'Rx: MUSIC!" for Library Distribution
Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 01:51PM 
Rx: MUSIC!…Doctors Deliver the Best Medicine A Feature Documentary Film
‘Rx: Music!’ is the fascinating story about doctors who form their own bands, and challenge each other to a “no holds barred” battle of the bands! Running time: 65:48
Film Trailer:
The Musical Doctors include:
Dr. Bob Koser: General Practice ‘Dr. Bob and the Blues Injectors’ (Rock). Plays harmonica, electric guitar and sings, serenading his patients on the harmonica. His eclectic band features a blind 16 year old female vocalist and a 9 year old drummer.
Dr. Melvin Price: Podiatrist. ‘Project SRQ’ (Smooth jazz). Plays saxophone, composes. Migrant workers and indigents are free of charge.
Dr. Autumn Powell: Chiropractic-Alternative medicine. ‘Nashville Tuxedo’ (Country Rock). Talented Autumn (she spent time on the Nashville music scene).writes, sings, plays a mean guitar.
Dr. Joe Hornberger: Chiropractic medicine. Joe composes music and does the drums. He toured in a rock band in his early years before turning to medicine.
Dr. Jeff Sack: Cardiologist. ‘Berimbau’ (Brazilian Bossa-Nova guitar). Jeff has his jet pilot license, is a professional photographer, and played Carnegie Hall several times.
Dr. Herb Silverstein, Dr. Jack Wazen: Ear-Hearing Specialists. ‘Doc and the Ear-iginals’ (Jazz combo) Herb composes, plays piano, while Jack plays drums. Herb has invented scores of medical devices, and helping children hear has driven him to form The Silverstein Institute, one of America’s most advanced research centers for the hearing disabled. Jack, his partner, is an international expert in reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Robert Felman: Gastroenterologist. ‘Klezmania on the Gulf’. Robert plays clarinet, and is a professional in the Venice Florida Symphony. Comes from a long line of Jewish musical traditionalists (His father plays the saw)...
Dr. Tad Kosanovich: Opthalmologist. ‘Burc-n-Docs’ (Rock, guitar). Loves his optical instruments. Almost went blind as a kid.
Dr. Jerold Saef: Cardiologist. ‘Doc Hollywood Bootcamp Band’ (Mainstream Pop). Plays piano Fed up with government intervention in patient/doctor decision-making.
Dr. Russ Vega: County Coroner. ‘Goodbye Eddie’ (Crossover-Rock) Plays electric piano. Dr R is Sarasota’s own ‘Medical Examiner’, a super-sleuth in the morgue.
This film takes us deep inside the medical mind, visiting the doctors at their offices, following their musical practices, going to their evening gigs, and winding up at a rip-roaring concert where twelve competing bands made up of doctors let it all out before an appreciative audience of patients and party-goers What drives these dedicated medical practitioners? They know their passion for music makes them better doctors..
Options for Purchase Rx MUSIC DVD with PPR
If your system is not PayPal “friendly”, we will accept your purchase order or send you an invoice payable by check or credit card. For details on purchase orders, please contact: nagle.patrick@gmail.com
A Note About Our Academic and Institutional Pricing
Educational DVD with PPR: $295
Anytime you want to screen a film on campus, Public Performance Rights (PPR) need to be obtained. Copyright law (USC 17§101) defines a public performance as occurring in a public space or if it is in any place if "a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its acquaintances" is gathered there. This would include classrooms, meeting rooms, auditoriums, dorm lounges, etc. However, copyright law (USC 17§110) also provides an exception for face-to-face teaching activities in a nonprofit educational institution.
Digital Site License with PPR: $395
A DSL grants educational institutions and/or non-profit organizations a limited license to host and stream a film online to students, faculty and staff on their password-protected server. This license is granted for three years. The key advantage of purchasing a DSL is that once uploaded, an unlimited number of viewers can access the film from multiple locations simultaneously.
DVD + DSL bundle PPR: $450
K-12, Non-profit, Public Library with PPR: $125
Background:
We had been invited to film a ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition of Doctors and their bands at a charity event. The event filming was done as a favor to a friend involved in staging the competition.
Dr. Bob and the Blues Injectors performing in the "Battle of the Bands"
Over 500 people turned out for the one-night event in which 11 doctors and their bands participated. As the night progressed, an idea filtered into our minds about these doctors and their passion for music and the documentary idea was born.
“Could it be that there is some relationship between the art of medicine and the art of music? Would the viewer appreciate and enjoy knowing more about these doctors, what makes them tick and why they play their music?”
