Frank Scafuri: Every Waiting Room Is A Stage

by Michael Perlman, Perlman PR

Frank Scafuri

Are you bored sitting in a doctor’s waiting room? You may no longer be, if you are fortunate enough to encounter Frank Scafuri. At 63, this voice and piano teacher from Rockville Centre defines uniqueness. Back in May, he stepped foot into the waiting room of Trylon Vet Care in Forest Hills, but not with pets awaiting treatment. Rather, he offered his singing, acting, and dancing skills, and transformed a visit into a production called “Frank’s Waiting! WFTD Radio.” When was the last time you spotted a 1920s crooner pitching his radio spot live in a Queens vet’s office? 

Frank Scafuri Who's Got Rhythm

Scafuri is perhaps the sole musical comedy producer of doctor’s office videos. “I want to bring some joy and music into the lives of people today,” he said. This summer, he will become a member of IMDb, which is credited as the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV, and celebrity content. 

His typical medical visit plays out with “laughter as life’s best medicine.” Upon entering, hunched over a walker and wearing a tux and a bowtie, he takes his time sitting. Then he strikes up a conversation with a patient. He explained, “I would ask, ‘How are you doing?’ A woman replied, ‘I am feeling okay. How are you?’ I replied, ‘Not so good, since I found another gray hair this morning.’” After commenting that he looked great, he would respond, “I get through my day. Do you know how?” He then jumps out of his seat, throws off his overcoat, places his walker aside, and bursts into a song such as “I Got Rhythm.”

Thirty years ago, he began to limp and doctors were clueless. That all changed in August 2013, after being referred to a neurologist and experiencing an epiphany in the waiting area. He referred to his motivation as “the patients awaiting an MRI, who were either in total silence or looking at their phones.” It wasn’t long until he began formulating video production proposals to practices for non-serious illnesses.

Scafuri cherishes his musical origins, which he attributes to being raised in a typical Italian household in Lynbrook. He explained, “On Sundays, we would go to church. Then my parents would spin records of Italian and popular singers such as Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Jimmy Roselli, and at 3 PM, we would have our meatball and sausage feast.” Jerry Lewis’ telethons were another inspiration. “I would think, someday I want to be a background singer on one of these TV shows. Then I thought, ‘Why don’t I become the singer?’”

During his high school years, he met his first vocal teacher, Jane Robbin Longo and also drew inspiration from his chorus music director, George Breakwell. He pumped gas until passing the audition for Juilliard at age 17, where he pursued a voice major and a piano minor and graduated in 1973. Scafuri said, “NYC was my campus. I got my first job as a tenor soloist in a Presbyterian church near Hotel Ansonia. I would earn $20 and was proud.” At St Helen’s Roman Catholic Church in Howard Beach, he worked as a music director, organist, and choir director, and then landed positions in Lynbrook and Glen Cove churches.

A pivotal moment transpired in 1980. Scafuri sang at a country club and was discovered by pianist Gary Lawrence, who praised his voice for its ideal qualities of a 1930s crooner. Lawrence developed a new style of Big Band and applied a twist on modern favorites such as “Stayin’ Alive” and “Feelings” to resemble the 1930s. “I was proud to become the singer and co-leader of the band, Gary Lawrence and the Sizzling Syncopators. We performed at Manhattan’s Red Blazer Too,” said Scafuri. Their album was produced by Columbia Masterworks Records.

Scafuri reflected upon his career and family life and attributed much gratitude to his supportive wife Mary Ann, his son Billy, and daughter Kristin, who join him in looking into the future.  

“I am extending an open invitation to doctors who wish to contact me, so I can produce a 3 minute video in a light patient waiting room,” said Scafuri. “It is entertainment to patients and won’t disturb the mannerisms of the office. In exchange, doctors will receive free advertising.” His first ten online videos are slated for completion in September, which he will call his first season. “Like” Frank Scafuri’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Frankswaitingroom  and discover him on YouTube.

