The Voice Foundation’s ‘Voices of Summer’ Honoring Bootsy Collins and Roberta Flack

From left: Doctors Steven Mandel, Heidi Mandel, Stuart Orsher and Dahlia M. Sataloff.

From left: Evelyn Rossow and Stephanie Walters

From left: David Pershica and Bill Chenevert.

Shirley Gherson and David Meyer.

rom left: Perez Francisco, Alba Testart, Juliana Codino, and Adam Rubin.

From left: Kathryn H. Hill, Bootsy Collins, Jayne Dowdall, and Patty Collins. The original funk 'n' roll wild child, Bootsy Collins, and his wife Patty were the hit of the party. They were meeting and greeting, posing for pictures, and seemed to really take an interest in everyone.

Doctors Joel and Lucille Rubin, who was later surprised as The Voice Foundation honored her for contributions to the Voice Foundation over the past two decades.

From left: Kathleen Wicker and Stephanie Fort.

From left: Mami Kankeo and Shigeru Hirano. At the beginning of the dinner portion, six of the voice professionals attending the symposium entertained the guests; Shigzru was one of the doctors that participated in the entertainment portion singing a traditional Japanese song.

Bootsy Collins thanked the doctors in the room for caring for singers around the world: “You understand the importance of the voice.” He went on to explain that he became a singer by accident; George Clinton heard him rhyming as he played his drums, and told him he needed to make an album. Bootsy was untrained, and it was voice doctors and coaches that helped him to reach his potential.

From left: Peggy Baroody, ‎singing voice specialist with her patient Denyce Graves. Denyce sang the praises of her voice coach, who saved her career a few years back when the celebrated American mezzo-soprano strained it while performing. Ms. Graves also delighted a class of eager voice professionals the night before with a master class.

Roberta Flack and Dr. Robert Sataloff, MD.

Cabaret singer Karen Mason performed a 20-minute medley of songs that really brought down the house.

From left: Kari Ragan and Maria Russo, managing director of the Voice Foundation.