By day, they are some of the region’s best physicians. By night, they are “LiveStream,” a rock band ready to battle it out for a good cause.
The physicians from Hackensack University Medical Center, comprising LiveStream, include:
Her band, “LiveStream,” includes her boss, Dr. Michael Stifelman, , who plays the drums; and Dr. Brian Benson, Juilliard-trained trumpeter and the Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at Hackensack University Medical Center.
🎹Dr. Debra Fromer. Lead singer and keyboardist. Vice Chair and Chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Urology at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center.
🥁Dr. Michael Stifelman. Drums. Chair of Urology at Hackensack University Medical Center, director of Robotic Surgery, and co-director of Urologic Oncology at John Theurer Cancer Center.
🎺Dr. Brian Benson. Juilliard-trained trumpeter and the Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The doctors and their bandmates will compete in an annual New York City Battle of the Bands competition to benefit American Urological Association (AUA) initiatives to expand recruitment outreach.
The Battle of the Bands Benefit takes place on Thursday, May 7, at Downtown Social, 149 Second Ave., in the East Village, Manhattan. Attendees vote for the winner. The show starts at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.
“Come support our Hackensack Docs that Rock!” Hackensack University Medical Center said in a press release.
Practicing medicine for about 25 years now, Dr. Fromer has been a musician all her life. She said she loves music as an outlet to daily pressures. In fact, she recalls a time during her residency when she began playing the piano in the hospital as a stress reliever.
She’ll never forget the feeling of family, as patients listened and sang alongside her. Now she draws similar inspiration from the musical camaraderie she’s formed with her colleagues.
Now the band will take to the stage, competing against bands from New York City, Urology-led bands in an epic fundraiser to support AUA initiatives.
“One thing the NY section (of the American Urological Association) is dedicated to is enhancing recruitment efforts to encompass a broader range of talent, ” said Dr. Fromer.
“It’s important for us to enable mentoring and meetings to develop new sourcing strategies to tap into diverse talent pools,” Dr. Fromer added.
The group plays fan favorites and covers from the 70s, 80s & 90s, like this version of the Go-Go’s “Our Lips are Sealed.”
“As you can imagine, organizing rehearsals based on the rigorous schedules of the doctors in the band can be a challenge! Still, the group manages to find time once or twice a month to get together and jam,” per the release.
“And it’s always a great way to end the day on a high note, while working in harmony to pay forward the opportunities they’ve had in their successful careers.”
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