[APPLAUSE]
So we'll bring Tyler back up here along
with Tim, Aulton's uncle, to go through some of the prepared Q
& A questions, and then if folks have other questions,
we can get those answered too.
Thanks, y'all.
Wow.
Can we have round of applause for Josh and for Aulton
and for all the lyricists on the album?
[APPLAUSE]
For sharing work with us and for the writing that they're doing.
And another round of applause for Brian
for his work in making these experiences and collaborating.
So as Brian mentioned, we have Q & A,
and the guys have worked really hard
on thinking about questions and thinking about answers
and scripting those.
And so Aulton's uncle, Tim, is going
to come up and share those with us.
They also want to take a couple of questions from the audience,
if we can squeeze that in.
And so if you've got questions about the work that's
happened, about the collaborations,
about the poetry, the orange slips
of paper, what we're hoping you'll
write those on and pass those to the edges of the aisles.
We'll collect those and we'll have time maybe for one or two
of those at the end.
So if you need an orange piece of paper,
if you've got a question you didn't get a chance
to look at one of those, raise your hand,
and I'll bring it to you.
If you've got that already, thanks for filling those out,
and I'll bring that to you in a second.
Tim, do you want to come on up and share with the guys
have worked on?
And thanks, Tim, for doing this.
Yeah.
Hi, everyone.
So our first question is, and both Joshua and Aulton
answered this question, tell us a little bit about yourself
as an artist?
So Joshua says, I'm testing a high level
of hope in the world.
I believe in kindness, respect, and love for everyone.
It really helps to uplift the hopes of people with autism.
They deserve to be given the kindness of people
just like everyone else.
I primarily enjoy spending my time in nature.
I love the hopeful insights I get
when surrounded by the trees, to go
to the mountains or the beach are my church.
God is there quietly listening to my thoughts for people.
Be kind.
And Aulton says, I have a deep imagination.
Understanding of my relationship with nature and art
is a way for me to reflect, puzzle out and consider
my complex emotions.
I love to write and talk with Brian,
but I also love to paint.
Color and words make politics and the societal issues
of our day understood in magically different ways.
Words are extremely delicate yet powerful.
Wonderful colorful art in any form can touch and move people.
I love to have multiple ways to express and explain
my feelings and intelligence.
Our next question, Joshua answered, and it says--
it is, what are the main sources of inspiration for your poems
and songs?
Joshua says one of my inspirations is nature.
Open your eyes.
It will fill your inner thoughts.
It doesn't take too much.
Lasting images, just impressions of sound,
images, smells, feelings on skin.
It is pure time for imagination, light and trees
releasing, greetings to a weed, wind
trying to whisper your name.
People also inspire many of my songs and poems.
I open getting thinking of them.
My girlfriend Sophia inspires me purely with love.
Try it with anyone you love.
Next question.
What do you like most about being autistic?
This is Aulton.
Says, I think that being autistic
has given me eyes to perceive the world in a special way.
I understand my place in connection with nature.
I think this gives me wonderful gratefulness for every element
I encounter.
For example, I appreciate bees, beetles, gophers and jaguars
as important creatures with a purpose,
not so unaligned with mine.
I also understand that my relationship with plants
is so unique and almost sacred.
I know many autistics feel the same.
I love and value my conversations
with my spelling friends.
Being autistic is a blessing, if you choose to see it that way.
Goodness is founded in gratefulness.
Sorry.
Got a little choked up there.
How long have you been able to communicate by spelling?
Joshua.
I started RPM, rapid prompting method, when I was 13.
I loved it, but I felt I needed physical support
to fill my body in space.
My mom pushes against my--
against my wrist or forearm.
This was when I was 18.
I pity free time--
excuse me.
I pity time free of spelling.
Wish I did it just all my life.
Did you try other methods of communication?
And Joshua says, yes, just about everything.
I used to try to use toys that talk, kind of trying
to join the conversation.
Mom thought it was a coincidence.
I wanted to reach her.
It was so-- it was so hard.
PECS, Picture Exchange Cards, was impossible.
Requests only.
Sign language was too hard for my apraxic body.
The communication device was too slow
and too difficult to remember pathways
and it didn't have the words I wanted.
I used YouTube videos to tell people
the things I want or feel.
I've done that for many years, and my mom finally
understood spelling is the best by far for me.
What is the most important thing you
want neurotypical people to know about non-speaking autistic
people?
Both Joshua and Aulton answered this question.
Joshua says, I think it is important to remember
that we are intelligent and we understand everything.
We feel the same feelings in the inside.
We just might not look like it because our bodies
are hard to control.
And Aulton says, I firmly desire everyone
must value individuals, regardless of disability,
gender, identity, race or anything
that makes a person unique.
