my blog
Calling All Interested mi7 Musicians
As all of you know, I am a devoted mom as well as a composer and musician. And as all of you know, I am a very vocal advocate for Autism Rights.
I enjoyed participating in Mindmovie's CCC project so much a few months ago that I was thinking it would be interesting to create a similar recording with snippets of my son's insights regarding Autism from an interview done with him in July 2007 and the update interview that was done with him last month.
What I am thinking of doing is using his comments along the lines of a hip hop / vocal dance mix composition. The purpose of the song would be to bring a better, more positive understanding of how children with Autism perceive the world in which they live ... our world, not their world.
I can only offer credits in lieu of money unfortunately. All of you are such incredible artists and all of you have been such good online friends to me in good times and in the most troubling times these past few months.
If you are interested in participating in this project (which would be promoted globally with links back to your websites or to your mi7 profile page just as our MIC Audio Podcasts on Autism are global), please email me at ravenmagic2003@yahoo.ca.
Thanks.
Raven :-)
Updated MIC website, New Podcast on Autism
In spite of the fact that the past two months have been exceedingly difficult for me, I have nonetheless updated the MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO website and uploaded it as of yesterday evening. Stop by at http://www.midnightinchicago.com and wander about the new digs.
This time, I've added 7 ringtones (one that is free to download for the summer) along with other interesting things. There's an MIC blog that's co-written with the American Artist, Thomas D. Taylor, who is also the MIC Artist. There's a "Dime A Day Inspirational Quotes" service visitors can sign up to receive and information on the "Art from the Heart" and "De la part des beaux arts" events this summer.
It's worth taking a peak without a doubt.
Also, the two-part audio podcast on Autism and Vaccines has been uploaded. The podcast discusses Autism, mercury, thimerosal, vaccines and separates fact from fearmongering fiction. You can find those at the website as well by clicking on the PODCAST tab.
Drop me a line and let me know what you think of the redesign and the podcast.
Raven :-)
New Podcast on Autism and Bullying
A clear definition of bullying, identifying bullies, the causes for bullying and more are examined in the first part of this podcast.
SHOW NOTES:
American Psychological Association
"Back To School Tips"
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/augschool.htm
"Bullying and Peer Victimization Among Children With Special Health Care Needs"
Dr. Jeanne Van Cleave, MD, and Dr. Matthew M. Davis, MD
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/4/e1212
"Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5-12"
Edward L. Schor, M.D.
Bantam Books, July 1999
ISBN-10: 0553379925
ISBN-13: 978-0553379921
http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZWYUCM79C.htm?&sub_cat=1
American Psychological Association
Public Interest Policy
"Causes of Bullying"
http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/bullying.html
"Tall Tot Today, Bully Tomorrow?"
Science Daily, August 19, 1998
Adrian Raine, Ph.D
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/08/980819080711.htm
"Family Circumstances, Not Children's Misbehavior, Spur Abuse"
Monitor on Psychology, Volume 35, No. 11 December 2004
Sara Jaffee, PhD
http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec04/abuse.html
Laughter Is Good For The Soul
Sometimes in my online research, I come across odd music titles and when I find the titles sufficiently intriguing, I click on the link and listen to the music therein.
This morning while searching for specific song lyrics, I came across this very interesting pairing of song titles and listened to it .... not one, not twice but three times, each time laughing hysterically.
And so today, I heartily recommend that all musicians stop in and listen to "A Dueling Banjo Jingle Bell."
LINK: http://members.fortunecity.com/gendrondesigndesk/midis/cd/dbjj.mid
I think I will make this blog entry a regularly updated entry because, truly, laughter is good for the soul.
Raven :-)
Real Life in an Autistic World
Too often, society dehumanizes and abuses autistics.
I would like to believe that most do not mean to do so and are only following the lead of a select few who have no problem whatsoever with dehumanizing and abusing autistics.
There is a wonderful advertisement that was created in Europe that has a voice over in English. I would encourage everyone to watch it.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_MY9vMV0U
American pathologist, Dr. Karen McCarron was recently found guilty of killing her autistic daughter.
Source #1: http://www.ccdionline.org/newsletter.php?article_id=26&
Source #2: http://www.pjstar.com/stories/011708/TRI_BFHBKR7R.008.php
Supposedly -- according to Ms. McCarron -- she was 'inspired' by the Autism Speaks video "Autism Every Day" and the comments made in that video by Allison Tepper Singer, Senior Vice President of Communications and Awareness, regarding Singer's own thoughts of murdering her autistic daughter because she was autistic.
Autism Speaks in fact still has legal issues pending with Lauren Thierry who produced the "Autism Every Day "video as she has not been paid for her commissioned work.
Source #1: http://autism.about.com/b/a/257851.htm
Source #2: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,278814,00.html
And now the latest (February 2008), Autism Speaks used intimidation tactics via their lawyers to threaten a 14-year-old autistic child who was exercising her First Amendment Rights under the American Constitution by parodying the Autism Speaks site and their articles which are insulting to autistics and the lives autistics live.
