Autistic Cellist Performing The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a 13-Year-Old Boy with Autism

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a 3-Year-Old Boy with Autism by A. Mandela Walden
Adam Mandela Walden, cello based on the text by Naoki Higashida.
I. Preface
II. iV. Elopement Tango
From Ms. Walden Adam's Mom: Hi, this is Adam Mandela Walden, who is on scholarship at Berkley College of Music, the first profoundly autistic student, and that is thanks to NCI. He spent many summers here, and NCI has been very gracious in believing that Adam could learn how to be a musician. And one of the assignments that they had at Berkley for the Global String Orchestra, which is a performing class and it's a composing class, and Adam's minor is composing, and they're supposed to bring in elements from the many different countries that people at Berkley's families come from.
And Adam thought it would be a good idea to bring in something about the autism world, which is very much part of his world. And there's this wonderful book by Naoki Higashida, who is a profoundly autistic writer, who had a New York Times bestseller called “The Reason I Jumped,” the inner voice of a 13-year-old boy with autism. And he has graciously given Adam the right to create a musical experience using the text from this wonderful book.
And if you want to see more on him, you can, there are several videos where you can watch. He uses a communication machine to write. He's a wonderful, wonderful writer.
And so Adam has completed six, he's been collaborating with his teacher, Eugene Friesen, who's been really wonderful, and they've completed six different movements. And this book has 52 questions about what is going on with autistic people, why they do the surprising things that they do. And so Adam's going to do a bit from the preface, and then he's going to do a piece based on a section of the book, which is why people with autism run away all the time, and why there's always a helicopter looking for them, whatever. And Naoki explains it beautifully.
The mission of the National Cello Institute is to inspire and promote excellence in cellists of all ages. Our annual programs include the National Cello Institute for a week during the summer and the Winter Suzuki Cello Workshop for one Saturday in February, and both prioritize a strong foundation in cello technique, ensemble playing, and active listening.
Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive environment that embraces the community support aspects of the Suzuki philosophy, emphasizing fundamental techniques, ensemble playing, and active listening while engaging with musical material, instruction, mentorship, and live performance. As an institute that values community and connection, we unite a diverse group of cellists, encouraging mutual support and collective learning. Our vision extends beyond mere instruction, and through a variety of classes and optional sessions tailored to individual needs, we aim to instill a core appreciation for music and the cello, nurturing a lifelong passion for this extraordinary instrument.
Videographer: David Van Brunt
Original Audio: David Van Brunt
nationalcelloinstitute.com/

[@cellosong]

Adam, that was a fantastic performance and composition! I enjoyed every second of it. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful music and spoken word with us. I found it quite moving and look forward to hearing more in the future.

[@ifeanyi190]

amazing performance. ❤ 😍 👏