[Smt-talk] Opportunities for autistic musician?

[Fieldman, Hali]

CBS's news program 60 Minutes has also followed an autistic child (he is now a young man, I believe) over quite a few years; if I recall, he may also be blind.  He is incredibly gifted on the piano, however.  Whether or not there are useful parallels between him and the student Karen asked about is something probably only she and any informed helpers can decide.

Hali Fieldman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Conservatory of Music and Dance
University of Missouri -- Kansas City


-----Original Message-----
From: smt-talk-bounces at societymusictheory.org on behalf of Daniel Wolf
Sent: Fri 08-Jan-10 12:37 PM
To: smt-talk at societymusictheory.org
Subject: Re: [Smt-talk] Opportunities for autistic musician?
 
Marco Melanson, a self-taught composer from New Brunswick, with an autism  
spectrum disorder, has his own web page here:

http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/m2esectr/marco.htm

The midi files may require some patience to listen to, but they do show,  
chronologically, a gradual deepening of Mr Melanson's musical range with  
his steady assimilation of more repertoire.  While the initial efforts are  
largely borrowed in bits and pieces from the music he heard (mostly  
Viennese classical music, Quebecois girl-singer pop, and later, Boy  
Bands), with very rudimentary technique and only modest development, I  
believe that one can hear a gradual emergence of a distinct compositional  
voice.  I am certain that Mr Melanson, who is rather isolated in New  
Brunswick, would enjoy corresponding with anyone interested in his work or  
the topic of this thread.

Daniel Wolf
composer
Frankfurt



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