream alive, Monolesia went on to become one of the former Gospel Music Association’s International Vocalist winners sponsored by the Dove Awards. Today, she is a best-selling author and founder of a national book club that has been joined by members from nine states.
Holding a master’s degree in Marketplace Chaplaincy, Monolesia has served as an Interfaith Chaplain for St. Peter’s Health Partners since May of 2023 at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, Samaritan Hospital’s Albany Memorial and Samaritan campuses, and Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center.
Dr. Catherine Adams was part of music groups and performances throughout high school and continuing into college where she studied classical voice and chemistry.
“I love that music brings people together to make beautiful sounds that are capable of changing your mood,” says Dr. Adams.
She is the chief of Palliative Medicine and has been doing consults at St. Peter’s Hospital for eight years. She oversees an incredible and talented Palliative Care team that also covers Samaritan and Ellis hospitals, and visits seriously ill patients in their homes.
Dr. Adams is also a cantor at the Sunday 8 a.m. mass at St. Thomas Church in Delmar.
Dr. Carol Curran was exposed to many genres of music by her parents – an opera singer and an avid amateur vocalist.
“Music has always provided joy and spiritual sustenance for me,” says Dr. Curran.
She attended Indiana University as a voice major. She performed classical vocal music in New York City, as well as traditional folk music in Vermont and Massachusetts, before attending medical school.
After singing only to her children for many years, she resumed vocal study and has given several concerts to benefit social service and climate change organizations. She became a hospice medical director in 2019 and enjoys singing to her patients!
Leslie has worked for St. Peter’s Hospital as a medical technologist in the chemistry lab for 21-and-a-half years. Leslie says, “My coworkers are steadfast and reliable. The people I work with are the reason I have stayed at St. Peter’s.”
Leslie started singing about eight years ago. Her husband, Rick Ansaldo, was already an accomplished guitarist and harmonica player and talked her into performing at open mics in the Capital District area and Fort Myers, Florida, where she met other musicians and gained valuable experience. They now perform as a duo called “The Whitecaps” mostly around Saratoga Springs, and are also members of a four-piece band with another couple in Ft. Myers called “Eclectic.” They love performing classic rock cover songs. Leslie has already written a few original songs.
Elena Louie, DO, began learning how to play the piano at the age of 7 with her favorite Russian piano teacher, Ms. Elizabeth, after strong encouragement from her mom. Today, she can’t imagine her life without music.
“Listening to music or playing the piano has always been a great way to relieve stress,” says Dr. Louie. “I like that classical music is timeless as it remains relevant today despite being composed hundreds of years ago.”
Her favorite composer is Chopin.
Dr. Louie is not a huge fan of public performances but felt playing to support a charity would be fun!
Dr. Louie works at St. Peter’s Hospital as part of the Hospitalist program. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and completed her medical training in Alabama and Mississippi.
Allie grew up in the Adirondacks, in Old Forge. Her Grandpa instilled a love of Broadway musicals and music in her at a young age. He had a cassette tape of “The Phantom of the Opera” soundtrack they listened and sang to so much, they eventually wore the tape out. Her favorite musical is “Come From Away,” which brings her to tears.
Throughout middle and high school, Allie took advantage of every opportunity to be involved in music through band, chorus, and drama club.
“I love the energy and emotion that music evokes, as well as the stories we can tell through music,” says Allie. “I spent this past Christmas in Istanbul, and even though I don’t speak a single word of Turkish, I was absolutely captivated by the songs and dancing I saw around the city.”
Allie has been with St. Peter’s for about a year-and-a-half, working as an outcomes analyst within Quality Assurance/Improvement.
Joel Travis, RN, CWOCN, says music allows him to fly, to travel through time and experience things with such intensity, he could not imagine life without it.
“If you ask my family, I was serenading Winnie-the-Pooh songs to lifeguards on family vacations at age five,” says Joel.
Joel feels music paints pictures using sounds that evoke colors and emotions that no palate could capture. His musical influences include Buddy Holly, Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings), Jeff Lynne (ELO), and Wayne Watson (Christian).
Joel has been with the Eddy Visiting Nurses and Rehab since 2017 and has been specializing in wound and ostomy care in the home care setting for twenty-two years. Outside of work, Joel is part of the Worship Team in his local church
Nathan has served as a music therapist with Community Hospice for two years, overseeing the Albany and Rensselaer home care and nursing homes patients. He created an innovative music therapy program called Songs from the Heart, using his talents to bring comfort and emotional support to patients and families during some of life’s most difficult moments. With a strong foundation in classical voice and guitar from Westminster Choir College, he has cultivated a versatile musical skill set that blends the unique rhythm of each patient’s heartbeat with personalized music. These deeply meaningful and soothing compositions offer not only peace and reflection, but also establish a timeless legacy and shapes the field of end-of-life care long after the music has played.
Bianca is an LPN at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, specializing in cardiac and pulmonary care.
She joined the organization a year ago. Bianca says, “Music has been a part of my whole life since childhood and will always be my own personal therapy.”