the monthly melody - december 2014
DESCRIPTION
Issue #4 Produced b y We Rock for AutismTRANSCRIPT
An Online Magazine Dedicated to Awareness, Acceptance and Awesomeness
Presented by We Rock for Autism December 2014 Issue #4
December 2014 Issue
Editor: Chris Wilson
Proofreader and Content Editor: Justin Wilson, Jr.
Front Cover: Michael Scott Nelson & Sid (photo courtesy of Michael Scott Nelson)
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The Monthly Melody is a Publication of We Rock for Autism, Inc. a Nonprofit Organization.
PO BOX 25884, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 – [email protected]
www.themonthlymelody.com – www.werockforautism.org___________________________________________________________________________________________
The Monthly Melody and We Rock for Autism, Inc. does not endorse the views, products, or services contained herein. We are notresponsible for omissions or errors.
The Monthly Melody and We Rock for Autism, Inc. are not responsible for articles submitted to us without the final approval of theorganization’s President.
All articles and Advertisements are subject to final approval by our Board. We reserve the right to edit any article sent to us.Letters to The Editor should be sent to [email protected]
We do not publish open letters or third-party letters.Letters for publication must include the writer’s address and phone numbers.
We cannot return or acknowledge unpublished letters. Writers of those letters selected for publication will be notified prior to pressdate.
Letters may be shortened for space requirements..
Copyright © 2014 We Rock for Autism, Inc. All rights reserved. Content contained in this publication may be reproduced for one-time personal use. However, anyone wishing to reproduce and distribute any content from within this publication for purposes otherthan personal use must request this intention in writing directly to the publisher. Failure to do so will be in violation of the copyright
held by this publication.
STATEMENT OF POLICY AND DISCLAIMERThe views expressed in any articles or advertisements included in this publication are not necessarily those of The Monthly Melody or thepublishers We Rock for Autism, Inc. The Monthly Melody, We Rock for Autism, Inc. and the publishers do not promote or recommend anyspecific therapy, treatment, institution or professional viewpoint. Please check with a doctor when changing any diet or major nutritional change.
The Italian – American Woman’s Club ofBroward County held its annual Luncheon /Fashion Show at Tropical Acres Restaurant inDavie Florida on November 1st, 2014. Theannual event brings together all of the BrowardCounty Chapters for a celebration of theirheritage that includes an amazing lunch, afashion show, several raffles, memberrecognition and donations to local charities.The event had a Mardi Gras theme and all thedecorations and beads to go along with it.
This year We Rock for Autism was honored tobe one of the two charities chosen to receive adonation, along with the local chapter ofMended Little Hearts. Chris Wilson and his wifeTeresa were on hand to represent We Rock forAutism and to personally thank the members ofeach chapter for their generous donation.
“The event was amazing, everyone there was sokind and welcoming and they really put on agreat event,” said Chris Wilson, President of WeRock for Autism. “The donation will be used toprovide local children with autism theopportunity to receive music therapy sessionsat the Cadenza Center, which is located here inHollywood, Florida.”
The afternoon started out with the display ofseveral donated gift baskets and other itemsthat would be raffled off throughout theevent.There were “Christmas” themed baskets,
snack and wine themed baskets, a few moneytrees and more. The guests deposited theirraffle tickets into the bag in front of each itemthey hoped to win, then headed to their tablesto have lunch and prepare for the muchanticipated fashion show.
Shirley Casey, the president of the Italian –American Woman’s Club of Broward Countyand Carolyn Augustine, a chapter member andlongtime supporter of We Rock for Autismintroduced Chris and Teresa Wilson to some ofthe other local members and got the eventstarted. Teresa Wilson distributed We Rock forAutism supporter bracelets and brochures tothe members at each table to thank them all fortheir support.
Once lunch was done, the fashion show began.This year, the models featured clothes courtesyof Stein Mart. Each model showed off three setsof outfits, including a casual, a business attireand an evening attire outfit. The models walkedaround each table and the Stein Martrepresentative gave a detailed explanation ofthe clothing, jewelry and accessories theyadorned. There were 6 models that graced therunway, including our very dear friend, CarolynAugustine. They all looked stunning and did afantastic job showing off their outfits.
