Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ? - Understanding Autism Through Music: An Acoustic Evening for a Cause

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

Send us a text We broadcast live from the Nashville Palace for a special remote podcast supporting "An Acoustic Evening for Autism," bringing together musicians who share their personal connections to autism awareness. • Jamie O'Neill describes how having a cousin with autism inspired her participation in the benefit concert • Jamie emphasizes the importance of slowing down in our fast-paced world to accommodate different needs • Minnie Murphy reveals her 5-year-old son is on the autism spectrum, sharing his special abilities like perfect pitch • Minnie performs original songs celebrating individuality and seeing the beauty others miss • Both guests praise Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center for their exceptional work in autism research and treatment • Our guests emphasize autism shouldn't be viewed as a permanent condition but as a different perspective • The conversation highlights how patience, active listening, and embracing differences creates understanding Tell everyone everywhere about Why Not Me? The World, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are not alone in this world.   https://tonymantor.com https://Facebook.com/tonymantor https://instagram.com/tonymantor https://twitter.com/tonymantor https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI) The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk. Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Why Not Me The World Podcast, hosted by Tony Mantor. Broadcasting from Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as our guests tell us their stories. Some will make your laugh, some will make you cry. Real life people who will inspire and show that you are not alone in this world. hopefully you gain more awareness, acceptance, and a better understanding for autism around the world. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor, and welcome to today's episode of Why Not Me the World. We're recording live at the Nashville Palace for a special remote podcast, unscripted, unedited, and full of heart.

Tonight's episode supports an acoustic evening for autism, a show happening right here this evening. We're thrilled to bring you this country experience, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we're enjoying sharing it with you. We've got two fantastic guests join us tonight. This is week number three of three that I'll be featuring two guests per episode to dive into everything we're covering right here tonight. Thanks for tuning in. Okay, I'm here with Jamie O'Neill. Thanks for coming on. Thank you. Glad to be here. So tell me, what is your journey to get to this show tonight for autism? Well, my journey is I have a relationship with Chuck Rhodes, who is working with the committee to help them put on an event such as this. And I love Chuck and close ties to autism.

I had a cousin who was autistic and my aunt passed away. And so it's definitely near and dear to my heart. And, you know, it's hard to me as an entertainer to say no to charities when it's number one, it is important. The cause is important, but just overall, we're lucky to get to do what we do. And if someone asks us to be there, it is hard to say no. I live in Nashville. I'm right here. It's like, what's my excuse? Exactly. So what, it's, and it's always nice when you can use your platform to help others. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, we are, like I said, lucky to get to do what we do. So anytime that someone asks us, it is an honor. that's like, oh, thank you for wanting me there, you know, whatever I can do to add to the night, hopefully.

Yeah, and autism is so misunderstood with so many people that we need events like this, not only to help them financially, but to help get the word out there about what the challenges are that they face on a daily basis. Right, absolutely. Anything, I mean, I have a daughter who's 21, and I know going through school, you know, all the years through elementary to middle school, you know every child's experience is a different one and any challenge that is there needs to be met and needs to be fostered and like you know maybe they need extra time on a test you know you don't know what someone's going through and I think it's important because we live in such a fast-paced world

to understand that you know no matter where you are on the spectrum many people are whether it's a kid or an adult, that sometimes it is the extra time. Sometimes it's the patience that we need. And like I said, you know, the fast-paced thing really gets to us. But it's beautiful when you see a child who takes that extra time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. And if we could be like that, if we could be more appreciative of all the little things in life and slow down and realize that whatever they need, if they need to go that slow, that's how slow we need to go. And it's always nice to, when you work on a project or doing a show, you can go up there in front of 5,000, 10,000 people, whatever the number may be. And it's enjoyable.

And you put on your show and the people enjoy what you do. But there's a different sense of value when you do something like this, when you know that the people are there to support the autism part of it. And you're there to support the autism. So it's a completely different feeling in what you're putting out. Yeah. Yeah, and we're all there for the common goal and the common good, you know, of helping those in need. Right. Yeah, it just feels like you've accomplished something, at least when I'm working on a project and it's a music project, it's like I feel good that I did it.

But when I'm working on a project and it's finishing up like an interview with an autistic person or whatever, it feels like I accomplished something. Yeah, absolutely. completely different thought process i can see that yeah yeah so how many songs you're doing tonight three three okay and um anything that you want to tell the listeners that you think is important that they hear about what you're trying to do with the with the autism i think um gosh i'm you know i'm definitely not an expert i just i just feel like vanderbilt is amazing first of all yes And I have, I've been to Vanderbilt for physical therapy, whether it's on my voice, my vocal cords, whether it's, you know, PT for my back, my muscles, whatever it may be. And so I think that they do such great work.

They do. And they're a learning hospital and they're a teaching hospital. And those are many things that we all need. And so I have a lot of respect. When I go there, I've always had a great experience. And I think there's only been a couple of other charities. I've been involved with for Vanderbilt, and I've always been just grateful to be there

because of the experiences I've had with them. Well, good. Well, I appreciate you coming on. Thank you. Thank you for asking. Yeah, thanks. Okay, I'm here with Minnie Murphy, and she's one of the performers tonight for autism.

