My name is Laura-Sun Cefaratti, I go by “Sunny,” and I am totally blind and on the autism spectrum. I am a musician. I play the piano and sing, and I have a very unique gift called perfect pitch. I am a disability rights advocate and co-Founder of The Musical Autist. I have the opportunity to work out in the community, thanks to a program called Self Directed Services, which is through my Developmental … [Read more...]
Piano Competition for Persons with Disabilities
When I was 6 years old I told my teacher that I wanted to be a music teacher. I struggled academically and was behind in a lot of areas, so this dream seemed pretty far fetched at the time. I had piano lessons from age 10 to 11, we had borrowed my aunt’s piano, but then we moved and discontinued lessons, making my dream even harder to get to. As a kid I had been to a few piano competitions and recitals that … [Read more...]
Overcoming Stage Fright as a Musician
It's not just always going to be easy from the first time you do something that you really want, you have to push yourself and it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be nervous. But if you just get up there and be...know, that you're yourself, and you're expressing yourself, you're on your way.Jennifer Msumba Jennifer: Hi guys, today I wanted to talk to a very special friend of mine. Her name is Jenny … [Read more...]
How a Quirky Song Became an Award Winning Film
“And the winner is…” This was it. I was shaking in my chair, sitting in front of my computer wearing my nicest button shirt. I was in the Zoom waiting room. Whoever won Best Film for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge would be brought on live to get their reaction and say a few words. It wouldn’t be me, would it? I didn’t even know how I had gotten this far. Out of 87 amazing films, I had … [Read more...]
Disability Day of Mourning
The Musical Autist acknowledges, commemorates and participates in the Disability Day of Mourning on March 1st. We encourage our readers to find a vigil near you, or participate virtually. You can find a list here at Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Several of us will be attending the virtual vigil organized in Maryland, since our organization is based here. If you'd like to attend a vigil and have no … [Read more...]
Co-Writing as an Autistic Songwriter
I was shaking as we neared the address where we were all supposed to meet. What if I froze up? What if they overlooked my ideas? Or worst of all, what if I had nothing to contribute? I was heading into my very first team songwriting experience and I had no idea what to expect. How did I get here? Well, back in 2019, before Covid-19 hit, my worship leader was talking about how our church was going to start … [Read more...]
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