The Debut of Dr. Jacob Langer’s New Album “Return”
Jacob Langer performing with his wife Ferne and his children, Jessica, Ben
and Alexander
On a cold weeknight at the end of September, Hugh’s
room, an iconic Torontonian live music venue, was filled
to capacity. Guests were there to listen to a CD release
from a unique and one-of-a-kind performer … Dr. Jacob
Langer. As the lights came on, the world-renowned
pediatric surgeon and past chief of pediatric surgery at
the Hospital for Sick Children hit the stage to a roaring
applause to debut his original album “Return.”
The night was filled with great music, laughs, and a
heartwarming glance into Langer’s life. Langer and his
band successfully delivered an inspiring performance that
hit on the very core of folk music. What’s more, Langer’s
wife Ferne and his children, Jessica, Ben and Alexander
performed with him for the opening songs, making it
clear that his passion for music was a family affair. The
finale in particular, a song called “Someday,” moved the
crowd to tears. The song was sung as a duet by both Jack
and Ferne and was written as a tribute to their 25th wedding
anniversary.
Langer’s passion for music emerged as a teenager. He
was actively involved in writing and performing music
throughout high school, college, and medical school. But
his musical aspirations were put on the back burner once
he started general surgery residency. Now, after years as
a distinguished pediatric surgeon, some much-needed
time off has given Langer the opportunity to discover his
love for music once again. “When I decided to take a six
month sabbatical in January 2014, I had a lot of time and
I reconnected with the music that had been so important
to me when I was younger,” Langer remarks.
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And the transition from surgeon to musician late in
one’s career couldn’t have been an easy task. “It’s remarkable
that someone so incredibly skilled can also do things
like create an original album at this stage in their career,
as if it’s not enough to save babies lives,” remarks Tim
Whatley, Langer’s son-in-law.
For Langer, it was all worth it. “The making of this
CD has been an amazing journey and it is an achievement
that is completely different from my professional
work,” he remarks.
Furthermore, Langer believes that the challenge of
creating an original album has pushed him in ways that
he never experienced during his surgical career. “I’ve
learned a whole new set of skills and the challenge of
taking this project from start to finish has been extremely
exciting. In a way this project has allowed me to use my
right brain while my surgical career has involved my left
brain and the ability to diversify my activities has been
invigorating,” Langer says.
When asked about some final words of wisdom, Langer
says, “I believe that we should all be diversifying ourselves,
especially as we get closer to retirement, as I am.”
A true inspiration to us all.
Dr. Langer’s CD “Return” is available on iTunes, Spotify,
Apple Music, and CDBABY. You can learn more about the
CD and the musicians at www.jacoblangermusic.com
Chethan Sathya, PGY-5, General Surgery,
University of Toronto
[Ed’s note: Dr. Chethan Sathya is a journalist and surgical
resident at the University of Toronto. He completed the
Fellowship in Global Journalism at the Munk School of
Global Affairs and has published pieces for CNN, CBC,
and Scientific American.
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