Doug Leblang: A Local Artist Who Rises Beyond The Canvas

by Michael Perlman, Perlman PR

Art Spiegelman, Evelyn Enola Rockwell, Joseph Cornell….and now Doug Leblang! Those are a few of the names of notable artists who came from Queens.

Meet four-year Forest Hills resident Doug Leblang, a commercial designer, illustrator, and art director who was raised in Middle Village, which was where his family first called home in 1912. Leblang is accredited with over 200 paintings which incorporate various forms of media, inclusive of pastels, colored pencil, collages, and the computer. Diverse audiences can take inspiration by exploring his online portfolio and acquiring a thematic painting which may range from nostalgia to nature and Judaica to portraits. All works are printed on fine paper, signed, and matted. 

Audiences can appreciate the craftsmanship of historic synagogues such as the restored “Eldridge Street Synagogue,” which first welcomed a new wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 19^th century, or venture internationally to the “Great Synagogue in Plzen,” which is considered the third largest synagogue worldwide. One can become a nature enthusiast by discovering his “Central Park Rainbow” or by experiencing his “Cape Cod Vision.” Longtime or newly transformed fans will want to acquire his vision of “Theodore Bikel,” who played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, or encounter “Bob Dylan” who performed at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium. 

Eddie's Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, 2005 painting by artist Doug Leblang

At the Queens Library in 2005, he coordinated the “Middle Village of Old” exhibit, which reflected his neighborhood’s simplistic charm he always embraced. He memorialized sites such as the famous trolley stop, Neiderstein’s, the Arion Theatre, and his father’s business, Leblang’s Pharmacy, which opened in 1924 and not only offered first aid, but ice cream sodas. Just beyond Middle Village, he painted other unofficial landmarks such as Eddie’s Sweet Shop and the NYS Pavilion.

    

Local volunteers joined Transportation Alternatives for a Winter Wander march along Queens Boulevard on December 14, calling for a safer and aesthetically-pleasing revitalization of a banal thoroughfare. That inspired Leblang, who will soon release a proposal. He explained, “Queens is one of the most diverse places in the world, and with at least 138 languages, there are more languages spoken here than in any other area in the United States.” He envisions placing signs on Queens Boulevard’s central median between Woodhaven Boulevard and Hillside Avenue, which would read “Welcome To Queens” in the most commonly spoken languages. He would then direct sculptors from those countries, who would carry out his vision, and an ethnic sculpture would stand alongside each sign.

 Leblang’s artistic skills made him a humanitarian, a lecturer, and a teacher, and he is applying his touch citywide. Some of his diverse accomplishments include teaching a painting class at FEGS in the Bronx, working with psychiatric patients in Queens, and directing a sixty-foot group painting depicting seasons at the Bronx’s Morningside House. Two of Doug’s works were selected by the City Health and Hospital Art Collection for the "JAZZ and the Visual Arts" exhibit at the Queens Hospital Center.

Leblang’s passion for art originated as a child. He said, “I didn’t want toys, but had an infatuation with paper and shirt cardboards. I wanted a pencil, so whenever my mom’s friends came over, I would draw their portraits.” He continued, “In day camp, I won a brotherhood contest where I showed different colored hands shaking each other’s in a square.”

   

He pursued his studies as an art history major at Boston University, and received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. He expressed much gratitude to its president, Milton Glaser, a famous artist who he studied with. He recalled his teachings, and said, “In order to become an artist, you have to be really passionate about your work and take criticism.” After college, he became a professional musician for 5 years, but could not help himself from sketching portraits of his band. In 1974, he realized art was his calling. 

Art is therapeutic. “On Facebook, someone commented on my work, and said they see a light at the end of the tunnel. A good painting people will be drawn into, and escape their environment to be in the environment of the painting.” He believes everyone is an artist, and the artist within should be embraced. He explained, “An artist creates things that weren’t there before. Everyone decides what to wear each day, and if someone lives in a humble place, how they style it is their creation.”

