Understanding Autism Through Music: An Acoustic Evening for a Cause

Welcome to Why Not Me the World? Podcast hosted by
Tony Mantor, broadcasting from Music City USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join
us as our guests tell us their stories. Some will
make you laugh, some will make you cry, Real life
people who will inspire and show that you are not
alone in this world. Hopefully you gain more awareness, acceptance,
and a better understanding for autism around the world. Hi.
I'm Tony Mantor, and welcome to today's episode of Why
Not Me the World. We're recording live at the Nashville
Palace US for a special remote podcast, unscripted, unedited, and
full of heart. Tonight's episode supports an acoustic evening for autism,
a show happening right here this evening. We're thrilled to
bring you this country experience, and I hope you enjoy
it as much as we're enjoying sharing it with you.
We've got two fantastic guests join us tonight. This is
week number three of three that I'll be featuring two
guests per episode to dive into everything we're covering right
here tonight. Thanks for tuning in. Okay, I'm here with
Jamie O'Neil. Thanks for coming on thank you, glad to
be here. So tell me what is your journey to
get to this show tonight for autism.
Well, my journey is I have a relationship with Chuck Rhodes,
who is working with the committee to help them put
on an event such as this, And I love Chuck
and close ties to autism. I had a cousin who
was autistic and my aunt passed away, and so it's
definitely near and dear to my heart. And you know,
it's it's hard to me as an entertainer to say
no to charities when it's number one. It is important,
the cause is important, but just overall, we're lucky to
get to do what we do, and if someone asks
us to be there, it is hard to say no.
I live in Nashville, I'm right here. It's like, what's
my excuse?
Exactly? So what's And it's always nice when you can
use your platform to help others.
Absolutely, yeah, I mean we are, like I said, lucky
to get to do what we do, So anytime that
someone asks us it is an honor. That's like, oh,
thank you for wanting me there. You know, whatever I
can do to add to the night hopefully.
Yeah, And and autism is still misunderstood with so many people.
Absolutely that we need events like this not only to
help them financially, but to help get the word out
there about what the challenges are that they paced on
a daily basis.
Right, absolutely anything. I mean, I have a daughter who's
twenty one, and I know going through school, you know,
all the years through elementary to middle school.
You know, every.
Child's experience is a different one, and any challenge that
is there needs to be met and needs to be fostered.
And like you know, maybe they need extra time on
a test. You know, you don't know what someone's going through.
And I think it's important because we live in such
a fast paced world to understand that, you know, no
matter where you are on the spectrum, many people are,
whether it's a kid or an adult, that sometimes it
is the extra time. Sometimes it's the patience that we need.
And like I said, you know, the fast paced thing
really gets to us. But it's beautiful when you see
a child who takes that extra time to stop and
smell the roses, so to speak. And if we could
be like that, if we could be more appreciative of
all the little things in life and slow down and
realize that whatever they need, if they need to go
that slow, that's how slow we need to go.
Yeah. And it's always nice too when you're working on
a project or going doing a show, you can go
up there in front of five thousand, ten thousand people,
whatever the number may be, and it's enjoyable and you
put on your show and people enjoy what you do.
But there's a different sense of value when you do
something like this when you know that the people are
there to support the autism part of it, and you're
there to support the autism. So it's a completely different
different feeling in what you're putting out.
Yeah.
Yeah, and we're all there for the common goal and
the common good, you know, of helping those in need.
Right now, it just gives you if it just feels
like you've accomplished something. At least, when I'm working on
a project and it's a music project, it's like I
feel good that I did it. But when I'm working
on a projects and it's finishing up like a like
an interview with with an autistic person or whatever, it
feels like I accomplished something. Yeah, absolutely, completely different different
thought process, I can see that. Yeah, So how many
songs are you doing tonight? Three three okay, and anything that
you want to tell the listeners that you think is
important that they hear about what you're trying to do
with with the autism.
I think, gosh, I'm you know, I'm definitely not an expert.
I just I just feel like Vanderbilt is amazing, first
of all.
Yes, and I have.
I've been to Vanderbilt for physical therapy, whether it's on
my voice, my vocal cords, whether it's you know, pt
from my back, my muscles, whatever it may be. And
so I think that they do such great work. They
do and they're a learning hospital and they're teaching hospital. Yes,
and those are many things that we all need, and
so I have a lot of respect when I go there.
I've always had a great experience, and I think there's
only been a couple of other charities I've been involved
with with for Vanderbilt, and I've always been just grateful
to be there because of the experiences I've had with them.
Well, good, Well, I appreciate you coming on, Thank you,
thank you for asking. Yeah, thanks, Okay. I'm here with
Minnie Murphy and she's one of the performers tonight for autism.
Thanks for coming on.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
What led you to do this show for autism tonight?
Well, my sister Jamie.
Invited me to do it, and I have a son
that's five and he's on the spectrum, and so it
just made.
Total sense, you know.
Oh okay.
