Getting Started

Getting Started:

Yes the mental health umbrella is massive and just the Autistic Spectrum is broad (to say the least). I understand what needs must be met in order to create a relaxed atmosphere where students will feel comfortable and relaxed enough to try and learn new skills. I understand there will always be a “getting to know each other” stage in order for folks to gain trust and confidence to take part in sessions and obviously there is no pressure for them to learn as expected in classic music lessons.

There are a number of ways in which we can initially get started depending on each individual. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Come along and try out the instruments 

This gives you the chance to physically get your hands on any of the instruments and get a feel of how they function, sound and if it is a good fit with your personality and even physical needs. We can also discuss the pros and cons of each one. e.g. is it portable enough or suitable for the house you live in etc.

2. Try out some Music Production Playing a specific instrument is not for all music lovers. Not a problem! Creating music digitally on a computer can be way more expressive and accessible. You can record any type of instrument, sound or effect you can possibly imagine and create your own tunes without any prior knowledge other than how to use a mouse!

3. Introduce me to the type of music you like what you would like to learn to playThis is a great way to learn a lot about an individual. By offering the student the lead, this empowers them to talk freely about an artist or genre they may love and show their passion for what they are really looking to achieve from our sessions.

4. Watch me play the instrumentsIf you don’t have a clue what you want to play but just know that you love music and want to learn something then of course you can watch and listen to me playing drums, guitar, piano, flute, singing or we can check out the tracks I have produced using my portable studio and see if that type of skill is more interesting to you.

5. Have a conversationIf you are confused or worried about starting something new then we can take our time to get to know each other a bit better and try and figure out what route we may want to go down. Here I like to initially talk about what they are interested in, be it football, dancing, gaming etc. This is just to make them comfortable and see if they are happy to learn with me.