Thanks for coming on. Yeah, thanks for having me. And what led you to do this show for autism tonight? Well, my sister, Jamie, He invited me to do it. And I have a son that's five, and he's on the spectrum. And so it just made total sense, you know. Oh, okay.

I love to support everybody that's going through that and the research with autism. And, yeah, so I just happy to be here and share some music and have a good night. So you say that your son is autistic? That's what they've diagnosed him with. And how old is he? He's five.

Oh, okay, all right. With that said, it appears that you're getting a lived experience of this. So this way you can not only help people, but you can also bring more understanding to them about it. Yeah, it's not something that I fully understand. I mean, I don't even really believe it, to be honest. To me, he's just a regular kid. Sure. I guess he has some sort of behavioral things that are equated with autism.

He'll organize things, line things up, and kind of, he's really into trains and straight lines. And sometimes he'll get in the zone with that. But he's a great singer. Nice. Like, even if you are singing a song in one key and then you change the key, he'll follow you. He's got perfect pitch. And he's got an incredible memory. So I've heard that, you know, people call it a superpower.

And so I'm just going to embrace that, you know, and I think it's important that we, in general, with children, get rid of these ideas of milestones and when people are supposed to attain certain things with their development. So for me, I feel like tonight is about celebrating people's individuality and their authenticity and their own pace. Right. And just cultivating a supportive environment for the uniqueness of each person. Absolutely. And that's really what it is. The biggest thing that I found while doing this podcast is the misunderstanding.

of what people think autism actually is, the closer we can get to people understanding, and that's what this show does. It helps raise money to go to the Kennedy Center at Vanderbilt to help better understand autism and help people get that understanding. So I think this is a great thing. Yeah, and I chose to sing two original songs,

as well as the Doobie Brothers Long Train Run, just because that's a fun one, you know, without love. You know, where would we be now? But the first song is called Do You, and that's just all about staying true to yourself. Yeah. And leaving your beauty mark that sets you apart is one of the lines. And I just feel like that was a great message.

And then the other song I sang is called Beauty Hunter. And I dedicated that to my son. And that was hard for me to get through. I didn't want to cry, but I just feel like when someone is different and special, like on the autism spectrum or just children in general, or everybody for that matter, we all have our unique perspective. Absolutely. And he points out the beauty in life.

And it'll be, you know, little tiny things that he will show me. And so that's what the beauty hunter is about. Yeah, that's great. And I heard it. Great song. Thanks. Yeah, yeah. And that's the beauty of being able to get up on stage and do something like that.

Because it's your talent that brings it and also a platform you have that can open other people's eyes to what autistic people have to go through. Mm-hmm. Yeah, they say. I reached out to the autism centers of America, I think is the name of it. And they had me watch this movie. I'm trying to remember the name of it. But anyway, in the movie, what they do to get on the level of the kid that's autistic is repeat what they're doing. So if they're flapping their hands or they're going back and forth and stimming in a straight line or whatever, do it with them.

and show that, you know, that you're supportive of them and you're on their wavelength, and then that trust and the anxiety can go away to where they can start to communicate. It's all about communicating. Sometimes my son, his little chin will quiver, and he might have trouble finding the right words. He's gotten so much better.

But I think, you know, it's up to us to be patient and show them, you know, that it's okay. They were right there with them and, you know, all that. And the great thing is that you both get to learn together. So it's something that you can embrace, you learn together, and you can go down that journey. because autism is so much more than what people think it is. Because back in the day, they thought it was a death sentence. And it's not. It's just something that people have to learn from and build.

So from what I'm hearing and seeing, I think you're in a really good place. Yeah, and I do believe that people do improve, you know, like... Yeah. It's definitely not something that is permanent, you know, like... There's therapies, and I think the therapies are always built around patients and just like, you know, being right there with them. Yeah. With how they're viewing the world. Exactly.

And it gives you a different perspective as well. You might see something a little different than you see what they see. Totally. I think, you know, it's always great to look at the world through someone else's eyes. Absolutely. So what would you like to leave the listeners with that they should know about tonight? I mean, I think that's kind of what we just said is such a powerful thing to sort of sit with. I think just being an active listener, you know, and being patient. Yeah.

And embracing each other's differences as a good, thing and also an opportunity for learning, like you said. Right. I think that's what it's all about. And just don't let anybody deter you from the idea that this is a death sentence or so me, permanent condition, because in the side of everyone is that light, you know, that we all live. that source, that light within, that has an infinite potential to grow. And, you know, if we can just let people shine the way that they are.

Absolutely. Well, I appreciate you taking the time to come on. Yeah, thank you so much. I really appreciate it to you. Yeah, thanks. All right. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to our show today. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.

If you know anyone that would like to tell us their story, send them to tonymentor.com. Contact, then they can give us their information so one day they may be a guest on our show. One more thing we ask, tell everyone everywhere about why not me the world, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone, everywhere, that you are not alone in this world.