On the Spectrum: The music experiences of two young adult brothers

On the Spectrum: The music experiences of two young adult brothers This is an auto-ethnographic mixed methods case study in the style of Michael Quinn Patton. The primary purpose of this study is to add to the body of knowledge regarding persons with Autism Spectrum Conditions—their lived experiences and their experiences with music and music education. The secondary purpose of this study is to document the musical experiences of two persons with Autism Spectrum Conditions: giving special attention to the interplay between musicianship and Autism and how they may interact for the ASC community, on a broader scale. To further those objectives, this study addresses the following question and sub-questions: I. What meanings do musical experiences have for persons with Autism Spectrum Conditions? A. How does ASC effect one’s ability to listen to music? B. How is music participation affected by having an ASC? C. How might ASC enhance or inhibit one’s ability to create their own music? D. How could one’s emotional connection to music be affected by ASC? Methods. The Primary Investigator is the mother of the participants listed in this study, both of which reflect high-functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). The participants are being de-identified under alias names for interview and data collection purposes. Both adult males were exposed to 10+ years of instrumental music training in their youth. The first day of the study was July 5, 2020 and it will conclude on September 6, 2020. To open the study, the participants took a Google Forms survey of five (5) open-ended questions regarding the current state of music in their lives. The next stage of data collection involved weekly video recorded interviews with each participant, in which they were asked a series of ten (10) open-ended questions regarding the totality of their experiences with music and how they felt about them. These questions also addressed growing up musically with ASC. The last stage of data collection was a think-aloud protocol, which allowed the participants to view themselves. They could revise their initial interviews. The last steps are for each participant to take the Advanced Measured of Music Audiation (AMMA) and Musical Nuance Task (MNT) . Both participants have been administered an Absolute Pitch Assessment and are confirmed to have absolute pitch. Once the PI has collected the remaining information from the participants, the interview data is going to be analyzed for codes and emergent themes. The results will then be interpreted for credibility, trustworthiness, and quality of conclusions. The findings will be written up for publication. Implications for this study include the possibility of continuing music education for young adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions, as well as the discovery of how long-term participation in music education impacts persons with ASC.