'Einstein Rocks 2k17!' Showcases Talent at Einstein

On Thursday, May 25, in Lubin Dining Hall, Musicians of Einstein (MoE) hosted its inaugural spring concert “Einstein Rocks 2K17!” The two-hour event featured a variety of musical, dance and vocal performances by several dozen members of the Einstein community, which included medical and graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff, along with some physicians and employees from Montefiore.

Musicians team up to showcase their talents

The audience enjoyed a broad range of solo and band performances spanning the music spectrum, from pop, rock, and musical theater to ethnic drumming, indie acoustic music and choreographed group dance. Audience participation was even encouraged during one drumming performance, with instruments handed out and enthusiastically put to use.

“The event was originally planned to be an outdoor festival with a stage, lawn games and blankets, but inclement weather forced us inside,” said first-year medical student Corin Kinkhabwala, a MoE member and one of the evening’s lead vocalists.

Getting the Talents Together

MoE is a music club, established in 2016 by a group of medical students with support from the College of Medicine’s student governing board and office of student affairs (OSA). Its members meet regularly to perform at student events and have taken part in several charity functions. They conceived of the idea for the concert as a way of reaching other talented performers on campus.

“The club was created to bring together student musicians, to introduce them to each other and offer opportunities for jamming and playing informally,” said first-year medical student Galit Benoni, another MoE member who was among the event organizers. “The concert grew out of that, when we realized the talent went beyond our club members and that other Einstein musicians would enjoy performing, too.”

She added, “We began planning the spring concert earlier this year. We opened participation to all members of the College of Medicine, because we wanted to be as inclusive as possible.”

The club held a successful Valentine's Day fundraiser in February to support the event, and received additional funding from OSA. In April, they sent an e-blast calling for performers from throughout Einstein and Montefiore.

A Rockin’ Reception

“Einstein Rocks 2k17!” was a hit with the audience, with folks clapping, cheering, dancing, and often singing along. “I thoroughly enjoyed the show,” said Dr. Sonia Jain, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Chandan Guha. “It was great to hear such an eclectic mix of music and instruments.”

Performers also lauded the initiative. Dr. Daniel Zamith, a postdoctoral fellow whose band Eita Jam closed out the evening with a foot-thumping, fist-pumping medley covering classic rock hits, noted, “MoE took care of all the details and organized a diverse group of performers. The show was well structured and we had a blast!”

“We’re thrilled with how well the event turned out, especially considering all the details and people that had to come together, and that we had a last-minute change of location,” added Corin.

Stay tuned for details on MoE’s next musical adventure. A larger musical event is in the early planning stages for September.