Joel Sidney of Berkeley has joined the band Spectrum Bluegrass. He performed with the band on guitar this spring at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. The band’s next show will be at the South State 48 gathering in Carlsbad in November. The band members are all on the autism spectrum. The band and the support group for bluegrass musicians with autism was founded at the CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley.
Joel is a longtime NCBS member and a regular at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and other area bluegrass events. He is the first autistic civilian employee of the Berkeley Police Department. He joins a number of other musicians on the spectrum who play and enjoy bluegrass.
The Spectrum band has been getting attention of late from news out lets across the country.
Spectrum Bluegrass plays Autism Speaks in LA – Bluegrass Today
This music project uses bluegrass to bring people on the autism spectrum together : NPR