Designed to empower people with multiple myeloma (MM), MM Told True highlights the stories of those with the disease, bringing them to the forefront through spoken or visual art. In her thought-provoking poem, Jae tells the story of Oya – a committed father, podcaster, aspiring musician and advocate for health equity in the Black community – who was diagnosed with MM in 2017, despite difficulty having his concerns taken seriously.

Since his diagnosis, Oya has become an outspoken member of the MM community, with the hope that others will reach a quicker diagnosis and feel supported through treatment.

MM is a currently incurable cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow with over 34,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2023. Even with treatment, the disease tends to relapse – meaning symptoms come back after temporarily improving – or progress.

Patients report feeling like they’re inside a maze, as promising treatment paths repeatedly hit a wall. MM disproportionately impacts ethnic and racial minority groups in incidence, onset and outcome, with Black patients twice as likely to die from the disease compared with white patients.

MM Told True not only illustrates patient stories, but also provides tools and information about MM – so people living with the disease can feel educated and empowered against this relentless blood cancer.

The next phase of the campaign involves encouraging others affected by MM to share their unique stories on MMToldTrue.com, whether it comes in the form of a personal photo, a powerful message or something else that expresses how they feel. These lived experiences can serve as inspiration for people with MM and their care partners.

On March 2, Oya and Jae will be available to discuss how they came together to create meaningful art from Oya’s story, his experience living with MM, and how others can share their own stories and find support through the MM Told True website.
Interview courtesy: Pfizer Inc.

The post March is Myeloma Action Month A NEW MULTIPLE MYELOMA (MM) CAMPAIGN “MM Told True” BRINGS PATIENT STORIES TO LIFE THROUGH ART appeared first on Good News!.

Pianist Dr. Chen Wang “Journey to Love & Peace”

Photo credit: Jeff Smith

Young Global Leadership Foundation was proud to present pianist, DR. CHEN WANG’s, Journey to Love & Peace on Sunday, October 23, 2022, at 7:30pm to a full house at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. This marked her New York Concert Debut which was met with great admiration and applause. The concert was sponsored by the Young Global Leadership Foundation with UN NGO ECOSOC Special Consultative Status, together with Michigan State University School of Music, Australian International Culture Industries Association, Global Stress Initiative, Global Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation, Global Wealth Elite Club, International Strategies Alliance & Good News Network, to name a few. The recital promoted awareness, advocacy & action for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) & launched the recital tour that Wang is performing this year.

Photo credit: Jeff Smith

Wang performed Lizst’s Liebestraume and Chinese classics from the Tang Dynasty with great passion and brilliance. TONY and Award Winning Broadway Producer of “Passing Strange”, Regional Theater and Film , Vasi Laurence states:

“In difficult life moments, music can be a way to express who you are and Chen excels in that. Her playing is powerful and compelling and transports you on a very visceral level from deep reflection and calm to feeling joyful and exultant. Chen’s versatility and choice of music by Franz Liszt illustrates her ability to play some of the most technically difficult music that has ever been composed for piano…and the inclusion of music from the Tang Dynasty (which was the Golden Age of culture and the arts) was beautiful and exquisite. Chen is a fascinating and unique pianist who mesmerized the audience for ninety minutes. During intermission a patron turned to me and said, “She has magic fingers. She is magnificent.” I am sure that we will see and hear more of Chen Wang on the global concert stage. Congresswoman Grace Meng issued her a certificate of Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community.

Photo credit: Jeff Smith

A patron stated:
“The program Dr. Wang offered was important to note as it was at the top level in piano repertoire in terms of musicality and technical difficulty. The success of her performance can be attributed to Dr. Wang’s reputation as a promising and respected talent in piano performance. The extreme difficulty of the repertoire, which included Franz Liszt’s Soirées de Vienne, S.427, No. 6 (Valses caprices d’après Schubert), Three Petrach Sonnets from Années de pèlerinage, S.161, Second Year, and “La danza from Soirées musicales de Rossini, S. 424 gained the attention of music aficionados. Pianists must possess outstanding skills to execute the works of Liszt successfully. Dr. Wang met that challenge. Her extraordinary musical expression was truly effective in delivering the dramatic impact to the audience which warranted two standing ovations after the last piece finished.
Her musicianship was fine and profound, with strong and well controlled connections of all phrases. Her rare skills allow her to deliver music in ways others cannot and distinguishes her from other musicians.”

Chinese pianist Chen Wang began her piano studies at the age of five & was admitted to the middle school affiliated with Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing at the age of eleven. She continued her studies in the United States with famous pianists & educators including Deborah Moriarty, Panayis Lyras, Stephen Drury & William Heiles at the New England Conservatory, U niversity of Illinois at Urbana Champaign & Michigan State University. She holds a DMA in Piano Performance from Michigan State University.

In China, Chen was invited to be a spokesperson & guest pianist in the ninth World’s Children Call for Peace event in Beijing, together with over 100 institutions & children from more than 60 countries. In the US, Chen has given performances for the City of Boston, Omaha Summit at the 53 rd Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway Meeting & Massachusetts General Hospital. She received the Global Youth Leadership Award at the United Nations Headquarters Global Social Responsibility Summit in New York in 2018. This year, she gave solo piano performance at World First Metaverse Lantern Festival & North America Virtual Lunar New Year Gala. While working towards a double performance major in piano & percussion in the U.S. on a full scholarship, Chen discovered the interconnection between the two & developed her own performance style. Incorporating East Asian philosophy & western classical music, from Chinese poetry in the Tang Dynasty to Italian Renaissance literature, she explores the connections among nations, people & nature.

Chen Wang is Vice President of the Arts of Young Global Leadership Foundation (United Nations NGO ECOSOC Member), Vice Chairman & Guest Artist of Australian International Culture Industries Association & a member of expert committee of the China Association for Promoting Children’s Culture & Art. Chen is a multi-winner of several international piano competitions. She is a signed artist on Ivory Classics Music & ChinaWise USA.

For more information on Dr. Chen Wang go to www.cwangmusic.org.

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