I want reverence for all lives.
I, like autistics, have individual interests, opinions,
talents, gorgeous perspectives and influence.
I have wonderful relationships.
I'm loving, emotional and liberal.
I don't appreciate when many assume
I can control my whole body.
My brain is intense, but often impulse overruns it.
Please don't underestimate anyone, ever.
And last question.
What was it like before you could communicate?
And Aulton answered this saying, to be honest, it was not good.
I was loved by only a few people because others thought
I was so dumb, that I would not care
about their lack of concern for me.
I had a lot of medical problems and mom,
dad and Lila tore their hearts for me.
[? Elodie ?] had not been born yet.
But no one else cared.
It seemed like people thought my misery didn't
count because they thought I didn't think.
I did think.
That's all I did.
I taught myself math while sitting-- while I sat
in a classroom being ignored.
I taught myself to spell.
I learned patience, strength and empathy
for those I watched suffer, especially
the kids in my classroom who didn't even
have a Nikki, Mike and Lila.
Now my heart has healed.
I learned all that I can.
I Worked so hard and contribute to society.
I'm involved with my medical care.
I have faith in myself like I never had before.
I have plans for college and a meaningful loving career.
My life is so different than I had even hoped.
I want every non-speaker to find a way to share their lives.
[APPLAUSE]
OK.
We want to invite Josh and Aulton up,
and they're excited to try to answer
a couple of the questions from the audience.
If you have a question that you wrote that I need to grab,
just hold up the orange slip, and I'll come grab it.
Thanks.
All right.
First question.
OK.
I'm going to randomly do them.
They seem to come to me in a random manner.
OK.
The question-- oh, OK.
We've got more questions.
The first question is, do you give the poets or lyricists
suggestions for possible things to write about or themes or are
they all generated independently?
And the other question says--
Maybe Brian--
Yeah, maybe Brian, would you like to answer that?
Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
Yeah, so it varies from session to session and from student
to student.
I think when I'm first starting to work with a new student,
there's a little bit more--
I'm coming in with prompts and suggestions and sort
of ideas of things that we might write about, but at this point,
I mean, especially with Joshua and Aulton,
I've been working with them for a long time.
Starting each session, I just kind of ask like,
what's on your mind?
What do you feel like writing about today?
And they really take it from there.
Occasionally if they're stumped, we
can do some brainstorming together,
but it's totally their ideas.
Great question.
Thank you.
I don't know how it works.
There we go.
OK.
Let's see.
This question is for Aulton, and/or Josh.
How does it make you feel to hear your poetry performed
for the public?
[INAUDIBLE]
Do you want to read it?
Sure.
It says, oh, to hear my poetry is so amazing.
I am incredibly grateful for all who came and to dear Brian.
[APPLAUSE]
And Joshua said it is amazing.
It's amazing.
Yeah.
It's is amazing.
OK.
[APPLAUSE]
All right.
Next question.
Do you have a favorite song written by one
of your non-speaker friends?
PS, this was such a beautiful concert.
I L O--
Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom.
[INAUDIBLE]
J, A, C, K. Jack.
A, N, D, Andy.
A, N, N, Y, Danny.
T, H, E, Y. They.
A, R, E, are.
M, Y, F, R, I, E, N, D S. They are my friends.
And Joshua said, I love Danny's.
Yeah.
Most amazing.
[LAUGHS]
Do you want to answer more?
Yes.
Yes, OK.
After Nicole, any questions OK.
What are you passionate about, aside from poetry and lyrics?
Go ahead.
Go.
G, E, E, Gees.
I G U E S S. I guess.
E V E R Y T H I N G. I guess everything.
[LAUGHTER]
Good answer.
Do you want to say anything else?
Yes.
I L O V E. I love.
L E A R N I N G. I love learning.
R E A D I N G. Reading.
And M A T H, and math.
And A L L. All.
And all things.
Awesome.
And Joshua said kindness and justice and reading.
[APPLAUSE]
Thanks, everybody.
One more round of applause for Joshua and Aulton
and all the lyricists.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you, guys.
And another round of applause for Brian
for traveling to be here and to perform for us.
[APPLAUSE]
There's a lot of information up front here
about the autism community and about work
that the spellers are doing.
There's some material that's up here on the front.
There's a little bit more material that's
around the corner by the door.
So I want to make sure you guys can come and visit with that
and take a look and learn more about it.
Come up and meet Brian.
Come up and meet the guys come.
Talk a little bit.
There is a reception afterwards that there's
information about it on a little piece of paper by the door,
and we're invited to Nikki's house
afterwards, if anyone would like to come
and have a little reception and more fellowship.
But really pleased to have everybody here.
Thank you so much.
And thanks, again, to the poets.
[APPLAUSE]