In response to today’s graduates facing a harsh economy, he stated, “Keep your day job, and do your art after you come home. If you feel it, do it, but don’t expect to make a living as an artist right away.”

Songs of Love Heals Our Youth

by Michael Perlman, Perlman PR

A harmonious chorus echoes from Forest Hills, and resonates in the hearts of children and their families countrywide.  This chorus has played an influential role by healing and boosting the emotions of children and teens with some chronic and terminal diseases.  One man’s heart pumps in the direction of our youth, to instill their hearts with hopeful visions of tomorrow. His name is John Beltzer, a Forest Hills resident who founded the Songs of Love Foundation in 1996.

As of June 2013, 23,900 children spanning age 1 to 21 have received their Song of Love, which is an original composition orchestrated by diverse songwriters and singers, commissioned by Songs of Love. Most often, brochures are mailed to hospitals nationally, and a child’s parents complete a profile sheet with their child’s name and information on their hobbies, special interests, pets, friends, and family members. Then the child receives the gift of a personalized song to rejoice their life. Songs are composed in the child’s favorite genre, such as pop, kids, R&B, rock, alternative, rap, classical, or jazz.

Songs of Love is situated at 107-40 Queens Boulevard, and consists of three full-time staff members who work with 40 songwriters nationally. To date, songs have been composed in at least thirty languages, so every culture can be included. As a result of Songs of Love’s great success locally and nationally, Beltzer expanded his operation to Brazil, where hundreds of children have received their Song of Love.

A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Beltzer settled in Brooklyn at age 8 and moved to Forest Hills at age 15. He convinced his father to buy him a drum set, and taught himself how to play the drums, followed by piano and guitar. His fraternal twin brother Julio played guitar. They collaboratively composed songs and then formed the top 40 band, “Cameon.” In 1984, 2 months before Julio died at age 24, he composed a song called “Songs of Love.” In January 1996, after John Beltzer came off a record deal which did not materialize, he experienced “an epiphany to create a national non-profit organization,” which he named “Songs of Love” in his brother’s memory. 

   

Songs of Love inspires children experiencing diseases such as Leukemia, brain tumors, heart conditions, Cystic Fibrosis, Autism, Liver Disease, as well as physical disabilities. “We use songs as tools of healing on a mass scale,” stated Beltzer, who estimated that 70 percent of children who received their Song of Love are alive today. If a child dies, their song is played at their funeral. “This keeps the beauty and spirit of the child alive forever in song,” he added.

Throughout history, music has proven to be therapeutic. Songs of Love has received thousands of letters of gratitude. Beltzer explained, “A typical story involves a child undergoing chemotherapy and hearing their song during the treatment. This helps alleviate their pain, fear, and trauma, and builds self-esteem. When you hear a song you like, it promotes feelings of wellness, and the brain releases feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins.” He further explained, “Parents tried to share many things with their child, but nothing worked. Only a ‘Song of Love’ made them smile.”

    

Songs of Love receives many letters of gratitude from children and their families. In an October 2012 interview, 12 year-old Makayla Redmon of Arverne, NY explained how Songs of Love serves as her beacon of hope. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January 2012 and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. “I got my Songs of Love disc during Chemo in March 2012, and each time I listened to it, I felt happier and better. It made me feel like people actually cared. On all the long trips to and from the hospital, my family and I would sing along. The song was a rap, and I called it ‘Makayla's Song.’ It was sung by a church choir in Texas.”

 Redmon explained how she played it for her family in California and North Carolina, and her friends. Her mother posted it on Facebook. She skyped with her Grandma Sherry, Aunt Aimee, and Cousin/Best Friend Hailee. At Long Island Jewish Hospital, she also shared it with her social worker Ingrid, her doctor Sandra Cohen, P.A., her child life specialist Faye Brick, and nurses in P.A.C.T 4, where she received her treatment. Makayla also starred in a Songs of Love commercial. Redmon received her PET and CAT Scan, to determine if she has fully recovered. With utmost gratitude, she stated, “I hope that any kids that Songs of Love helps after me gets at least half the enjoyment that I did.”

