Who We Are

We bring music, conversation, and kindness to people who may feel isolated.

Our Mission

To provide uplifting music that transforms lives, brings back memories, and makes anywhere feel like home.

While New York City is home to thousands of talented musicians, it’s also home to thousands of isolated people. Founder Jennifer Carnahan Glaz envisioned the bridge between them, and Concerts in Motion was born.

Since 2009, we have brought personalized live music and engagement to older adults, veterans, Holocaust Survivors, individuals with disabilities, individuals with mental illness, individuals experiencing housing and food insecurity, and hospitalized patients of all ages. We engage a diverse community of talented professional and student musicians who travel across the New York metro area to perform our concerts.

Concerts in Motion is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Our Community Values

We work from a core set of values, which are Empathy, Respect, and Integrity.

Empathy

Music can hold emotions and memories for many, so our staff and musicians have been trained in Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care (more below!).

Respect

We recognize the inherent dignity of each person we reach, and our concerts are restorative to the full person.

Integrity

We strive for excellence. Our professional musicians play at a world class level, and we collect feedback after every concert to ensure quality.

Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care

The Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care (PCTIC) approach informs all we do. Our full staff and musician roster is trained in the PCTIC approach so we are equipped to create concert spaces that are safe, accessible, and welcoming.

Person Centered Trauma Informed Care, or PCTIC, is a holistic, strengths-based approach that promotes the dignity, strength, and empowerment of those who have experienced trauma. The guiding principle of PCTIC is that the traumatized person is an expert in what their care needs are. PCTIC was developed as a care approach to care for Holocaust Survivors. We were originally trained in PCTIC by UJA Federation NY, and with their guidance, we now apply the principles of PCTIC across all our work -- which distinguishes Concerts in Motion from other arts-based organizations serving vulnerable populations.
How we apply Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care in our concert programs:
- Students, adult volunteers and pro musicians performing in our outreach learn through Concerts in Motion’s PCTIC training how to listen for concert recipients’ impressions and lived experience during engagement time, while acknowledging that a recipient’s experience is different from their own.
- The tenets of this approach - Empathy, Respect and Integrity - inform all of Concerts in Motion’s programming.
- Every concert we present integrates music and engagement in order to celebrate the dignity of the concert recipient.
- PCTIC provides a framework for our musicians so that they can thoughtfully select repertoire and meaningfully engage with our recipients. Our concerts have a profound impact on those we reach.

Meet the Team

Jennifer Carnahan Glaz

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jennifer Carnahan Glaz (she/her) founded Concerts in Motion in 2009 after identifying a need among New York City’s isolated residents for high-quality, live music. Jennifer is a lyric coloratura soprano who has performed in major opera houses in the United States and Europe. Between those engagements, she performed for patients in veterans’ hospitals and nursing homes, but she wanted to do more.
Henrietta Pertuz, LMSW

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Henrietta Pertuz (she/her) joined the Concerts in Motion team in December 2019. As Deputy Executive Director, Henrietta implements Concerts in Motion's development strategy, supported by the ED and Board. This includes overseeing initiatives in individual giving, corporate sponsorships, grants, events, and stewardship. She leads execution across all programs, operations, and revenue generation to ensure measurable outcomes align with organizational vision and goals, while maintaining operational excellence across all functions.
Alex Fecteau

PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Alex Fecteau (they/them) joined the Concerts in Motion team in April 2020. As Program Director, Alex works with the team to shape the vision, quality, and impact of CiM’s programming. Alex forges new partnerships and nurtures existing community relationships, to ensure that all programming fulfills CiM's mission. Alex collaborates closely with the Deputy Executive Director to align program design with fundraising, and manages CiM's roster of professional musicians.
Zenobia Johnson

PROGRAM MANAGER
Zenobia Johnson (she/her) joined the Concerts in Motion team in May 2022. As Program Manager, Zenobia works with the Program Team as a liaison to musicians, participants, and agencies, keeping them up to date with ongoing events and hosting ongoing concert series. Zenobia is a graduate from the University of New Haven with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Sound Recording.
Janine McGuire

OPERATIONS MANAGER
Janine McGuire (she/her) has worked with Concerts in Motion since 2011. As our part time Operations Manager, she handles our accounts payable and receivable, prepares biweekly payroll, completes internal invoices, onboards new team members, and ensures our systems are working effectively and efficiently. Janine serves as liason to our HR consultant and as office manager.
Sarah Marksteiner

DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Sarah Marksteiner (she/her) has been with Concerts in Motion since March 2020. As Development & Communications Manager, she supports CiM’s Executive and Deputy Executive Directors through fundraising efforts, event planning, and donor communications. Sarah leads grant proposals and award management, communications, and marketing.

Who We Serve

We are able to reach insular and isolated populations by partnering with a robust network of 250+ community partners across the NY metro area and beyond.

Get to Know Our Community