After the fashion show concluded, Shirley Caseyaddressed the members with announcements,
acknowledgements and the presentation of thedonation checks to the local charities. JanetWeisman, of the Mended Little Hearts of JoeDiMaggio Children's Hospital, was on hand toaccept their check and promote her chapter ofMended Little Hearts. She gave a moving andheart felt speech about her son’s journey indealing with his heart condition and all of thesupport provided through Mended Little Hearts.A member of the club who dealt with heartconditions of her own actually wrote a check foran additional donation to Janet and MendedLittle Hearts. They are truly a great organizationand worth learning more about.
Once Janet had completed her speech andgraciously thanked everyone for their support,Shirley Casey presented the next check to ChrisWilson of We Rock for Autism. Chris, wearinghis puzzle piece tie, thanked the members fortheir support and took some time to explainautism to the attending members. “My goal wasto not just promote We Rock for Autism andwhat we do, I also wanted to take theopportunity to increase the awareness ofautism and promote the acceptance ofindividuals with autism or any other specialneeds,” said Chris Wilson.
The afternoon concluded with the raffle. Theremust have been 50 different prizes being raffledoff, all in support of the Italian – AmericanWoman’s Club of Broward County and theiramazing members. Frank Casey, the Presidentof Florida Federation of Italian/American Clubs,Inc. was in attendance as well to show hissupport. There were so many prizes andbeautiful handcrafted center pieces given away,it seems as if everyone left a winner. In ourhearts, we believe the real winners are thechildren, the children that will be helped myMended Little Hearts and We Rock for Autism.
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Are you reaching ALL of yourpotential customers or supporters?
THE MONTHLY MELODY OFFERS AFFORDABLE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITES!
- OPT IN SUBSCRIBER LIST- EXPOSURE TO THOUSANDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORTERS- 50% DISCOUNT FOR NON-PROFITS
Contact us for prices or more details [email protected]
*100% of ad sales go directly to We Rock for Autism, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
Are you reaching ALL of yourpotential customers or supporters?
THE MONTHLY MELODY OFFERS AFFORDABLE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITES!
- OPT IN SUBSCRIBER LIST- EXPOSURE TO THOUSANDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORTERS- 50% DISCOUNT FOR NON-PROFITS
Contact us for prices or more details [email protected]
*100% of ad sales go directly to We Rock for Autism, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
Joe
NO
R
M
A
L
LEFT TO HIS OWNDEVICES… Gaming andHandheld Electronics
by Joe Normal
What is it about my son’s obsession with video gamingthat puts me in so much fear?
When I was 12, I had a healthy pinball addiction thatdrew me out of the house and down to the local candystore to bang out countless quarters-worth of games onits monstrous arcade tables, often taking turns withfriends and other kids from the neighborhood.
When the first video games appeared, replacing thebackroom pinball machines, I still found myself standingthere among peers engaging in the various challengeseach new game offered, striving to see how many levelsI could complete, idling away minutes of my life limitedonly by the narrow financial resources of a pre-teen boyfrom a blue-collar New Jersey family.
Today, I cringe at the thought of our family joining theranks of millions of other households who distract andoccupy their idle time with Wii’s and PlayStations. Iguess I’ve become my parents… who fought hard tokeep television from taking over our home and minds.
For Christmas two years ago, Santa Claus brought to ourhome a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Tablet. It came witha note scrawled in peculiarly familiar handwriting
(ahem)… It read, “To be used for educational purposes,and shared equally among siblings, moms, and dads.”
In Drayke’s 12 years on this planet, there have beenonly two times I’ve ever seen him react with so muchjoy that he became completely hysterical… 1. When heopened his very first electric Lionel Train Seton his fifthbirthday, and 2. When he and his brother Myles torethe paper away from the Christmas gift box to revealthe picture of that Tablet in all its glory!
Almost right from the beginning, that “family” Tablethad been usurped and totally monopolized by Drayke.He and his brother would soon be fighting over it, so itwasn’t long before we acquired two additional Tabletsin a sweet deal from our cellphone provider when wehappened to stroll into their store during a promotionalsale. Having three Tablets was a great solutionto thebrothers’ quandary, and it allowed us all equal time andample access to its wondrous charms.
So again, what is it about my son’s obsession with videogaming that puts me in so much fear?
