Poet, musician reaches artistic milestone

Musician Steve Monfiston’s music is on iTunes. He suffered a traumatic brain injury — but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Courtesy Life's WORC

Life’s WORC, a private, not-for-profit organization, providing comprehensive support for individuals with developmental disabilities, is committed to helping them reach their personal bests and fulfill their personal dreams — and there’s no better example of the level of commitment Life’s WORC gives to individuals with disabilities than Steven Monfiston.

Severely disabled but a brilliant poet and musician, Monfiston, 29, just had another major artistic milestone reached. His music is now on iTunes. The songs include: “Change of Times,” “Wreckless,” “The Things We Do,” Steven’s Party,” “From Concrete,” “Desiree,” “I must Fight,” “Showdown” and “Summertime.” His musical genres are R&B/Soul, and Hip Hop/Rap.

Credited with helping Monfiston reach this personal best and others along the way is Life’s WORC’s Person-Centered Planning Program. Following a traumatic brain injury, which significantly comprised his normal functioning, he entered one of the Life’s WORC residences located in Dix Hills. Monfistron always had a penchant for poetry. In fact, he was prolific in creating poems which he regularly would ask one of the Life’s WORC staff members to record for him in longhand since he could not write himself. In time, the “book” of poems grew. Eventually a CD of his poems was produced.

Through Life’s WORC’s “Person-Centered Planning” program, the staff identified Steven’s dreams, goals, hobbies and talents and considered how best to optimize them. They consider a key question, “If Steven did not have a disability what would he do with those skills?”

In Steven’s case, the idea to put the words to music as lyrics in songs was identified. Then, through the network of contacts that various members of the Life’s WORC staff had, a studio was identified. First, a musical CD was produced with his poems providing the lyrics to a series of songs in the hip-hop/R&B genre. The other artists playing instruments and singing on the CD were all professionals who volunteered their services. Having his music produced on a CD was the first real proud moment for Monfiston as a professional artist. Being recognized by the New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies (NYSACRA) with its “People’s Choice Award” for his creativity and diligence was another.

Today, having his music being played on iTunes, giving his songs access to a worldwide audience, is yet another major accomplishment for Steven and Life’s WORC, an organization that never gave up on helping this individual reach his potential and fulfill a life’s dream.