Musicians with AS?

Post Reply New Topic

I see now, I see. I should have said "professional" musicians. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to waste anyone's time.
(I can see that this one's dead.)

Please excuse me for flogging a dead horse but I've got a bit of experience in this. Classical training but now play semi-professionally in a punk band and have played in other bands. . I have also found myself in the position of getting others to play my arrangements/compositions, though without sheet music and I'm not the bandleader and playing other peoples arrangements/compositions.

The 'chuckles' sound positive at least! If you're the bandleader I guess you're the one who decides how things go in the band. -I think it's good it someone has the final say otherwise you could end up not getting anything done- The question for me would be would you be prepared to simplify your music, would it still sound good to you? Could you change it into an easier key or cut out a hellish run or leave out a time change if that's what the band members want? If these suggestions, that might make your band members more comfortable, are totally unacceptable to you then you need to consider these things,

How bothered are your band members with the complexity of the music?
If you insist on them playing exactly what's written will they eventually accept this so you can move on. Once you've learnt the set it'll be much easier! (If that's how it also works with jazz)
How easy would it be for you to find new band members if they decide to leave/they refuse to play what's written and you ask them to leave?
Who will you be playing this to? Do you need to have music for a specific audience? It it's too complex will you put people off coming to concerts and lose revenue or do you think it will be well received by your core audience?

Another suggestion I could give would be perhaps play your pieces exactly as they are and also add some simpler, easier to learn for the musicians to the set. (Being careful that these don't take over!)

Anyway seeing as you wrote this post a while ago no doubt there have been developments and this may not be relevant.
Good luck Anyway !

I fancied myself as a musician for many years but I found that many of my Autistic difficulties and social inadequacies (and alot of bad luck) got in the way of me pursuing a career in this field. Particularly, depression and suicidal thoughts prevented me from really making anything out of my life of value.

I started out playing the piano at about 3 years old and took lessons but due to the energy crisis of the late 70s my parents were forced to cancel my piano lessons. I was depressed for many years after.

Then I started playing the alto-saxophone and band at school and kept that for about 6 years. I also acted and sang in many plays in grade school and I also play the Recorder. But I was still depressed about losing my piano lessons.

I took Journalism Arts in college and wanted to write about music for the rest of my life but I couldn't get started in the industry due to the extremely low pay that journalists get so I had to abandon my starting position as a newspaper reporter and concentrate on paying back the debt before the government's and banks came after me.

Again depression took over and now I'm stuck in a warehouse job.

_________________
*** High Functioning Autism - Asperger's Syndrome ***

ADHD, OCD, and PTSD.

Keep calm and stim away.

I can play the piano and I sing in a choir. I played Trombone in high school band, but haven't done since high school.

I'm a guitarist. On a good day maybe a jazz guitarist. Never played with other people though. Aiming for my own kind of gritty, cool, avant garde.