Recently, one letter read, “Music is one of Keely’s greatest pleasures. Her face lights up when she hears music, and while listening to certain songs, she vocalizes in her own special way.” The parents of Nicky Lesniak wrote, “To think that other people know of our son and wrote a one of a kind song makes us feel comforted and not so alone.” The mother of Dominic Ayala explained how her son’s personalized song made him grin from ear to ear. “What great natural medicine of love for a child to hear and sing along,” she wrote. 

Songs of Love’s success is evident in media coverage including EXTRA, CBS News, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Dateline, NBC News NY, ABC World News, BBC, CBS Early Show, Hallmark Heroes with Regis Philbin, NY Times, People magazine, and USA Today. In 2001, Britney Spears attended a special performance at her Massachusetts camp, where her campers wrote, recorded, and performed a Song of Love for a sick child.

    

Songs of Love engaged thousands of Black Eyed Peas fans at their concert to mark the 10,000^th recording. Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath and 15,000 Mets fans recorded the 12,000^th song at Shea Stadium. For their 20,000^th song, Jason Mraz recorded “Love Is All Around.” Other celebrities 
included Billy Joel, Nancy Sinatra, and Jamie Lynn-Sigler.

Most recently, Songs of Love developed a Bitcoin page on their website. Bitcoin is the first form of currency which uses cryptography to control its creation and management. “The Songs of Love Foundation is proud to be the first nationally recognized 501(c)(3) to accept donations of Bitcoins, which is the currency of the future,” stated Beltzer.

Beltzer explained his vision for the future. “We want our organization to grow, so we can reach out to as many children as we can, to help alleviate their stress, fear, and pain through our medicine of music. Now we are producing songs for 1,000 children annually, but before the economy crashed, we were helping 3,000 children annually.” Beltzer established a goal of assisting another 1,000 children with their “Song of Love.”  

   

Songs of Love has a wish list of artists they hope to collaborate with. “It would be fantastic to have American Idol’s Adam Lambert work with us,” said Beltzer, referring to Lambert’s multi-octave range, charismatic performances, and congenial nature. “His stardom would bring greater awareness and funding for our charity to help more children,” he added. Lambert has a history of fundraising for charitable causes such as classroom supplies through DonorsChoose.org, Red Cross, The Trevor Project, and Charity:Water.

Beltzer also visualizes turning Forest Hills’ MacDonald Park into a live recording studio through their program, “Raising Funds, Raising Voices.” He stated, “We would teach our audience a song over a pre-existing track and record their voices. I would like to invite all businesses, politicians, and the public, since it would be wonderful to have the whole community behind our cause. Let’s cover Forest Hills with a blanket of healing melodies.”

Last February, Songs of Love raised $10,000 at the Jackie Greene Band Charity Concert Series, which was held at MexiCali Live in Teaneck, NJ. Also in February, “An Evening With Ben Taylor” took stage at Symphony Space in Manhattan. Ben Taylor, the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon wrote and recorded a Song of Love for 8 year-old Greta Halton, who has a rare disease. Beltzer then explained a success story. “We showed a video of 8 year-old Danielle Duggan in Central Park in 2004, as 400 park-goers sang along with her pre-recorded Song of Love. At that time, she had stage 4 cancer. After showing the video, I proudly introduced a very healthy 18 year-old, Danielle, who stepped out on stage to say a few words.”

The public can anticipate more fundraisers. The 15^th Annual Swing And Sing Golf Outing will take place on September 16^th in Wayne, NJ, and another golf outing will follow in October. Songs of Love is also offering sponsorship opportunities. On November 2^nd, Lynn Hoffman of A&E Private Sessions will host a benefit concert, “An Evening With Blues Traveler” at Manhattan’s City Winery.

   

To help a sick child, the public can donate to Songs of Love and purchase event tickets by visiting www.songsoflove.org. The public can also call 1-800-960-SONG or “Like” their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SongsOfLove