On a recent Monday night at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, four bands took to the stage to determine who ruled rock. But manning the mics, guitars, and drums weren't your typical hipsters -- the members of these bands were students and administrators from Philadelphia's premier medical schools, and their scientific credentials are almost as hot as their licks. For example, the nine members of funk band the Freaks of Nurture are publishing in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Medicine,Nature Neuroscience,Blood and PNAS.
the Freaks of Nurture Image: Edyta Zielinska
The musicians hailed from four area medical schools (Thomas Jefferson University, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Temple University) and were brought together by the local chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSA), an organization that promotes social consciousness and activism among physicians.
Putting the event together wasn't easy, said Pat Harner, executive director of the Philly PSA chapter. "You can't always count on med students because of their schedules," said Harner, sounding a bit tense the Friday before the concert.
Acoustic guitar duets and soloists opened the concert, but the first real surprise performance came from The Novack Experience, led by internist Dennis Novack, an associate dean of medical education at Drexel University. His was actually the only rock band in the line-up, playing covers of popular classic and Indie-rock hits, such as Walk This Way by Aerosmith and I Got a Feeling by Black Eyed Peas. As his band set up, Novack walked around the stage with a cup of hot tea in hand, a subtle suggestion that the crowd was in for a subdued performance. Not so. This 63 year old professor rocked out like Steven Tyler as his more demure band members backed him up with vocals, drums, keyboards, and guitars. "He has more energy than the rest of us put together," said guitar player and lab technician Kamal Laroiya from Drexel.
After The Novack Experience warmed up the crowd, the Freaks of Nurture came on, magnetizing a small group of dancers to the front of the room. Their well polished sound kept the dancers in their ecstatic funk-grooves, inspiring the next band to boogie down offstage.
When they aren't practicing their original songs like "Sumo pigeon" and "Horny toad," the Freaks of Nurture are working on their MD/PhDs, residencies and even orthodontics degrees. "We don't discriminate" against the dentists, said trumpeter David Hill. The band mates' roller-coaster work schedules make meeting for practice once a week challenging. But most band members are able to make it to at least one three-hour practice per week, said band leader Alec Schmaier. "This is just about the only thing I do outside of school," said Hill.
Despite the intense pressure of PhD programs and demands of med school, the band members have found support for their music among their academic mentors. After hearing the band play, "the chair said I should spend more time on my music," laughed Schmaier. Being known as the scientist or resident who plays in a band has its benefits, say band members. In the sea of medical school students, having a unique hobby allows you to stand out in the crowd, said singer Ehimare Akhabue. The dual identity can have other benefits, added bass player Rob Fenning. Rather than getting grilled on the difficult questions during med school interviews, questions invariably veer to what it's like to play in a band, he said.
The Freaks often geek out during a rehearsals. "Half of our conversations are about working in the lab" or residency, said Hill. The band is currently working on a new album. "We have four new songs" already, Hill noted. "It's statistically significant."
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