Source #1: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19726414.300-voices-of-autism-silenced-by-charity.html
In fact, if you want to see the one remaining shard of the parodies that were found at this autistic child's website, you only have to copy and paste this URL into your browser:
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxx5EmCRxYY
In the Autism Speaks official video for "What Kind Of World Do You Want" it states "[quote] autism speaks wants a world where autism is a word in the history books [end quote]."
OFFICIAL AUTISM SPEAKS VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwq3LtPWm5k
Autism Speaks wants "a world where no family has to live with autism." Parents of autistic children want a world where no family has to live with discrimination against their child and their family because of misperceptions and false beliefs held about autism and its origins.
Autism Speaks wants "a world in which a mom can hear her autistic child say I LOVE YOU." Parents of autistic children know that "I love you" is expressed in many different ways and words are only one of those many ways.
Autism Speaks wants "a world that doesn't judge an individual with autism." Parents of autistic children want a world that doesn't judge an individual with autism and our first hope is that organizations such as Autism Speaks would be the first to stop judging and dismissing autistics as they do.
Autism Speaks wants "a world where autism is a word in the history books." Here's what parents of autistic children have to say about what Autism Speaks wants for autistics.
Medical research by the Autism Genome Project wherein 137 medical researchers, 50 medical centres and 9 countries along with 1,600 families where at least one child had been diagnosed with autism has proven that autism is genetic. There is no cure. You can no more cure autism than you can cure blond hair or brown eyes or size 11 feet.
The only way to have a world where autism is a word in the history books is to murder and abort every autistic individual. And that sort of promotion on the part of certain organizations claiming to have the best interest of autistics at heart only serves to dehumanize an entire group of individuals in today's society.
Support autism organizations by all means but know which autism organizations are actually doing something to help individuals and families living with autism rather than dehumanizing and abusing them.
Maybe I Am Too Quiet ....
I sometimes wonder what it is about people that they cannot see the discrepancies in a story.
While I do not believe that violence is ever acceptable, in this story, there are so many inconsistencies that it makes a person wonder what really happened and why.
There is so much more to this story but nothing that I can post here for fear of being accused of slander, libel and defamation of character.
Still, I have to wonder ... hmmmmmm.
http://www.peterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=877595&auth=FIONA+ISAACSON+Examiner+Staff+Writer
Beau 'beautiful' again; Fundraiser moved to Showplace30 January 2008
Beau Dixon told the 650 people in front of him last night that he was "beautiful" again, because of them. "It's because of you guys. I know this now... the strength of a community, you cannot replace it," he said. "The force of love that came into my home was greater than the force that knocked down my door." The local musician, playwright and actor stood on the stage and recounted a recent home invasion, at a benefit concert in his honour at Showplace Performance Centre last night. Shortly after midnight on Jan. 14, Dixon was kicked in the head and robbed in his Lake Street home.
One person has since been arrested. "I was terrified," Dixon told the crowd. "For just a second, I could read their minds. It was slow motion, it was like 'Oh no. We're in the wrong place. We're robbing the wrong person'." Things could have been worse, Dixon said, making a few jokes about the situation. "Thank God the community is here for me. I know this and for those that were there when I came home from the hospital, I was banged up. "I'm beautiful again," he said, drawing big cheers from the crowd. "Thank you to everyone." People had to be turned away from last night's concert that featured more than 18 mostly local artists. People talking on their cellphones in the lobby raved about the show. Benefit concert organizer Rob Phillips said he knew people would come to the show, because Beau is "so well-loved in the community." "When I saw Beau, it just made me so sad to see this happen," Phillips said about why he organized the event. The event location was changed from the 350-seat Market Hall to Showplace only six hours before because they sensed more people would be coming, Phillips said. "It's such a beautiful thing to see the community come together," he said. "It's overwhelming." Nancy Crover heard about the show from a friend and came from Oshawa. She had never heard of Dixon before yesterday. It was a good cause, Crover said. "I wanted to be supportive because he is a really nice guy and it was a horrible thing that happened to him," she said. "He seems to be handling it really well." Local businesses donated food and items for a silent auction as well. Phillips did not have a fundraising total as of last night. Dixon is known for his bands Slips n' the High Fives, Dub Trinity and others. As an actor he has starred in several television commercials, including one for Pepsi, and several 4th Line Theatre productions, including "Beautiful Lady," "Tell Me," "Attrition" and "Cavan Blazers." He has also starred and written in several Heritage Pavillion productions. Two of his plays, "Once a Flame" and "From Here to Africville" will be presented together at Toronto's Factory Studio Theatre from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2. Dixon was talking on the phone just after midnight on Jan. 14 when he heard a loud bang at the front door. Three men forced their way through the front door and attacked him, police said, throwing him to the ground and punching him. One of the intruders held him down while the other two went through the house, police said. When officers found Dixon, he was bleeding from his mouth and head. Computer and music equipment, plus money and identification were among the things stolen. City police arrested one man in relation to the crime on Saturday. Brandon Matthew Lafleur, 18, of Juliet Road, is charged with break and enter, robbery, assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement. He was held in custody pending a court appearance. fisaacson@peterboroughexaminer.com Some of the local singers included: Justin and Marc Hiscox Chris Collins Buzz Thompson Kim Doolittle Shai Peer Drea Chet Singh Dub Trinity Band Beau Dixon Phil Marshall Bridget Foley Cheslea Bennett Rick Fines Aboriginal singers and drummers Serena Ryder Terry Guiel Robin Hawkins |
Copyright © 2008 Peterborough Examiner
New Podcast: Autism and the Media
As everyone knows, MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO writes, records, produces, edits and makes available FREE of charge podcasts on autism.