There is no more harm in him playing Angry Birds, CutThe Rope, and Plants vs Zombies than in my ownadventures with those early 80’s arcade games of myyouth.
In the Autism community a constant issue forparents is setting and upholding healthy rules and
boundaries for our children.
Perhaps it’s the level of attachment to his device thatreally troubles me… more specifically, the isolation thatcomes with getting lost in singular play on handheldelectronics.
On a daily basis it can be a nightmare when it is time toput the Tablet down for whatever reason. Having himseparate from that thing requires careful planning andprompting on our part. After all, we don’t have theconvenience of leaving the games at the arcade as indays gone by. (I thought the idea was that homeentertainment systems and devices were supposed tomake life more pleasurable!?)
In the Autism community a constant issue for parents issetting and upholding healthy rules and boundaries forour children. But, (at the risk of sounding pessimistic),frustration, disappointment, and opposition ensue forthose of us who lack the constancy and militaristic, no-emotion police-style enforcement skills that aresometimes necessary to get results. I’ve learned thatsometimes you just gotta pick your battles, butexcessive gaming is one that I will not lose my child towithout a fight. So we compromise by adopting realisticexpectations and parameters.
At my son’s request, we initially installed Minecraft’sPocket Edition on “his” Tablet, and as I am repulsed bycombat and killing style games, I was taken aback byMinecraft’s “Survival Mode” which in my opinionseemed like a primer to the more graphic, violentgames that partner companies conspire to sell ourchildren as they reach their teen years and beyond. Ifound myself fighting back thoughts of how kids arebeing indoctrinated and desensitized under the guise of“fun” and “adventure.”
But my son pointed out that it’s really Minecraft’s“Creative Mode” that he was interested in playing, (a
sort of virtual “Lego” building and explorationexperience), and he invited me to “join game” with himusing my own Tablet.
As it turned out, by embracing his love for this gameand letting go of my fear, we now enjoy a powerfulbonding experience each time we explore and buildtogether in this virtual world he loves so much.
As our resident Minecraft expert, Drayke is intentlyinstructive and takes the lead every time we play. Hecommands over this imaginary world in a way that doesaway with his shyness and vulnerability, sometimes tothe point of being over-bearing. His learning disabilitiespose no challenge to him as he navigates effortlesslythrough the biomes, creating his intricate rollercoastersand structures without self-doubt and criticism. Heloves watching the play-throughs and tutorials onYouTube and even tries to read the game handbooks (tothe best of his ability), to further educate himself on thetopic.
I have discovered how open he becomes during ourjoint gameplay; an opportune time to throw questionsand requests at him about important stuff as it pertainsto his daily life, self-care, and well-being.
Throughout his day, Drayke often perseverates aboutwhat he is currently building, the various characters ortrivia about his games in general, and what he wouldlike to create next on his own or with my participation.He can get really pumped-up about it!
For a kid who has speech and communicationchallenges, I suppose I should be grateful that he talksabout anything non-stop, so where this could easily bea one-man conversation with himself, I try hard to stayin the moment and engage in these frequentpontifications by asking probing questions and getting
For a kid who has speech andcommunication challenges, I suppose Ishould be grateful that he talks about
anything non-stop
involved in his passion, trying to relate what happens ingame to real life situations.
Overall, I see howAcceptance (of my son’s propensityfor gaming) and Engagement (sharing game time withhim) is actually strengthening our relationship outsidethe game. For example, I get more compliance andwillingness from him when confronted with un-preferred tasks like teeth-brushing, hair washing, andother independent tasks.
This approach may conceivably be one of the mostmeaningful ways of showing my approval of who he isand what he likes, so he can relax in the freedom thatit’s okay to just be himself… and I can let go of the fearthat my child is going to end up living inside hiselectronic device with Wreck It Ralph.
Joe Normal www.JoeNormalUSA.comRecording Artist, Songwriter, Author, Educator(and, oh yeah… Autism Parent.)
The Florida Autism LicensePlate Program Announces 2014Grant Awards to 13 Non ProfitsEach year the State of Florida allows vehicleowners the opportunity to support various causesthrough the purchase of specialty license plates.The “Support Autism Programs” license plate is oneof the many to choose from.
Created in 2009, the Autism Services GrantsCouncil oversees a grants process for thedistribution of funds derived from the sales of theFlorida “Support Autism Programs” license plate.
