I finally got around to putting Arcade Fire on Charlie's iPad last year after the cameraman from the BBC (they were making this film; Charlie's not in it but his school is featured) mentioned it. (The cameraman was a very nice guy who had grown up on a sheep farm and was glad to run down the street after Charlie on a walk.) Charlie had The Suburbs going in the car last night and I thought, (a) I would have liked hearing that when I was 15 and (b) I had no idea to find how to music like that when I was 15; all I heard in my household was the BeeGees and the Bay City Rollers and I played Bach on the piano. A classmate gave me a tape of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and wandering in either Tower Records on Durant or another place on Bancroft in Berkeley, I found Sinéad O'Connor.
Beatles, Wiggles, Jimi Hendrix, Arcade Fire, all at once in a nice messy mix: It's 15 and you can listen to it for a lifetime (leading me to think, the one piece of advice I might give to parents with just-diagnosed-with-autism kids: skip the kiddy stuff, go straight for the Beatles.)
Opera too. My oldest always liked Carmen, with Placido Domingo and Julia McGinnis, and would ask for the video tape. Now its electronica dance and 1980s rock. Very eclectic :)
Posted by: Elise Ronan | 17 January 2013 at 08:48
Your comment about the Beatles takes me back 9 to 11 years ago when first a VHS and then a DVD copy of Yellow Submarine was an object of constant adoration. I can't remember how many Saturday and Sunday mornings I spent dozing on a reclining chair with a enraptured 3 - 5 year old, sitting still (about the only time he did sit still) while I got to hear the music from my youth. The soundtrack to Yellow Submarine was the first music album I ever owned at about 6 years old. Those days with that movie and my son were bliss.
Posted by: Cori | 17 January 2013 at 08:55
Interesting, Christina. My son needs assistance in getting music. I have tried to put a variety on, but have to be careful about some lyrics because of their literal meanings.
Posted by: Dixie Redmond | 18 January 2013 at 14:29
Kristina - have enjoyed your Care2 blog for a long time. Have you heard of this? http://specialistpeople.com/
Posted by: momo | 19 January 2013 at 05:32
@momo, I have, thank you! I'm excited they are starting operations in the US!
@Dixie, I can absolutely see that being an issue. I'm ot sure woke much of the lyrics Charlie takes in. With the Disney songs, I know the context but as he's not seen any of the movies, I'm not sure what he thinks of main of them.
@Elise, I've put a bit of Bach on Charlie's iPad but not for him, he seems to like his classic-y rock with some rem and some smatterings of this and that. Sometimes he even goes for the Sinéad O'Connor albums.
@Cori, I'm imagining the bliss! Have felt a kind of thrill sitting I there car hearing Charlie enjoying sounds I like myself -- he used to perk up at yellow submarine but the cartoon eluded him (but all cartoons do). As for sitting down, that's still a bit rare---
Posted by: autismvox | 19 January 2013 at 17:06