This month's podcast is "Autism and the Media." I've uploaded it here for those who are interested in listening or passing the link along to others who may benefit from this information.
As always, if you have any questions or any topics you would like us to cover that deal with autism spectrum disorders, just email me directly and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. You can reach me at ravenmagic2003@yahoo.ca.
Raven :-)
What I Found In My Basement :-)
I came across a stash of old demo cassettes in a case in the basement of my townhouse ... songs I wrote and recorded years ago ... some as long ago as 30 years back when I was a teenager.
While the quality of the recordings leaves quite a bit to be desired, suprisingly enough, more than a few songs are well written and commercially viable.
What I remarked in listening to these songs with fresh ears is that 30 years ago, my thoughts were not superficial and filled with teenaged angst. They were deep and evocative.
Has anyone else come across songs they wrote years ago? If so, what was your perception of those songs listening to them with ears that have lived a lifetime (or so) of experience in the past few years?
New CD Out This Fall
I haven't been around much these past few weeks as I've been arranging and recording my upcoming CD set for release on November 15th. I've missed hearing from my colleagues and friends at mi7 and hope that all is well with everyone.
So, what recording projects do others have on the boards and set for release in the upcoming months?
Raven
New Audio Podcast on Autism Is Online
I know that this is a music community, but part of who I am has to do with autism -- raising awareness and funds for autism organizations.
In any case, in April of this year, my 11-year-old son was interviewed by world renown autistic author, Donna Williams (http://www.donnawilliams.net/) for the summer edition of Irked Magazine in North America. It was absolutely amazing because for Ms. Williams to interview Lewis would be like Carlos Santana asking your child (if you had one) to jam live on stage with his band in front of a television crew.
So, building on the momentum of this incredible interview with Ms. Williams that has not just been published but seems to have found its place into many blogs, websites, etc., we moved Lewis' podcast on autism up a few months and uploaded it to our podcasting site.
I guarantee you that you will find the podcast not only educational but entertaining and charming as well ... shades of rainman (definitely), shades of genius, shades of youth, shades of maturity ... all sorts of shading and all of it genuine and sincere.
Let me know what you think and I promise that soon I will upload another original piece of music for critiquing purposes.
Take care and keep on being real.
Raven
Request for Language Assistance
I have a quick question for anyone who wishes to answer. I am looking for someone who speaks Spanish and who would be willing to take a look at the grammatical correctness of a chorus in a song I'm writing.
I have a fear of writing something in another language that is laughable along the lines of what happened with the movie Psycho when Norman Bates tells Janet Leigh that he 'stuffs birds' for a living (a very funny line in the UK without any humourous references whatsoever in America).
Let me know if you are able to assist me in this way. Thanks.
Raven
Another Festival - In The City (ITC) 2007
Sometimes I feel like a Public Service Announcement. LOL.
Fact is, sometimes it's good to know there's someone else out there who shares information on festivals, venues, concerts, et al that may be of benefit to their colleagues. I hope that some of you are able to make use of this information to further your careers in the industry.
What: In The City (ITC) 2007
Info on the Website: Founded in 1992 by Yvette Livesey and Factory maverick Anthony Wilson, In The City has helped launch the careers of Oasis, Coldplay, The Darkness, Doves, Foo Fighters, Elbow, The Stereophonics, Muse and many, many more.
ITC days feature keynotes from music's biggest characters, foremost industry leaders and most cutting-edge innovators. In The City boasts an unrivalled panel and master class schedule focusing on the key music, technology and business issues and ideas of the day.
An annual meeting point for key labels, publishers, lawyers, agents, technology companies and media, ITC delegates attend from all corners of the globe to network, debate, party and set the music industry to rights.
2,500 industry delegates and 100,000 music fans head out for In The City Live: as a mass of new music-makers take over the city of Manchester to create the biggest city-based music festival in Europe.
ITC Unsigned has the highest signing ratio of any new talent event.
Where: Manchester, England, UK
When: October 20 to 22, 2007
Deadline for Submissions: August 31, 2007
Music Festival in Iceland Looking for Artists
What: Iceland Airwaves 2007
The ninth annual Iceland Airwaves festival will feature approximately 170 artists in various venues all over downtown Reykjavík .
Iceland Airwaves is looking for international artists. All types of music are booked, especially Alternative, Pop, Dance/Techno, and Hip-Hop.
Performance fee and travel budget are available and determined on an individual basis.
Iceland Airwaves 2007 venues range in capacity from 200 to 1,000, and the festival draws between 7,000-8,000 fans per day including journalists and music professionals from around the world.
Where: Reykjavik, ICELAND
When: October 17 to 21, 2007
Deadline for Submissions: August 1, 2007
Website: http://www.icelandairwaves.com