The goal is to fund service programs for grants tononprofit organizations that provide direct servicesprograms for individuals with autism and relateddisabilities in Florida including direct services,evaluation, training, and awareness.
The amount of the grants vary, dependent on theamount of revenue generated by sales of thespecialty license plate.
This year 61 nonprofits applied for the grant and 13Florida based nonprofits were chosen to receive agrant, ranging from $3000 to $5000.
Among the recipients of the grants was theNational Autism Registry. The National AutismRegistry directly funds The Chocolatier TrainingProgram provided by The Chocolate Spectrum.
Last month we featured The Chocolate Spectrum inThe Monthly Melody and conducted an interviewwith founder Valerie Herskowitz. The ChocolateSpectrum is an artisan chocolate company foundedby Valerie and includes her son, Blake, a youngman with autism. The Chocolatier Training Programprovides learning and leadership opportunities toadults with autism or other developmentaldisabilities.
Congratulations to The Chocolatier TrainingProgram and all of the great nonprofits awardedgrants for 2014.
For a complete list of nonprofits that received agrant or for more information on the FloridaAutism License Plate program, please visitwww.autismlicenseplate.com
For more information on The Chocolate Spectrum,visit them at www.TheChocolateSpectrum.com oron Facebook at:www.Facebook.com/TheChocolateSpectrum
Autistic Kids MayBenefit From Parent-Led Therapy
Parents can learn how to give effective therapy totheir children with autism, a new study in theJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds.
Researchers at Stanford University looked at a typeof therapy called Pivotal Response Training (PRT),which is one the of the handful of treatmentsshown to be effective for kids on the autismspectrum, says Kari Berquist, PhD, study co-authorand a clinical instructor in psychiatry andbehavioral sciences and an autism clinician at LucilePackard Children’s Hospital Stanford. The therapyfocuses on improving kids’ motivation languageskills by reinforcing their use of language related tothe task at hand. One of the advantages is it can bedone anywhere: anytime a child attempts to ask forsomething by name—a toy, say—they’d berewarded with the item they requested, whichreinforces their use of language.
They enrolled a group of parents of 53 autisticchildren between ages 2-6 in either a PRT course,which taught parents how to do the therapy withtheir kids, or a psychoeducation group, whichtaught general autism information. The childrenjoined their parents for several sessions.
Researchers found that after just 12 weeks, 84% ofparents were able to learn how to give effectivePRT, and the children in the PRT group madesignificantly more progress than the other group in
use of language and how often they werecommunicating.
“Group models are very new to autism treatment,”says Berquist, but the study shows that they can beeffective while also being cheaper and coming witha built-in social support for parents. “I think thisreally allows us to get more people at once, to givemore services at one time.”
SOURCE: www.Time.com (Mandy Oaklander)
Michael Scott NelsonRock and Roll Drummer,Entertainer and Proud AutismSupporter.
Michael Scott Nelson was born in Beaver Falls, PA.He started playing drums at an early age and hasnot stopped rocking since. He has played on stagesall over the country. His journey has taken himfrom Pittsburgh to Atlanta, but Michael now callsCleveland, Ohio his home.
Throughout most of the early 90’s Michael hasplayed in a variety of original, cover and tributebands. His dynamic drumming and versatile stylehas kept him in demand as a session drummer inthe Cleveland area as well. Michael has laid downdrum tracks on over 25 full length albums and hasbeen the host drummer for a slew of musician jamevents in the Cleveland area.
Michael has played in some of the most popular80’s tribute bands in the mid-west, including NewWave Nation and his current gig with the tributerock band, 1988. As a drummer and a fan of rock,Michael is always ready to jump behind the kit for a
new project or play along with some of theestablished original bands still touring. He currentlyfinds himself playing drums for the glam/rock band,TUFF. TUFF were once the kings of the Sunset Stripin Hollywood, CA and then went on to sign withAtlantic records. TUFF had a huge MTV hit withtheir single, I Hate Kissing You Goodbye. Stilltouring and still lead by frontman, Stevie Rachelle,TUFF is once again featuring original bassist ToddChase and includes former Warrant member BillyMorris on guitar and Michael Scott Nelson behindthe kit.
