This morning I found my song, Still Awake (which I’d performed live in the US, UK and Australia), has entered the top 50 pop songs at number 31 (in the Pop category) on Artist Underground. 

The song is about seizing the chances whilst we can and is highly relevant to those with autism, but also to anyone who has loved and lost, met the love of their life or lost someone they are close to for all these influences come out in the song.  When I sang it live, there were often plenty of tears.  It was really crazy for me to see I had moved people to tears this way.  At first I felt, oh, heck, look, I’ve hurt their feelings.  But I was told, no, it was because the song had moved them, deeply touched them, connected or inspired them.  I’d sung it to a slideshow DVD of my art and childhood photos, a bit like the one I have on You Tube, called From Autism To Artism.

In 2000 I’d already had two of my songs; Beyond The When and Sometimes, go into the Japanese TV series, Things You Taught Me.  In March 2006, one of my songs, Enemy Lines made it into the top 50 jazz tracks on American Idol Underground (now named Artist Underground).

So now I can say I have had two top 50 songs on Artist Underground.   Cool.

It’s public voting that raises it further up the charts.  If you like the songs, vote for them.  Who knows, we could get a song written, composed, performed BY someone with autism to number 1 and that wouldn’t hurt autism awareness one bit.

I’m at 31 in the top 50 at present.  So if you like the song and want to see someone with autism reach the top 10 there, or even number 1, here’s how to vote for my song, Still Awake, on Artist Underground

• go to here:

    http://www.artistunderground.com/Pages/Charts/ChartDetail.aspx?GenreID=8

• click on page 4 (where I’m currently at number 31)
• click the song title
• move the ratings slide things to the ratings you want
• then click submit.

thanks for voting!

I’m currently rehearsing with The Aspinauts, I hope to see our first album do musically as well as my first two albums.  Watch this space.  And if you’re in Melbourne and have an autism friendly event or party, why not book The Aspinauts?  We’ll come along and do a 45 minute set there.  If you’re autism friendly, would like a party but don’t have enough people to invite and are looking for autism friendly people to come along and keep company at your party, I am so known in the ASD community I may be able to rally you a fairly instant ‘peer group’!

UPDATE:

now 5 weeks in the top 50, Still Awake, just reached number 20!  Yay.  Will an autie get to number 1?  Let’s see.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

artist, author, singer-songwriter, screenwriter

http://www.donnawilliams.net

http://www.auties.org

http://www.cdbaby.com/donnaw

http://www.cdbaby.com/donnaw2