We followed up with each of the doctors, doing extensive on-camera interviews, following them as they worked in their medical practices, filming them at ‘gigs’ in local bars, bistros, and catching them as they rehearsed quietly, and not so quietly in their homes and offices late into the evening with their fellow musicians.
Dr. Autumn Powell tells her story to camera.
After generating a good 25 hours of footage, we discovered that there was intrinsic value to learning about them, their medical practices, and their passion for music.
The doctors were perhaps better at their medical craft because of their musical passion.
A Review of the Film, Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune:
“The new documentary “Dr. Idol … Rx Music,” was inspired by last year’s Dr. Idol battle of the bands benefit featuring a variety of Sarasota area doctors who perform in jazz, rock and blues bands. Directed by Patrick Nagle, the intriguing film takes a closer look at about a dozen doctors and surgeons who find solace in their music, giving them the kind of peace that allows them to do their stressful jobs.
“I don’t use music to heal my patients. I use it to heal myself so I can better care for my patients,” says Dr. Bob Koser, who is seen singing and playing harmonica for his occasionally stunned patients.
The roughly 60 minute film is divided into sections. The most interesting is the opening “The Office” segment, which takes viewers into the doctor’s offices, shows them working with patients and complaining about insurance company influences in treatment decisions. In “The Music” section, the doctors talk about their discovery of an instrument or musical style and the film shows them playing and rehearsing with their own bands, before it shifts to footage from the Dr. Idol competition last fall. The rough cut that Nagle showed as the opening night attraction for the Fringe Festival needs some trimming. It is occasionally repetitious, but it is also inspiring, particularly as the doctors examine the balance they seek in their lives.
“I can’t make a living in music, so I need a day job,” cardiologist Jerold Saef says at one point.
The film also features a couple of chiropractors, podiatrist Melvin Price (who is touching talking about his work with migrant workers), ear surgeon Dr. Herbert Silverstein and Sarasota County’s Medical Examiner Dr. Russ Vega, among others who each offer different perspectives on medicine and music. Some are deadly earnest while others display a wry sense of humor, like gastroenterologist Dr. Robert Felman, who jokes about the pleasure he gets from performing colonoscopies all day. At night, he plays clarinet in a Klezmer band.”
The Participants: (Typical of the types of participants to be found in each episode of the Series)
Dr. Bob Koser:General Practice. “Dr. Bob and the Blues Injectors”,Rock Band. Plays harmonica, electric guitar and does vocals. The Medicare seniors love his office harmonica playing. His band has a blind 16 year old female vocalist and a 9 year old drummer.
Dr. Melvin Price:Podiatrist. “Project SRQ”, Smooth jazz band. Plays saxophone, composes. Takes poor and indigent patients, migrant workers, etc. free of charge.
Dr. Autumn Powell and Dr. Joe Hornberger: Chiropractic-Alternative medicines. “Nashville Tuxedo”, Country Rock Band. Autumn does vocals, plays guitar. Joe plays drums. Autumn composes and spent a couple of years on the Nashville music scene. Joe toured in a rock band in his early years before turning to medicine.
Dr. Jeff Sack: Cardiologist. “Berimbau”, Brazilian Bossa-Nova style guitar. Hyper-active, Jeff has his jet pilot license, practices as a professional photographer, and uses his music to relax. Played Carnegie Hall several times.
Dr. Herb Silverstein and Dr. Jack Wazen: Ear-Hearing Specialists. “Doc and the Ear-iginals”, Jazz combo. Herb composes, plays piano. Jack plays drums. Herb has invented scores of medical devices. Helping children hear has driven him to form The Silverstein Institute, one of America’s most advanced research centers for the hearing disabled. Jack is his partner and an international expert in reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Robert Felman: Gastroenterologist. “Klezmania on the Gulf”. Robert plays clarinet. Plays as a professional in the Venice Florida Symphony. Comes from a long line of Jewish musical traditionalists. His father plays the saw.
Dr. Russ Vega: County Coroner. “Goodbye Eddie”, Crossover-Rock Band. Plays electric piano. As a county coroner, he’s there to let families know how and why their loved-one died.
Dr. Dave Mullen: Psychiatrist. Mullen Jazz Quartet. Saxophone. Former Minister.
Dr. Tad Kosanovich: Opthalmologist. “Burn-n-Docs”, Rock, guitar. Fascinated with optical instruments. Almost went blind as a kid.
Dr. Jerold Saef: Cardiologist. Doc Hollywood Bootcamp Band, Piano. Mainstream pop. Frustrated with government intervention in patient/doctor decision-making.
Reader Comments