Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
I'm a woman with Aspergers Syndrome. Of course, I'm sure I've made a post similar to this before, but I haven't been on hear for quite a while so I just feel like I need to recap. I was diagnosed at about 6/7 years old, and have known for a long that there was something remarkably different about me. But to be honest, I'm quite glad I am. It makes feel like I don't have try to please or impress everyone. All in all, I think I'm quite proud of who I am. I mean, yes of course I know certain quirks, flaws and maybe one or two habits I need to break, but all in all, I'm pretty ok.
My situation isn't perfect though. Far from it in fact. I graduated from university back in July, and I'm still not any closer to finding a job on a permanent or long-term basis. All I'm doing right now is volunteering at my local theatre, and that's only once a week. I know it's good experience for me; it's something to put on my CV and I can gain another reference, but it would be really useful if I got some work that will help me progress both professionally and personally. You see, I graduated with a music degree, and I definitely want to put it to use. Ideally, I would to go into music education, either as a music teacher or a music therapist. I would also like to fit in performing somewhere along the line as well. But, if I'm perfectly honest, I'm not sure where to start with in terms of my musical abilities. Let me tell you, I'm no virtuoso, that's for sure. I definitely like I've let them slip for quite a while, even when I was at university. I play the piano, clarinet and voice. I definitely improve my abilities on all three of these and maybe also take up another instrument sometime in the future, preferably the saxophone. I had to play it for a module during a BTEC Music course 5 years ago. I've got no clue though how to set up a practice routine for all these instruments. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to comment below. I'm still a pretty decent musician though; I'm good at musical improvisation and have the gift of perfect pitch. It's come in very handy with other skills such as aural listening and transposing.
Are there any other musicians on here? Please comment below about any musical experiences you've had and what special abilities you have, I'd love to hear them.
Another musician here! Ive been obsessed with music from a young age, through school i would try any instrument i could get my hands on, and age 9-17 played trumpet to a good level, but then i quit music after a bad experience.
5 years ago age 27 i took up learning the violin and have been obsessed from day 1. I practice for hours every day and am working towards doing grade 8 exam at the min (maybe next summer). I find it helps me to have something to focus on other than work, and i like a challenge!
I hate playing in front of other people though, including my teacher, i still struggle to play on my own to him even after 5 years of lessons, usually he has to start by playing along with me the first few times to build up my confidence a bit
I dont know if my obsession with music is linked to autism as im not diagnosed yet and have only recently been referred for assessment
Wow! That's very impressive! I started playing piano when I was six and I've only achieved five grades so far. Just need Grade 8 for the clarinet. I like to challenge myself too, but one particularly issue for me is staying focused on my goals, as I have an awful habit of getting side-tracked or distracted. Do you have any tips on staying focused on a long term basis, cause I'm not working right now and I need to keep myself occupied while also looking for work. Any tips also for setting up an efficient practice routine as well? That would be a huge help.
I also know what you mean about playing in front of other people. For me personally, it affects me most if I'm practise in my own time or if an instrumental teacher asks me to play a piece in front of time. I get quite anxious, so sometimes my nerves get the better of me and I end up slipping up a few times? Does anyone else feel like this when practising on their own? if so, please comment.
Congrats on working towards grade 8! What kind of music do you like to play?