CAMRY DEAN
Staff Writer
Coordinator of the Fredonia music industry program and award-winning producer Armand Petri brought together three big names in music to bring awareness to autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) during World Autism Awareness Month this April.
Solo artist Cassandra Kubinski, Fredonia alumna Mary Ramsey of the 10,000 Maniacs and John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls came together to record a rendition of Kubinski’s hit single, “Not So Different,” which was released in 2013.
In preparation for a live performance and iTunes release of the song, HAIL! Fredonia Records and Voices for Autism worked together to organize the “Not So Different” Autism Awareness Event last Sunday.
Mikayla Mendel, junior music industry major, is the events coordinator for HAIL! Fredonia Records and explained that all proceeds will benefit the ASD community.
“It’s not quite a benefit, although all of the money raised will go directly to the Canisius College Institute for Autism Research,” she said.
Before opening to the public, Voices for Autism held an ASD Social Clinic at the event for children in the community with autism.
Juli Legnard, a senior childhood special education and psychology dual major and president of Voices for Autism, said that the on-campus group holds weekly social skills clinics with the community in the spring and was honored to work with HAIL! Fredonia Records for the event.
“[‘Not So Different’], in a general sense, is bringing awareness on a level that I don’t know other mediums besides music could provide. It’s something that everyone enjoys, it’s a universal truth,” said Legnard. “And what we need to do is make autism a universal truth.
“I feel like the song is a positive image of autism, where a lot of times we see in the news fear-based coverage of autism where it’s very much tied to the old adage (that’s completely false) of MMR vaccines causing autism,” continued Legnard. “A lot of times, people are focusing on a cure rather than treatment or inclusion. It’s a wonderful thing that this group is willing to come together and show that there are some really positive things about autism. It’s a wonderful community and there are so many great things about it as much as there are difficulties.”
While the proceeds of Kubinksi’s original song went directly to the national organization, Autism Speaks, Legnard made it clear that there is a difference between the group and Fredonia’s Voices for Autism.
“We originally started out trying to create a [Fredonia] chapter for Autism Speaks, but they were very much fundraising-focused and we wanted to be a group of advocacy. And so far, we have had a lot of success. We do parent panels, student panels of people who are on the spectrum and have disclosed, and we also do our social skills clinic in the spring once a week and prepare for it with meetings to teach you how to be an advocate in the Fall,” Legnard said.
She also continued to explain that though the clinics are community-based, it’s important to remember the individuals on campus who are also on the spectrum.
“Voices for Autism is not just a community-based children’s advocacy organization. What people don’t realize is that we have people on our campus who have autism spectrum disorder but because it’s an invisible disability, it’s not given the same amount of light and in our busy lives. A lot of times college students don’t consider that neuro-typical people have a responsibility to reach out to people who may not be neuro-typical,” she said.
Working together with Voices for Autism, Music Therapy Club was also involved in the hour-long clinic.
The afternoon included various games sponsored by Fredonia Radio Systems, Music Industry Club and others, as well as a photo booth from Fredonia for St. Jude.
To celebrate the release of the new rendition of “Not So Different” on iTunes April 15, there was also live music from local musicians such as Helen Lowry and Jabari Noel and their band, Helari; the Outofar Trio Jug Band, which included music industry professor and practicing attorney Dr. Stuart Shapiro; the Momentum of Western New York choir; and a reggae/jazz trio, Redwood, that hails from Buffalo.
Because all proceeds of the event will be donated to the Canisius College Institute for Autism Research, there was a suggested $10 donation at the door as well as money raised through raffles.
The highlight of the night was a silent raffle for two meet-and-greet tickets to a sold-out acoustic performance by the Goo Goo Dolls on April 16 at Rockwell Hall at Buffalo State. During the performance, the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Ramsey and Kubinski, will debut their inspirational song — just one day after its release on iTunes.