Spotlight 

Struan is 20 and has been coming to Hear My Music since he was 8. Music has been the route in for Struan to engage with the world, communicate, develop language skills, make friends, interact with his family and excel. His family have identified that having access to participant-led music has changed his life. 

Struan’s mum told us:

‘Struan has Autism and as a young boy it was hard to engage and reach into his world, music has always been our way to connect with him and has brought to life our once distant little boy.’

Struan attended our spectrum music after-school sessions until he left school and moved on to our Transitions project. He now also attends music projects with the inclusive music organisations MusicAll and Paragon Music. He has performed in a variety of gigs and is front man of his own band with MusicAll. He participated as a musical assistant in one of our adult projects and is developing his musical leadership skills. 

‘As part of his college course one of the modules was about leadership skills and what he wants to do in the future. so he ran his own music class. He did a presentation and talks about you and Joni teaching him and that he wants to be a music teacher just like you. He led a drumming group and taught everyone some piano chords. His support worker sent me a video it was brilliant. Can’t thank you enough for helping to tap into his love for music.’ 

Here is Struan showing off his musical skills and talking about what music means to him.