Asperger's Socialisation Question

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Hello all,

I am writing a proposal for a community music project i am spearheading and i have a question that i would love to have some feedback on. I would be so very grateful.

I know this question sounds like i am looking for a blanket answer, but i am just looking for personal perspectives on the matter.

Please place a musician on the spectrum at an open mic night at a local pub.

Given that people on the spectrum generally find social situations more alien and awkward than neurotypicals, would a musician on the spectrum feel more comfortable playing his/her original song to a pub full of strangers, or a pub full of family, friends, peer group and teachers?

Thank you for your time in answering this question.

Matthew

I've performed live in the past. Luckily, my family isn't into the kind of music I did so they weren't privy to it.

Probably depends on the person.

I know I'd get anxious in front of crowds of my peers, but I'd use that to fuel me to express myself well through my music.

My guess would be though that a professional, or even amateur musician would be comfortable in any of these settings.

"Please place a musician on the spectrum at an open mic night at a local pub.

Given that people on the spectrum generally find social situations more alien and awkward than neurotypicals, would a musician on the spectrum feel more comfortable playing his/her original song to a pub full of strangers, or a pub full of family, friends, peer group and teachers?"

This question is assuming that the person on the spectrum differentiates between peers and strangers. At times, my peers seem strange to me and strangers seem familiar.

In all seriousness, though...

As mentioned by Scatmaster, it depends on the person. I imagine, however, that a person who feels a special connection to the music, especially if the music is their "special interest," would be so immersed into their art that the audience is irrelevant. As a choral musician myself, I often find that I "lose myself" to the music. As a performance poet, I tend to be more comfortable in a setting where the audience does not know me well enough to later chastise me about or be hurt by the topic of my poetry, though, again, I lose myself to the art and the people listening become irrelevant.

I was a postpunk / indie semi-pro many years. Certainly, lack of eye contact w/ audience & a disinclination to cultivate backstage networking (especially w/ critics & local power people) didn't advance my career. The main factor is deciding between an audience of supporters and a "real" audience is what shape is the "real" audience in? Every room has its emotional temperature. Is the audience waiting for the next band? Are they there for you? Important distinctions. I always found it neutral playing to supporters, in that I knew they weren't all that discriminating. Playing to an indifferent crowd is no fun - forget lyrics, etc. But those magic nights when the audience is is there, wow, few things in life like that. Not that it was worth wasting 20 years of my life, mind you.

thanks for your replies thus far, they were very insightful. The project i am currently running is a platform for musicians on the spectrum to record original music in a studio environment and then perform them live at a special event. I am just putting these kind of questions out there to find out what the most accomodating social environment would be for a live gig. At the moment it seems like getting the balance right between all the contributing factors that can make a live gig stressful for someone with an ASD.

Thanks alot so far for the answers, would love to hear more!

I do a lot of live performing - everything ranging from busking to playing on stage. Next week I'm doing 3 shows (three days in a row, as well), and one of them is going to have about 800 people going, which is more than you'd have in a bar setting (it's at a theatre). I also have a fairly long gig tomorrow - playing 10pm to 2am, 44 songs on the set list (not all will be played). I never feel nervous before shows. If anything I feel excited. It also doesn't matter who is watching, because of how I get myself into this certain mindset before I play.

An interesting side note is that I've almost never sing in front of my mother and sister because their singing has annoyed me so much throughout my life. They're the reason I didn't sing AT ALL for most of my life - and I regret that because I wish I had started sooner. It's not their fault I was annoyed at it - now I just feel weird singing in front of them, but I have absolutely no issues singing in front of them at shows.

At most places I play, I can't really see the audience well because of the lights on me, which is helpful I think. I try to always get a spot on stage where a light will be right in my face. Sunglasses on top of that make it perfect. I get uncomfortable sometimes due to the heat on stage, so I always just dress for heat.

I think it'd be great to have an open mic night like that, like you are proposing - sounds like something I would participate in if the opportunity existed where I live. I like your project platform, too - recording original music from autistic musicians and then having them play live. I really wish something like that existed up here. I already play live but I think that would be great because it can be very hard to get into live music as an autistic person - it was difficult for me - all the phone calls (I have huge anxiety from phone calls, especially to people I've never met or spoken with before) and meeting people and forming social bonds and connections and all that. I've never been the main person with connections in a band - meaning connections to get shows, ability to socialize the ways you need to to build a fanbase, etc. I have a bunch of awesome originals - I spend a large amount of time every day working on originals - but I've never had them recorded in the studio. I have a lot of problems dealing with the social aspects of the music scene. I've been considering starting a youtube channel at least, with my music on it, but I'd rather play it live - but I have a hard time approaching people about that stuff.

If you have any questions, like things concerning ways to make the stage more friendly to autistic people, I'd love to answer them - at my show tomorrow I will probably have this thread in mind and will probably think more than usual about ways I've adapted to be comfortable on stage.