We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patricia Kayser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patricia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on is “Autism And Music” AKA “my mission in life”. My youngest brother Chris, who has autism, and I have always had a special connection. Since he was little, I always tried looking for ways to connect with him but there were really few things he was interested in. One day our cousin was playing the guitar and I realized he loved music so I decided to get myself a guitar to start playing for him. I had never played a music instrument or sang, but I was so intrigued and happy about this discovery that it kept me going. Little by little Chris’ quality of life started changing because of the music, and I began doing the same thing as a volunteer at his school. The teachers couldn’t believe what the other students were achieving thanks to the music. Not long after that, I realized that this was my mission in life, to bring music to children with special needs to help them to connect with themselves and with others. That is why I started Autism And Music, a non-profit organization with the mission to help to enhance the quality of life of individuals with autism through the power of music. Our vision is to open our AnM Sanctuary to offer various artistic activities to adults with special needs.This is meaningful to me because I always wondered, “what is going to happen with Chris after he is done with school? Where is he going to go for fun or to continue growing?” and I am sure most special needs parents wonder the same thing. So, one day, we will open our beautiful place. Until then, we will keep doing what we can with the resources we have. Our slogan: “We Are One”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to the US in 2014. I found out I have a passion and talent for music thanks to my brother Chris who has autism. I always tried looking for ways to connect with him and music was that bridge that allowed me to do so. I started playing the guitar because he would come into my room pointing at the guitar for me to continue playing because he really enjoyed it. Then I started writing a little bit and fell in love with songwriting and storytelling. Not long after that I found my mission in life AKA “Autism And Music”. AnM is a non-profit organization with the mission of helping to enhance the quality of life of individuals with autism through the power of music. We host our “AnM Hangouts” which are music activities for special needs families to enjoy and other autism awareness initiatives. Our vision at Autism And Music is to open our “AnM Sanctuary”. A farm type of place, full of nature, were we will offer various fun classes for adults with special needs. Music, art, gardening, cooking, and more. My family and I have always wondered what will happen with my brother Chris when he is done with school. Where is he going to go for fun? How will he continue growing in a place that is inclusive? And I know that most special needs parents ask themselves the same question. So, one day, our AnM Sanctuary will open! We are looking for the right donors to help us make this vision happen. In the meantime, we continue hosting our AnM Hangout activities at different locations and events. We also offer online music classes for children and adults with special needs via zoom. I can’t express enough how incredible music impacts the behavior and overall mood of individuals with special needs. I have had the opportunity to be in several occasions where an individual with autism is going through a tantrum or a very hard situation and how music has helped them to overcome it in a pretty magical way. I have seen kids go from crying on the floor to laughing out loud simply by starting to play the guitar.

In 2017, I was honored to be invited to give a speech and share my story at the world known motivational conferences called TED Talks. It was back when I was studying at my university, so it was called TEDxFIU. I had never really done public speaking at that level, but life surprised me with that opportunity and I couldn’t resist but to give it a try. That day really gave my life a before and after. After my speech, my brother came onto the stage too and we were surprised by a standing ovation. I got so many beautiful and inspiring comments that I said to myself “I must write my story on paper so that more people can read it and hopefully be inspired”. That is when I started dreaming about publishing my first book. And it wasn’t until now, June of 2022, that I was finally able to publish my first book “My Golden Brother”. I am extremely happy with the final result and the feedback that I have received so far. I really showed my most vulnerable side in this book, and even though it wasn’t easy, I know it was worth it. The book is also available in Spanish, “Mi Hermano de Oro”. Both versions are available on Amazon Prime and in our website www.autismandmusic.org

As previously mentioned, thanks to my brother I found out that I have a talent and passion for music. Thanks to him I discovered a side of me that I never even imagined existed. In 2017, I met my husband Dani, who is also a musician, and together we started our world music band called “Palmardelu”. We call it world-music because we incorporate various different genres including reggae, ska, rock, bossa, and more. Our lyrics have a very important characteristic which is that all of our songs talk about positive things. We want our fans to feel good, connect with their hearts, and elevate their souls when they sing our songs. I am very aware of how music affects our subconscious mind and how it touches our soul in a way nothing else can. Through our unique sound and proposal we want to invite our followers to understand the purpose of why we share our music with the world. And that is, to bring love and well-being. Also, to share with them the importance of inclusión and invite them to learn more about our parallel movement “Autism And Music”. To listen to our music you can find us on Youtube or Spotify as “Palmardelu”.

To learn more about Autism And Music visit:
www.autismandmusic.org
Instagram / Facebook @autismnmusic
[email protected]

Palmardelu:
www.palmardelu.com
Instagram / Facebook @palmardelu
[email protected]

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The mission that drives my creative journey is to be able to inspire the world to be more kind and loving with ourselves and with others through my music.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is to bring love, healing, and happiness to myself and to others by doing what I love to do the most, play music.

Contact Info:

• Website: autismandmusic.org / palmardelu.com
• Instagram: @kaysermusic / @autismnmusic / @palmardelu
• Facebook: Patricia Kayser / Autism And Music / Palmardelu
• Linkedin: Patricia Kayser
• Twitter: @kaysermusic / @autismnmusic / @palmardelu
• Youtube: Autism And Music / Palmardelu

Image Credits
Bryan Garces Jorge Martinez Daniraw