On Monday night at 8pm, be sure to tune in for our newest episode of Hope Saves the Day on Autism Radio Tonight's Show is with Host Paul Cimins Interview with Ryan Mctavish
Ryan McTavish was born in Waterloo Ontario Canada and live there to this day. Basically I was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (PDD-NOS/Aspergers) at the age of 5. It has effected mostly my social interactions, I can make friends, but cant keep them, because I tend to get very anxious while talking to them on Facebook because I cant understand their emotions when Im not talking face to face. When I was younger, I had many obsessions with strange things, like bagpipes and the Disney movie "Pinocchio". Because of my poor social interaction, I have been "bullied" by people, or teased, simply because at the time, they were young and could not understand what Autism was and why I was acting "different" from other people. I also do alot of stimming, like rocking or flicking my fingers. I also laugh constantly.
I began playing drums at the age of 4 after watching The Muppets in a hospital after an appendix surgery. I am very musically inclined...I cant read music but I play music by ear and when I was younger I would listen to one song nearly ten times before I got the exact drumming right. I played in a talent show in elementary school playing Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana with an impromptu school rock band called the Leprechauns (Grade 4). Was very involved in music throughout middle school (Grade 7-8) being in school bands as well as choirs...played drums on my church worship team for awhile...During high school I was involved in a music production called "Moods", which I was involved in for 3 of the 4 years performing songs on stage for songs like Walk this Way (I sang the song) as well as Panama by Van Halen and I played drums on Sweet Home Alabama the first year I was involved. After Grade 12 when I won a talent show in Saskatchewan at my cousin's college's youth conference for playing a drum solo, I received good acclaim, having nearly 22 000 views on the video, being on my local news twice, Im also touring with local Waterloo folk musician Richard Garvey, and also recorded 3 albums with him. I also recorded a song with an impromptu band called the Extendables for an Autism awareness song called "What this Love is For" (you can find it on Itunes for 99 cents), and spoke at a forum along with 4 other individuals with Autism. I have also gotten to speak at 2 high schools. I really want to become a public speaker and go around sharing my story about how Autism has affected me and made me into a better person and how music has helped me cope.
Here you can Watch Ryan Performing His Amazing Drum Solo