“Michael is a great addition and it's best for ToddChase, our bassist. Chase lives in the Cleveland areaand wanted a local drummer to work with morefrequently. Michael has only been in the camp for ashort time, but we've done a few short tours andhe's held his own,” says Steve Rachelle. “That is all Iask of him, to be a solid drummer.”
The one thing Michael loves more than playingdrums, is his family. At a recent show, inMelbourne, FL, I had the chance to meet Michael.Our conversation started with bands, music, TUFFand the current tour. I was telling Michael aboutWe Rock for Autism, the non-profit that I foundedand was there promoting. Michael immediatelystarting telling me about his grandson. With a smileon his face and a heart full of pride, Michael wastalking about how autism has affected his life. Hisgrandson was diagnosed just a short time ago.Michael and his family had learned so much sincethe diagnosis and really liked the concept of WeRock for Autism. The foundation infused two loves;his family and music. Michael and the guys in TUFFdid a lot that weekend, including donating a brandnew cooler full of ice, drinks and snacks to the WeRock for Autism booth.
After hanging out for a weekend full of bands, rain,mud and fun, we thought it would be cool to do aninterview with Michael. We wanted you all to readabout what he has been up to and learn howautism has touched his family. Michael is agenuine, down to earth guy and we think you willenjoy this interview.
Michael Scott Nelson ofTUFF / 1988 / Kill Countryand other notable acts talksabout drums, music, and hisfamily.
From the studio to the road, Michael talksabout balancing his career with his familyand spending time with his 5 year oldgrandson, Sid, who was diagnosed withAutism in 2013.
What band's/projects are you currently workingwith? I am currently drumming for severalprojects. The busiest of all of these would be my80's Hard Rock / Hair Metal tribute band called"1988". This is a band based out of Cleveland, Ohiowhere I currently reside. This band averages about
80 to 110 shows per year, and play's throughout thestate of Ohio and surrounding states fromnightclubs, to festivals, to private occasions. I amalso the drummer for the band "TUFF". Tuff is anationally touring band that made its biggest impactthroughout the 80's, boasting several charting hitsongs, and is still to this day, touring on a regularbasis. I started with this band earlier this year(March 2014). In fact, it is because of this band, Ihad the pleasure of meeting you and was introducedto the wonderful world of "WE ROCK FORAUTISM". The other project that I'm involvedwith, currently, is called "Kill County". This is anoriginal writing and recording project that ToddChase (bassist for TUFF) and myself, started abouta year ago in Cleveland with 2 other very talentedmusician friends of ours. The music weare currently writing in this project lends itselftoward a more modern/progressive rock side. Verycool project.
What bands have you been in, in the past? Therehave been ALLOT! I guess, most notably, a bandcalled "New Wave Nation" from Canton, Ohio.This, also, is a regionally touring 80's New wave /dance / rock tribute that performs around 120 showsper year. They still have a full line-up and maintainthat schedule and are great friends of mine to thisday as well. Also, I’d like to mention a groupcalled "Icarus Witch" from my hometown,Pittsburgh, Pa. (Yes I'm a huge Steelers fan).This is an original Metal band that I only had ashort stint with. The travel was the main issue formy departure.
How old were you when you staring playingdrums, and who are your primary influences?Well, I started at the age of about 8 yrs old. Mymom and dad purchased a snare drum for me toplay in the school band. I remember not being verygood at it! I was more interested in the whole drumkit approach to be perfectly honest. It wasn't untilthey bought my older brother a drum set 2 yearslater that I really dove in to it. I would sneakdownstairs when my brother wasn't home and justplay and play. I loved it. He didn't! My fatherplayed a little guitar, but was always encouragingme to keep up on it. He wouldn't really allow Hardrock or Metal music to be played in the house, sothe earliest music I got the chance to play to werefrom artists like Jan and Dean, Elvis, the BeachBoys, Count Basie, and all kinds of Doo Wap
artists. So very early on my influences were not ofRock drummers at all. Guys like Gene Krupa andBuddy Rich to Ed Shaughnessy (Tonight Showdrummer, Johnny Carson era). These were the guysmy father said were the best, so to me.....they werethe best. To this day, I still play the snare tiledforward like the Jazz and Big Band drummers didsimply because of how my father set up the drumkit for me. It’s funny, if another drummer sits in fora few tunes behind my kit, you can hear them allsay..."How the hell do play these things?" out ofalmost everyone of them. A few years later, mybrother went on the learn guitar, and the drumsstayed with me. I ended up buying my own set inhigh school, and played with those a good numberof years. Speaking of which, it was in the earlyyears of high school where my influences started tochange into the rock music that so engulfed me.Bands like Van Halen, Rush, and Whitesnake werethe thing to listen to. So Neil Peart, Alex Van Halenand Tommy Aldridge were my favorites at thattime. But never forgetting guys like Keith Moon(The Who) and Ginger Baker (Cream) as well.There are so many that I truly copied from and triedto mimic. Even to this day, playing professionallyin my 40's, I still revert back to those very sameplayers. They started something in me that I'll neverstop doing. I can't stop doing. I often reflect onvideos and old recordings of these great players anddraw inspiration from them to help my playingtoday.
