autismconcert

I was so moved by Sean's struggle and watching his mom fight to get her little boy back, I co-wrote a song with Nashville singer-songwriter, Tammy Vice about it:

There Are No Words ©
A little boy was born, precious to many
A parent’s pride and joy
They watched him learn and laugh and run and play
But all of that was taken away

There were no words
There was no joy
Just an empty space that took the place
Of the life of a little boy

He fought and struggled hard against that dark world
That held his heart and soul
They looked for the key to unlock his mind
They longed for the boy who was left behind

There were no words
There was no joy
Just an empty space that took the place
Of the life of a little boy

With time the key was found, the lock destroyed
Now the sounds of laughter fill the void

There are no words
To tell the joy
Of the love and grace that fill the space
In the life of this little boy

[Music and lyrics © 2005 by Sarah Elizabeth and Tammy Vice]

Working with Tammy opened up another opportunity for me. Since the beginning of the summer, I have been working with her daughter Morgan, who also has autism. Tammy and I teamed together to develop a method of teaching music to children with autism. We first used this approach with Morgan, and it has become the basis for a curriculum we hope to spread across the state of Tennessee. Morgan surprises me with her humor and I am so honored her family allows me into their home to work with her.

AUTISM HAS TOUCHED MY LIFE: A CONCERT & SILENT AUCTION TO BENEFIT VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE OF THE ARTS March 8, 2008, 7:30 p.m. Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University Turner Recital Hall 2400 Blakemore Avenue, Nashville, TN Tickets: $20.00 for Adults $15.00 for Students and Seniors (over 60) To purchase tickets send check or money order (made out to Sarah Elizabeth) to: Sarah Elizabeth 2 Stirlingshire Ct. Hendersonville, TN 37075 If you prefer to pay by credit card, call: 615 264-2419 Seating is limited: Advance ticket purchase is recommended __________ The benefit concert will feature the following artists: Tammy Vice, singer-songwriter http://tammyvice.com Beegie Adair, jazz pianist and Jim Ferguson, jazz bassist http://www.beegieadair.com http://jimfergusonmusic.com Sarah Elizabeth http://sarahelizabethmusic.com Gordon Ellis, singer-songwriter http://gordonellismusic.com Walt Aldridge, singer-songwriter http://waltaldridge.com Mark Leland http://markleland.net * * * * * http://www.vsaartstennessee.org/
Autism Has Touched My Life...
I am so grateful for the special relationship I share with Sean.	I have a cousin, Sean, who lives out in California. He was born in 2002, and he was the cutest child I had ever laid eyes upon! He had this chipmunk laugh, which made all of us around him smile. He just was so happy - you could tell that he loved being alive. Then, when Sean was about 18 months old, everything changed. He became so frustrated and so sad. Worst of all, even his laugh was gone. At the age of two years, Sean was diagnosed with autism. He immediately started intense behavioral, speech and occupational therapy, almost forty hours a week and biomedical intervention and dietary changes. He worked so hard with his therapists and parents...within six months, the smiling, giggling boy was back! He was truly happy again. Now, we have so much fun together. I never realized someone so young could ask so many questions! I just love to watch him play with his sister, laughing and chatting away.
I was so moved by Sean's struggle and watching his mom fight to get her little boy back, I co-wrote a song with Nashville singer-songwriter, Tammy Vice about it: There Are No Words © A little boy was born, precious to many A parent’s pride and joy They watched him learn and laugh and run and play But all of that was taken away There were no words There was no joy Just an empty space that took the place Of the life of a little boy He fought and struggled hard against that dark world That held his heart and soul They looked for the key to unlock his mind They longed for the boy who was left behind There were no words There was no joy Just an empty space that took the place Of the life of a little boy With time the key was found, the lock destroyed Now the sounds of laughter fill the void There are no words To tell the joy Of the love and grace that fill the space In the life of this little boy [Music and lyrics © 2005 by Sarah Elizabeth and Tammy Vice] Working with Tammy opened up another opportunity for me. Since the beginning of the summer, I have been working with her daughter Morgan, who also has autism. Tammy and I teamed together to develop a method of teaching music to children with autism. We first used this approach with Morgan, and it has become the basis for a curriculum we hope to spread across the state of Tennessee. Morgan surprises me with her humor and I am so honored her family allows me into their home to work with her.	Morgan and Sarah enjoying some "chill time" before her lesson.
Sean loves being soaked with the hose!	Sean and Morgan, along with their families, have brought so much more into my life than I will ever be able to bring into theirs! Because my life has been touched by autism, I want to bring music into the lives of these special children. Through Very Special People of the Arts we are establishing a performing dulcimer choir, which will be open to children with autism. I want to present each child who is chosen to be a member of the dulcimer choir with their very own instrument. In order to raise funds for these instruments, I am organizing a special event to be held March 8, 2008 — Autism Has Touched My Life: A Concert & Silent Auction to Benefit Very Special People of the Arts. Concert performers include singer-songwriter Tammy Vice, Beegie Adair and Jim Ferguson, Sarah Elizabeth, Gordon Ellis, Walt Aldridge, Mark Leland and some very special guest performers. Please mark your calendars for this very special evening. Check back often...details will be posted as they are forthcoming.