Farley Mifsud paced the floor at his Vancouver Island home while waiting for the video equipment to be set up, for a special afternoon recording.

乌鸦传媒淗e likes to pace,乌鸦传媒� said his mom, Katrina.

Once the gear was in place, Farley picked up his guitar, sat down, and played his own version of the iconic Mason Williams instrumental, Classical Gas.

Four minutes later, after an emphatic conclusion to the song, Farley looked up, and smiled.

乌鸦传媒淲ell done, Farley,乌鸦传媒� understated Katrina.

It was a performance one would expect to hear from a musician with decades of experience; not from a 17-year-old with autism.

Farley is one of more than 200 children and youth in the Comox Valley living with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

乌鸦传媒淚 started [playing guitar] seven years ago,乌鸦传媒� Farley said after his first performance of the day. 乌鸦传媒淲hen I first started, AC/DC was the band that I enjoyed listening to, so I just wanted to learn songs by them. When I learned stuff of theirs, it was very exciting.乌鸦传媒�

Exciting, and unusual.

Farley does not read music.

He learns by ear, and with visual aids.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a combination of listening, and watching someone else playing,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 actually easier for me, than reading music.乌鸦传媒�

He started by surfing the internet and finding instructional videos on sites such as YouTube.

Now he has a multitude of local mentors helping him out.

乌鸦传媒淚 have three guitar teachers, and they are all very different,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淥ne of them is into jazz, although he teaches me everything. His name is Jeff [Drummond].乌鸦传媒�

Alan Jossul and Oscar Robles are also teaching Farley.

And he乌鸦传媒檚 a quick study. He said it took him three months to learn Classical Gas.

乌鸦传媒淚 watched Tommy Emmanuel play Classical Gas, and I slowed down the audio so I could hear what he was doing,乌鸦传媒� said Farley. 乌鸦传媒淪ome parts I wanted to play exactly like he was doing. Some parts I wanted to do it my own way.乌鸦传媒�

His story is one of inspiration, and a beacon of hope for all families affected by ASD.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been life-changing, actually,乌鸦传媒� said Katrina. 乌鸦传媒淎s a mother, seeing what music has done for him, in terms of communicating with other people, it乌鸦传媒檚 provided a bridge for him in the community. It乌鸦传媒檚 not just the musicians, either. It乌鸦传媒檚 the people who support music in the Valley 乌鸦传媒� those who come out and watch him, those who have played with him before, it just goes on and on. It乌鸦传媒檚 been amazing for both of us. It has changed my life as well.乌鸦传媒�

Farley said the sound of music is what draws him to it.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a very powerful sound,乌鸦传媒� he said.

That, in itself, makes his story all the more unusual.

Processing sensory information is a common challenge for those with an autism diagnosis. Music, in particular, was an issue for Farley in his younger years; so much so that Katrina, a gifted musician herself, had to put away her own guitar for many years.

乌鸦传媒淔arley did not like music when he was little,乌鸦传媒� said Katrina. 乌鸦传媒淗e had a lot of sensory challenges, and one of them was noise.乌鸦传媒�

That created its own challenge for Katrina.

乌鸦传媒淢usic is my passion. I grew up playing guitar and listening to music. When Farley was young, if I put music on in the house, or if I pulled out my guitar and played, he would cover his ears and scream. It was a source of stress.乌鸦传媒�

That all changed one day, seven years ago, when Katrina乌鸦传媒檚 guitar was out of its case.

乌鸦传媒淔arley picked it up, and was holding it, and I saw the way he was strumming it, and he was listening very carefully to the sound. I could see it was affecting him, and I was just praying that he would take to it. I could tell by the way he turned his head, to get closer to the sound coming from the guitar, that he liked it. That was a pretty powerful moment for me. Sure enough, he decided he wanted to learn, and that was it. It乌鸦传媒檚 been great ever since.乌鸦传媒�

Farley has had a lot of help from the Comox Valley arts community in exploring and expanding his love for music.

Drummond introduced Farley to 乌鸦传媒楻ock Camp,乌鸦传媒� and Katrina said camps like that one, and in more recent years, the Hornby Island Blues Workshop, have been extremely therapeutic.

乌鸦传媒淭here was a connection that was happening with Farley and his teachers,乌鸦传媒� said Katrina. 乌鸦传媒淔arley has built really good connections with them, not just musically, but as friends. Seeing those connections happen was one thing, but then, when Farley was 15, I took him to Hornby [for the blues workshop] 乌鸦传媒� they believe music creates community. And that乌鸦传媒檚 exactly what happened. It transformed Farley乌鸦传媒檚 life. He said it was the best week of his life.

乌鸦传媒淭he connection that happens with musicians when they work together乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 unique. The connection that happens between musicians can be quite intense. It乌鸦传媒檚 unspoken. For somebody who has autism, and experiences that kind of connection with another musician, it乌鸦传媒檚 even bigger, because the parts of the brain that light up when that connection happens are key to their development.

乌鸦传媒淔arley says we have to go back [to Hornby Island Blues Workshop] every year, for the rest of his life now.乌鸦传媒�

Farley and Katrina often join Jilli Martini on stage at local venues.

乌鸦传媒淗ow many moms get to do that with their kids? It乌鸦传媒檚 such a great feeling to perform with him,乌鸦传媒� said Katrina.

The Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC) chose Farley to be the recipient of its $5,000 Morgan guitar in 2016. (Every year the CYMC loans a Morgan guitar to an aspiring musician. The guitar was originally donated to the group by former Comox Valley resident John Shimeld.) When that loan of the Morgan was due, another professional stepped up to help Farley.

乌鸦传媒淚 loved this guitar so much, I didn乌鸦传媒檛 want to give it away. It was the best guitar I乌鸦传媒檇 ever heard in my whole life,乌鸦传媒� said Farley. 乌鸦传媒淏ut I knew I had to give it back, so I decided to save up to by another Morgan.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚 got lucky 乌鸦传媒� twice. First of all, I got to keep the Morgan guitar for more than a year 乌鸦传媒� almost two years. But then I also got to meet the guy who makes Morgan guitars, David Iannone. I got to meet him, and he told me how he makes these guitars, and then he let me have one for a very good price. I did not expect that. It was unbelievable.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淓ver since Farley got that first one, he knew he wanted his own, so he started saving every penny he got 乌鸦传媒� birthday money, everything,乌鸦传媒� said Katrina. 乌鸦传媒淚 knew it was going to take a long time to save that kind of money, and I didn乌鸦传媒檛 want him to get discouraged, so I thought it would be a good idea to maybe go [to Vancouver], pick out a guitar and maybe put a deposit down. David was just so wonderful. He gave us a really good deal.乌鸦传媒�

Farley has started learning the piano as well.

乌鸦传媒淚 started piano because I was trying to learn a piano song on guitar, but then changed my mind and have decided to learn it on the piano,乌鸦传媒� he said.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not an easy piece he is learning,乌鸦传媒� added Katrina. It乌鸦传媒檚 a Rachmaninoff [Concerto No. 2 in C Minor].乌鸦传媒�

Farley hopes to someday make a living playing music.

乌鸦传媒淵eah. That would be great,乌鸦传媒� he said.

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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