How do you balance your music career withfamily? Well Chris, to be honest with you, I can'tsay with 100% certainty I do! It’s very difficult toeven get close to a true balance. I'll say this,however, I have an over compassionate andunderstanding wife and daughter, whose patientswith my music is un-measurable. They accept timeaway with them on a regular basis to pursue my
dreams of getting to play the drums. I am trulythankful to them and for them, every day! I stillmanage to run my business during the week, so Iam home, and I do get to spend quality time, butevery weekend, and multiple weeks out of the yearI'm out on the road and its gets tough. I miss allot ofthe family get together, but we make it work. Theyall believe in me and what I'm passionate about andwe find a way to make it all work in the end.
You have a grandson with Autism, Tell us abouthim. His name is Sid and he just turned 5 this pastOctober. He was diagnosed October, 2013. Wenoticed that he wasn't as verbal as most childrenaround 2-3 years old. Sensitivity to noise, andsudden tantrums. It took a while to get a formaldiagnosis because he was so young. He’s just theperfect little blond haired, blued eyed little man!He is such a pleasant boy. You would never knowby looking at him that he has Autism. He's issomewhat verbal, but getting better at that everyday. He loves music, loves to smile and laugh.Laughter is HUGE in our house. We sing all thetime with him and to him. Like most, he is veryrepetitive in the food he eats, the shows and movieshe watches, and toys he enjoys playing with. He is avery good listener, and follows directions well for aboy his age. He is really into his ABC's right now.Toilet training seems to be on track too. As of now,he is enrolled pre-school and is mainstreamed withsome typical kids, as well as a speech therapy classthat he attends daily.
How has your knowledge or outlook on Autismchanged since your grandson's diagnosis? As faras knowledge of the disorder, I knew nothing aboutit prior to his diagnosis. I was most certainly awareof its existence and was sympathetic for those who
had been touched by it. I have only been involvedformally with it now for about a year. My outlookon Autism, at this point, is this......It's not a deathsentence of sorts. I feel it can be a manageable partof our life. I have already witnessed the results ofgetting education and implementing the educationto what works best for our family. Every day is alearning curve for us. As Sid grows, the disordergrows with him, and his needs will change, and sowill the way we handle them. I look forward to theday that he may want to get involved in helpingpeople effected by Autism.
Does he like music? Any particular genre orbands the he enjoys? He most definitely like'smusic. As far as bands, well he's 5, so pretty muchanything Walt Disney throws at us, he's into. Hewill sing the songs from Frozen, Madagascar, all theway to The Nightmare before Christmas and VeggieTales. His NaNa (my wife Patti) has even got himsinging along to Miranda Lambert in the car!Country.....who'd a thunk it!
Speaking of family, Your brother Keith is theguitar player for Buckcherry, correct? That iscorrect. He co-founded the band in the early 90's,and continues writing, recording and touring to thisday. I'm very proud of him. He is truly my hero onso many levels. It’s definitely a "small town boymakes good" story. Surprisingly, we never playedofficially in a band together growing up. Once helearned guitar, we would jam here and there, butthat was it. I did audition for a hometown group he
was in. It was his first real working band back inPittsburgh, but i didn't make the cut! No Alex andEddy hear! LOL! I ended up moving to Atlanta topursue music, and he to L.A. shortly after. I thinkthat we would both enjoy performing together tosome degree at some point. You never know whatthe future holds!
