In conjunction with the United Nations’ annual Autism Awareness campaign, persons with autism will be performing in a concert hand-in-hand with the stars come May 8.
WHEN it comes to lending a hand to special needs groups, musician Edwin Nathaniel never misses a beat. Although he has a tight schedule, Edwin, the front man of the legendary Aseana Percussion Unit (APU), is determined to make time for his pet projects.
“I have always enjoyed doing social work through church and other community groups. Besides, I love kids,” says the father of two. So when he was approached by one of the members of the support group Parents’ Resource for Autism (PR4A) on the possibility of training and performing with their autistic children, Edwin did not hesitate.
Although it is his first time working with persons with autism on drums and percussions, he is no stranger to teaming up with other special needs groups.
For the past eight years, Edwin has been teaching students at the Selangor and Federal Territory Spastic Children’s Association (SCAS) in Petaling Jaya on a weekly basis to get them into the groove of creating their own unique brand of music with drums, percussions and even cooking utensils.
APU started out as an ensemble of four in 1998 and over the years, the band has expanded to encompass a culturally diverse group of musicians numbering 11. It earns the distinction of being the band that creates its own music with a fusion of jazz and ethnic music, using a myriad of drums and percussions.
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