I love to support and to support everybody that's going
through that and the research with autism, and yeah, so
I'm just happy to be here and share some music
and have a good night.
Yes, so you say that your son is autistic.
That's what they've diagnosed him with.
And how old is he?
He's five?
Oh okay, all right. With that said, it appears that
you're getting a lived experience of this. So this way
you can not only help people, but you can also
bring more understanding to them about it.
Yeah, it's not something that I fully understand. I mean,
I don't even really believe it, to be honest. To me,
He's just a regular kid, and I guess he has
some sort of behavioral things that are equated with autism.
He'll organize things, line things up and kind of he's
really into trains and straight lines and sometimes he'll get
in the zone with that but he's a great singer,
and like, even if you are singing a song in
one key and then you change.
The key, he'll follow you. He's got perfect pitch.
He's got an incredible memory. So I've heard that, you know,
people call it a superpower, and so I'm just going
to embrace that, you know. And I think it's important
that we, in general, with children, get rid of these
ideas of milestones and when people are supposed to attain
certain things with their development. So for me, I feel
like tonight is about celebrating people's individuality and their authenticity
and their own pace right and just cultivating a supportive
environment for the uniqueness of each person.
Absolutely, and that's really what it is. The biggest thing
that I found while doing this podcast is the misunderstanding
of what people think autism actually is. The closer we
can get to people understanding, and that's what this show does.
It helps raise money to go to the Kennedy Center
at Vanderbilt to help better understand autism and help people
get that understanding. So I think this is a great thing.
Yeah, And I chose to sing two original songs as
well as the Doobie Brothers Long Train Running just because
that's a fun one.
You know, without love, you know, where would we be now.
But the first song is called do You, and that's
just all about staying true to yourself and leaving your
beauty mark that sets you apart as one of the lines.
And I just feel like that was a great message.
And then the other song I sang is called Beauty Hunter,
and I dedicated that to my son and.
That it was hard for me to get through. I
didn't want to cry, but I just feel like.
When someone is different and special, like on the autism
spectrum or just children in general, or everybody for that matter,
we all have our unique perspective absolutely, and he points
out the beauty in life and you know, and it'll
be you know, little tiny things that he.
Will show me. And so that's what the Beauty Hunter
is about.
Yeah, that's great and I heard it. Great songs, thanks, Yeah. Yeah.
And that's the beauty of being able to get up
on stage and do something like that, because it's your
talent that brings it, and also platform you have that
can open other people's eyes to what autistic people have.
To go through.
Yeah, they say, I reached out to the autism centers
of America I think is the name of it. And
they had me watch this movie. I'm trying to remember
the name of it. But anyway, in the movie, what
they do to get on the level of the kid
that's autistic is repeat what they're doing. So if they're
flapping their hands, or they're going back and forth and
stemming in a straight line or whatever, do it with
them and show that you know that you're supportive of
them and you're you're on their wavelength and and then
that trust and the anxiety can go away to where
they can start to communicate. It's all about communicating. And
sometimes my son, his little chin will quiver and he
might have trouble finding what the right words. He's gotten
he's gotten.
So much better. Yeah, but I think.
You know, it's it's up to us to be paid
and show them, you know that it's okay, that we're
right there with them, and you know all that.
And the great thing is that you both get to
learn together. So it's something that you can embrace. You
learn together, and you can go down that journey because
autism is so much more than what people think it is.
Because back in the day, they thought it was a
death sentence and it's not it's just something that people
have to learn from and build. So from what I'm
hearing and saying, I think you're in a really good place.
Yeah, And I do believe that people do improve, you know, like, yeah,
it's definitely not something that is permanent, you know, like
there's therapies, and I think the therapies are always built around.
Patience and.
Just like you know, being right there with them, Yeah,
with how they're viewing.
The world exactly, and it gives you a different perspectives
as well. You might see something a little different than
then you see what they see totally.
I think, you know, it's always great to look at
the world through someone else's eyes.
Absolutely. So what would you like to leave the listeners
with that they should know about tonight?
I mean, I think that's kind of what we What
we just said is such a powerful thing to sort
of sit with.
I think.
Just being an active listener, you know, and being patient, yeah,
and embracing each other's differences as a good thing and
also an opportunity for learning. Like you said, right, I
think that's what it's all about. And and just don't
let anybody deter you from the idea that that that
this is a dense centers or some permanent condition, because
in the side of everyone.
Is that light.
You know that we all live that source, that light
within that has an infinite potential to grow. And you know,
if we can just let people shine the way that
they are.
Absolutely well, I appreciate you taking the time to come on.
Yeah, thank you so much. I really appreciate it to you.
Yeah.
Thanks all right, thanks for taking the time out of
your busy schedule to listen to our show today. We
hope that you enjoy as much as we enjoyed bringing
it to you. If you know anyone that would like
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com contact then they can give us their information so
one day they may be a guest on our show.
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not me? The world, the conversations we're having, and the
inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are
not alone in this world.