You are now in TUFF, touring and playingshows, how has it been playing with them? Anabsolute blast! I can't even begin to tell you howblessed I feel to be able to be a working musician inthis day and age. These guys are fantastic musiciansas well as friends. It's a tremendous chemistry thatwe have, and the shows thus far have been great.TUFF is all about the live show. The interactionwith the audience, on and off the stage, is totallypro. As I mentioned earlier, I worked with Todd"Chase" in several projects prior to TUFF, andwhen he had asked me to fill the void, I was all in!It's a real privilege to work with Billy and Stevie aswell. Both are seasoned veterans of road, and all ofthem welcomed me aboard most graciously. I'mstoked at the whole opportunity!
Being in the 80'S Hard rock tribute band "1988"must keep you busy. How many shows do youplay with them, and how does that effect yourtouring with TUFF? Drumming with "1988" isalso a tremendous opportunity. Once again, all themusicians in this band are very talented and greatfriends off the stage as well. We usually playbetween 80 - 100 shows per year....give or take. Wemostly play the weekends, with the occasionalThursday and Sunday shows. When I had decidedto join TUFF, it was important to me that I madesure I could still accommodate the "1988" scheduleas much as possible. The TUFF commitments areplanned out far in advance, so that anyonewith additional commitments can plan accordingly.Cleveland has a great networking community ofmusicians so that when subs are needed to fill in,there is always someone that can do it. We use thesame guy every time, so it works. The “1988" guysare very supportive of my joining TUFF, and wework together to cover all the bases.
What are some of your hobbies / past times? I'man avid motorcyclist. I currently own a HarleyDavidson Street-bob. I must admit that I don't getout on it as much as I like. Recently, I've gotten intoshooting, specifically pistol shooting. I am in the
process of training now, and hope to be shooting ina competitive level within the coming months. Ialso enjoy cooking a great deal. In fact, I went thrua culinary program just after high school anddropped out to move to Atlanta to pursue music. Mymom was happy about that! Nevertheless, she lovesmy made from scratch meatball's and sauce!
What would you like to tell our readers?Anything they should know or any advice youcould give? As I said earlier, Autism should neverbe treated with a "Death sentence" mentality. It'snot the end of the world for these people, by anymeans. If anything life has taught me thus far, it'sthat we are never given more than we can handle.Ever. Sure, life does in fact throw a curve ball nowand then, but that's what life is.....living. Good, bad,and ever thing in between. I would say too that weshould try to educate ourselves about Autism asmuch as we can. Mainly by talking with others thatare in the same boat as we are. Reading literature,and listening to the experts is fine and good, but it'sthe "mother down the street" that has a handle onhow it really is. She is living it day in and dayout. Ask her how she manages. Get involved withas many programs that your time allows. I will addthis as well; love each other, till it hurts. We onlyhave one go-round in this life and we need to makethe biggest impact we can for others to follow.PRAY. Even if you’re not into a specific religion,connect with YOUR higher power, ask forguidance, ask for patients, and ask for grace. Loveyour child with everything you have inside you.Sometimes when there are no words, a hug and kissfrom you will speak volumes to them.
To keep up with Michael and his projects, you cancheck them out here:
TUFF –www.TuffCDs.comwww.facebook.com/StevieRachelle
1988 –www.1988rocks.com/www.facebook.com/1988rocks
New Wave Nation -www.newwavenation.comwww.facebook.com/pages/New-Wave-Nation/79961734081
Featured TATTOO of the MonthThe Monthly Melody appreciates good art! Each month we feature an autism inspired tattoo.
This month we bring you Ink4Autism. Ink4Autism is a worldwide collective of tattoo shopsthat ink autism themed tattoos with funds being donated to autism services. If you are a fan oftattoos and autism support, please learn more about this AMAZING organization. Visit theirwebsite for a complete list of participating tattoo shops and LIKE them on Facebook to keep upwith announcements and events!
Do you have an autism related tattoo that you would like to share? Send us a picture [email protected] and we just may feature your tattoo in an upcoming issue!Please include a story to go along with the picture, we wanna know what or who was yourinspiration, how or why you choose the design and if you want to include the artist and/ortattoo shop, we can give them credit for their work!
Show Us Your Ink!
www.TheMonthlyMelody.com I www.WeRockforAutism.org I [email protected]