Singing for Autism

Me and My Awesome Son!

When my sound engineer, John Mahoney of Ravenpheat Studios in Glendale, Arizona, contacted me regarding a project he was working on to shed light on tolerance and accepting people for who they are, I knew I had to be a part of it. Since my son’s diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, I have wanted to write a song somehow outlining a part of our journey. And John’s project gave me the perfect opportunity. My song “Just Like You” is told from the perspective of someone diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and talks about the experiences of feeling different, being treated differently, and having difficulty reading other people’s emotions. I consulted my son as I was writing the song and he said it’s an accurate portrayal…phew!

We All Shine On is a volunteer CD project combining the talents of musicians, poets, singers, and songwriters from around the United States. Proceeds from the CD will benefit the following charities:

• Yoomee Adventures, teaches bully/teasing/acceptance awareness and presents books and music at no cost to schools, libraries and children’s hospitals.
• Just One Voice, Just One Voice is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Kenya and other developing countries.
• The Trevor Project, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

While the project is done, John is still looking for help with sales and distribution to allow the above charities to benefit as much as possible. So if you or someone you know could help with that part, please contact me and I’ll get you in touch with John.

But in the meantime, please enjoy listening (below) to “Just Like You,” my song about autism written as a tribute to my wonderful, talented, intelligent, creative, sometimes misunderstood, blessing of a son…