Hi folks, here’s today’s Webinar on The Power of Music and Autism. Me, Stephen Shore and Rudy Simone all featured in it… enjoy
Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.
http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com
Here’s my upcoming events so far…. Read the rest of this entry »
This just for fun choir is run headed by Donna Williams with Anthony Julian on keyboards. Both are musicians/singers on the autism spectrum and with the band Donna and The Aspinauts and have Working With Children cards.
Donna is a qualified teacher and autism consultant who has produced three albums and written, directed and performed musicals. Anthony Julian has performed in musical theatre, has an extensive musical background is is presently completing a diploma in music.
WHEN: 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month
WHERE: Upwey, Victoria
AGE: 5-13yrs
COST: $6
CONTACT: Donna Williams : bookings@donnawilliams.net
MORE INFO: visit http://www.myspace.com/baloombawop
Individual 15-30 minute music lessons are also available
@ $15 for 15 minutes or $20 for 30 minutes.
Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.
http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com
In 2008 The Aspinauts and I were gathered in a living room improvising with me doing beat poetry as the guys jammed on guitars, drums, keyboards. It became an anti war protest song, Ladies and Gentlemen. Luckily, someone hit the record button so when Paul joined us as drummer in 2009 we began to rehearse the song. It became a powerful, almost Floydian stand out piece of sound art and made it onto the debut album, Broken Biscuit in 2010.
Here’s the video clip made by Oz Thomas, a colorful human and a wonderful poet in his own right.
The Aspinauts are known for their mixture of theatre, spoken word and catchy, evocative songs with meaning. Having played small independent theatres, we like to connect with the audience, create an intimate atmosphere. So the concept of house concerts really appealed. So what is a house concert? Read the rest of this entry »
After their capture months ago, holed up in PV Studios which progressively filled with Broken Biscuit, Donna and The Aspinauts’ album, Broken Biscuit was finally released this week. Experience the surrealism for yourself.
In childhood I was called Dolly Burger by my mother’s side, Miss Polly by my father. I’d rather have been Miss Polly even if I was sick, sick, sick too often than be anyone’s doll. I didn’t like doll’s, those staring, plastic almost demonic representations of a one-size-fits all normality or perfection. I never identified with being Doll-y or anyone’s doll. When my mother told me I was hers, her doll, I felt the foundations of my feminist rejection of conformist expectations of ‘what a girl should be’. I liked the ballet dress with its fluttering leafy skirt, its sheeny pink sating and mother of pearl beading catching rainbows in the lights. But the doll thing… Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve always considered Donna and The Aspinauts to be diversity friendly but what does it mean to be a disability friendly band? Is it about having people with disabilities in the band? Is it about making it easy for those with disabilities to attend your gigs and shows? Is it about having a natural sense of equality with and respect for those with disabilities? Is it about having a strong presence in the wider disability community? Read the rest of this entry »
CD Baby are donating $1 to for every album sold.
Dear Donna,The earthquake and its aftermath in Haiti have touched all of our lives. Many in the CD Baby family have already contributed as individuals, but we wanted to do more to help the victims of the horrible earthquake tragedy. By selling your music on CD Baby, you can help raise funds towards those affected by the disaster. Read the rest of this entry »
Combining color with rhythms and beats, movement, voice and characterisation, the hour long, interactive Soundscapes Program combines elements of music and drama into the one program. Read the rest of this entry »
Donna Williams is an Australian born adult with autism who was assessed as psychotic at the age of 2 in 1965, labelled disturbed in the 1970s and diagnosed as autistic in her 20s in 1991.
She acquired functional speech in late childhood and went on to become a qualified teacher with an honors degree in Sociology and a degree in Linguistics. She is the author of two international bestselling autobiographies and has 10 published books including 4 text books widely used in autism education and two books of poetry and prose.
As a screenwriter, she wrote the screenplay to “Nobody Nowhere“, the first book in her 4 book autobiographical series. That screenplay is currently under option to become a Hollywood film. She is an professional artist, singer-songwriter and published poet as well as a world renowned public speaker on autism now living with her husband in Australia. In her presentations she draws not only on her own experiences but on international experience as a professional autism consultant since 1996.
Donna’s is a speaker in demand around the world due to her unique perspective and ability to share her feelings and experiences on a very personal level. More information about her and her life’s work can be found on her website at http://www.donnawilliams.net .