SPECTRUM Pieces Together a Journey of the Senses for Autism

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There's a good chance that if you're reading this, you or someone you know has been touched by autism. It's not often we find ourselves reading about subjects that have nothing to do with us. Only the few seek knowledge in areas they are unfamiliar with, but if not for those select few, we would not gain the wisdom required to understand it better.

If you're one of those people, let me give you a brief introduction to the world of autism.

Autism has puzzled parents and doctors alike for many years, but a recent inquisition to truly understand how it affects the lives of those touched by it, has changed the way we view it. People who live with autism fight hard to endure the things that we ourselves take for granted. Seeing, hearing, taste, touch and smell are senses that allow us to experience the full spectrum that life has to offer. For those touched by autism, those senses become a constant reminder that the world is a very big place. Sometimes too big. Being aware of the sensory experience can be frightening for children as they are overwhelmed by the world around them.

How can we understand it better? How can we help our loved ones cope with sensory overload when it occurs?

SPECTRUM is a movie that explores the inner sensory experience of autism. Directed by Jill Jones and Produced by Brent Yontz, they set out to capture the unique aspects of autism by combining live action and animation. The goal was to tell the story from a different point of view, as it peers into the lives of those who experience the world in a way we may never fully understand.

Accompanying the movie is a soundtrack composed by 2 time Annie Award Nominee, Frederik Wiedmann (orchestrated by Hyesu Yang and mastered by Damon Tedesco). Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Wiedmann moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue his dream of becoming a film composer, his first score was for the Dark Castle Entertainment film: RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. He has since gone on to compose scores for 6 DC animated productions including GREEN LANTERN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and the recently released JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS.

For SPECTRUM, Frederik Wiedmann has captured the mystical beauty of the sensory experience, endured by those touched with autism.

“In most cases I felt a sense of beauty and magic in the stories told by our people in focus,” Wiedmann explains, “I wanted to compliment those sensations with my score, I want the audience to feel that autism is another way to look at the world, a different perspective, sometimes it is beautiful and inspiring...sometimes it is overwhelming and terrifying. The music had to follow these emotions, beat by beat."

SPECTRUM - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack contains 9 beautifully arranged musical pieces that takes you through a journey of the senses. Each track, unique in its own way, tells a different story as it fills the mind with relaxing melodies that inspire images of peacefulness. With a running time of 24 minutes, the soundtrack moves at a brisk pace to keep up with active minds. The music parallels the sensory experience, in that it's in constant flux and doesn't linger.

One doesn't envision sitting an autistic child down with a pair of headphones, expecting them to listen to SPECTRUM, uninterrupted. However, having the music dance in the background during playtime or serenading your child at bedtime will allow this music to affect your lives in a positive way.

SPECTRUM - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available, digitally, on itunes and Google Play, with all proceeds going to Autism Women's Network.

Grade: 
5.0 / 5.0