On Sunday, April 7, we had a Sensory Friendly Concert at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. In the past, we’ve always had our concerts at Anne Arundel Community College, so this was a new location for us. About 150 people that attended the concert! Our headline performer was The Bulliet Trio, which includes a cello player, a double bass player, and an oboe player. Each member of the trio introduced … [Read more...]
Winter Jam Session: Recap and Reflection by Sunny
On Saturday, February 23, we had an Empowerment Jam Session at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Severna Park. There were about 25 to 30 people in attendance for this jam session. We had a coffee shop atmosphere which promoted a relaxed and social environment. We also had a guest guitarist and bass player join in with us during the session. We sang our opening song, did a 12 bar blues, and formed a drum circle … [Read more...]
Sunny Writes: Making Your Own Choices
There have been many occasions in my life where people have made choices for me. People would make choices for me about what to eat, what to drink, where to go, what time to go to bed, etc. People often assume what I want, rather than take the time to ask me what I want. Assumptions can be a hindrance to people with disabilities because they don’t allow them to have a say. I understand that some people with … [Read more...]
Sunny Writes: Learning How to Play an Instrument
I started taking piano lessons at five years of age. I had a piano teacher who challenged me to work hard and overcome obstacles, such as being blind and autistic. Before my teacher worked with me, he had never taught a blind person how to play the piano. He was skilled in finding creative ways to teach me in a way that I could learn. Because I am blind, I learned to play by ear. He would record the lessons on a … [Read more...]
Sunny Writes: Autism & Leadership
I have been serving on The Musical Autist Board of Directors for the past eight years. Serving has taught me a lot about being a leader. A leader should be able to have patience, be flexible, and learn how to be professional with other people. The board has been going through some changes recently, which allowed me to take on more of a leadership role. I really enjoy being apart of the organization because we … [Read more...]
Sunny Writes: My Experience with Troupe & How You Can Join!
This year, TMA started a new program called Musical Autist Troupe. This is when autistic people and community members come together, share songs, learn songs, and eventually perform them. I would like to tell you about my personal experience in this program and promote the next cycle. I feel like I can make music and be a leader when I come to Troupe. I play songs that are meaningful to me, and I share them with … [Read more...]