Meet Our TRS Music Band
The science demonstrates the impact of music, and more importantly, we witness it every day at The Rising Start. Starting the Music Program has added an entirely different dimension to The Rising Start's curriculum and our student experience. We look forward to expanding the program within our Middle and High School Day Program, Young Adults, and after-school programs. We want to make music available to our entire community and look forward to the joyous moments and soul-moving experiences our musicians will bring to themselves, their families, and our larger community for years to come.
Without further ado, let us introduce you to some of our musicians!
Meet Diego, Our Music Director
Diego Davila, TRS Music Director
We at The Rising Start like to brag that our Music Director, Diego Davila, has his Bachelor’s Degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, considered to be one of the best Contemporary Music Programs in the world. We also like to brag that Diego is himself Neurodiverse, putting his own unique abilities to great effect here at The Rising Start.
He found his “voice” in music during middle school where his first instrument was violin and his teacher cautioned him “Diego, there are challenges ahead for you with the violin”. Undaunted, he next picked up a guitar and has not stopped making and playing music since.
If the academic or social challenges got in the way, there was always the music, to calm him, reassure him and enjoy the “wows” he would get when he performed in public. Music was something he loved to do and could do really well. The Professors at Berklee apparently agreed.
Eye contact and attention while learning and jamming
He came to us at The Rising Start after he was told he was a bit “quirky” at another neurotypical music school and that the parents were uncomfortable with him teaching their kids. Inclusion was a bit of an illusion. At The Rising Start he has found a welcoming community of students, parents and colleagues that are accepting, supportive and loving.
Meet "J"
"J" has been with us for a while and we thought we knew him pretty well. You see, "J" sometimes has difficulty communicating with others, especially verbally, and with that often comes disengagement with those around him. In those moments, you wonder, what is he thinking, feeling, is he happy? But then we added a new drum kit to the The Rising Start Music Band back in September. We soon discovered a whole new other side to "J" that none of us had seen before.
Drums are an essential component of rock, blues and jazz bands as they set the fundamental tempo and establish a cohesive rhythm in collaboration with other band members. If the drummer's beat is off, the entire band falls apart. Well, from the moment "J" sat in his drummer’s throne, (yes...that’s what it’s called in the music world) and picked up his drumsticks (he had never played before), he was keeping near perfect tempo, synchronizing his snare drum, tom-tom and cymbal strokes with the rhythms of his fellow keyboard, guitar and other percussion band members.
The band finished every song without a miss in tempo or breaks in the rhythm, it sounded great! Tapping our feet as "J" and the band worked through each song, we could see as he rested his drumsticks on the snare at the end of the set, there was no more wondering what "J" was thinking or feeling., we had just witnessed genuine connection, communication, accomplishment and even joy. That's what music does, it makes a difference!
Meet "S"
You don’t always have to play an instrument to make great music. If you’re computer crazed like many autistic and neurodiverse teens and young adults, there are amazing alternative ways of creating and playing music.
"S" at first was reluctant to get involved with the TRS Music Band, he just wasn’t that interested in playing an instrument. When he found out that he could make music on a computer, "making beats" as the Music Director suggested, he jumped right into it. Using what’s called a “midi keyboard” attached to a computer loaded with music production software he was off to the races creating truly original music.
When he's done, he will have created 12 original songs including jazz, techno, hip hop, rock and big band inspired rhythms and melodies that will be all his own original creations and will be showcased along with our The Rising Start Band in future performances and community events.
Do You Want To Learn More?
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook as we tell you more about our Music Program over the coming weeks. And if you want to learn more about our Music Program get in contact with us, we will be very glad to share with you the amazing impact music have in our autistic and neurodiverse children and young adults.