Tyler in his backyard in a
photo taken by his parents
April is National Autism Awareness Month and April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. I am very proud of the initiative that we took a year ago in developing the Woodstock Chimes for Autism, which was inspired by 8-year-old Tyler Doi, who has high-functioning autism and an extraordinary musical acuity that enables him to identify which Woodstock Chime is playing when he hears it ring. If you haven’t seen the video we helped produce, check it out at www.chimes.com/autism. He is certain to inspire you as well. Just recently, we found out that the group who made the video for us, Kala Project, submitted this short to the Sprout Film Festival, which focuses exclusively on films that celebrate the diverse lives and creativity of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The film was accepted and will be part of the festival, which is located in New York City and runs from May 30-31. Our Woodstock Chimes for Autism has generated significant donations to organizations working in the field of research and treatment of the autism spectrum, since we give 100% of the after-tax profits of this chime to these groups. Tuned to the opening notes of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, this chime’s happy, calming song is made even more appealing because of the significant cause it supports, autism awareness. One aspect of autism is hyper-sensitivity to sound. This chime is designed with a specially sized clapper so its soothing tones play more gently in the wind. Some think Mozart was autistic. Everyone has a creative side which sometimes is locked up inside waiting for the right time to emerge.
