There is a school in Orangeville, California where close to 100 children with autism spectrum disorder or autistic-like symptoms receive an education. The learning center not only strengthens the children's academic skills, but also their social and cognitive abilities, giving them a much needed space of support and encouragement. I was lucky enough to visit this school twice with my high school jazz band, which performed for the students. This experience opened my eyes to the reality for children living with autism and the reinforcing positive impacts of music therapy. I have many personal connections to music therapy as my grandmother practiced and wrote a book about this type of caregiving, yet my strongest connection comes from performing for these kids.
The first time I performed at the learning center it was a sunny, warm spring morning. As we're setting up our gear on the edge of their central quad,the students were being led out of the surrounding classrooms. While a small handful of students eagerly sat close to us, the majority were spread out across the lawn some with noise reducing headphones, others hesitant to come close. I first noticed how they all acted very calm. The overall crowd was quiet, a stark difference from our previous performances at elementary schools that were loud with the children outwardly showing their excitement. When playing for children at this age our set is not traditional jazz music but instead compositions of pop songs such as Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars. These types of songs were recognizable to the kids, or at least the upbeat tempo made them feel happy, allowing them to sing and dance along with us.
During the first couple of songs we played I could immediately see a difference in the general demeanor of the kids. It was as if a switch was flipped; they were no longer at school where their behavior is closely monitored but instead at a dance party where they could move however they wanted. More of them approached us and started dancing as others sang along proudly, much to the teachers’ amusement. Watching the kids transition from shy and hesitant to giddy and cheerful was powerful and emotional for me. I had not spent a lot of time around children with disabilities before, so watching kids smile and laugh because of our music was incredible. In particular one kid very confidently interacted with us by taking a microphone to sing along, the pride on the teachers’ faces alone made the entire trip worth it.
As our set went on, more and more children were smiling and dancing. Some of them joined us with auxiliary percussion instruments which left the lawn dotted with happy kids. A couple of weeks after our performance we received letters from the kids at the school expressing their appreciation for us and inviting us back the next year. As a band we only got to see the kids’ immediate, surface level reactions, but the letters they wrote showed that our music had a much larger impact on them.
Since this first performance for the learning center I have played there again and at other underfunded schools for disabled children around the area. Every time I felt an immense pride for creating a safe atmosphere where children could positively interact with one another. My experience with music therapy and meeting the kids at that school are a big part of the reason I support the Plus One Foundation.