“ They will continue to develop and mature and will have even more opportunities over time . They ’ re serious musicians and they ’ re going to earn people ’ s respect .”
At first glance , this quartet of rock musicians looks like any other band : there ’ s a lead singer , bassist , guitarist and drummer , churning out a variety of rock tunes in front of a live audience .
What makes this band unique , however , is that all four of its members have autism spectrum disorder , a developmental condition that affects a person ’ s communication and social interaction abilities and can lead to obsessive or repetitive behaviors .
Aptly named Spectrum , the band consists of Christopher Brozek , 24 , of North Huntingdon ; Justin Laus , 22 , of Penn Hills ; Bobby McGrath , 17 , of New Kensington ; and Erin Mullins , 14 , of Baldwin .
The band formed after John Vento , founder of the popular Nied ’ s Hotel Band , invited Brozek , Laus and McGrath to sit in with his band on occasion .
“ The parents started communicating with each other , and started talking about getting the kids together to form a band ,” says Vento , who has several close family members and friends on the spectrum , including his godson .
That was about a year ago ; since then , Spectrum has opened up for the Nied ’ s Hotel Band on several occasions , raising money for Band Together Pittsburgh , a charitable organization launched by Vento and Ronnie “ Moondog ” Esser that supports “ differently abled ” children and their families . Still , Vento stresses that Spectrum is not a “ pity charity .” “ These are good musicians who rehearse and work the craft ,” he says . “ They will continue to develop and mature and will have even more opportunities over time . They ’ re serious musicians and they ’ re going to earn people ’ s respect .”
Brozek , for one , has been drumming for about 12 years . A 2011 graduate of Norwin High School , he played with the high school band ’ s front ensemble for five years and continues to perform with the Westmoreland County Community College community band . His mother , Lisa Brozek , says that music transcends the trouble her son has with verbal communication .
“ As a mom , I ’ m proud and thrilled that he ’ s able to play and to have people hear him play ,” she says . “ He ’ s an inspiration to others who might have children on the spectrum . There ’ s no limit to what he can accomplish .”
Drum teacher Chris Belin has been working with Brozek since 2004 and says that even though he learns differently than other students , he ’ s a standout student .
“ Christopher goes above and beyond in his playing and strives for perfection . He exceeds my expectations ,” says Belin , who owns the Chris Belin Traveling Drum School . “ Drumming seems to captivate him .”
Since joining the band , Belin has seen a marked improvement in Brozek ’ s ability to improvise .
“ He ’ s become a lot more intuitive as a musician . He ’ s learning how to react to the other band members ,” he explains .
Spectrum Band performs with Bobby McGrath on keyboard / vocals , Justin Laus on guitar and Erin Mullins on bass .
When asked how he feels about playing in the band , Brozek says , “ Happy . Excited .” His favorite song to play is “ Play that Funky Music ” by the band Wild Cherry .
Mike McGrath also has seen a marked improvement in his son Bobby ’ s skills as a vocalist and keyboard player . Bobby , who is a senior at Valley High School , didn ’ t talk until he was four years old , but now can “ sing like Ray Charles ,” says his father .
“ He ’ s always had the ability to sing and play , but this band has absolutely allowed his talent to grow ,” adds McGrath . “ He ’ s taking the talent God gave him and running with it .”
Sherri Laus says that her son Justin also has “ come out of his shell ” since joining the band .
“ He ’ s proud of himself , and of his musical ability ,” she says . “ And while each of the band ’ s members have their challenges , when it comes to music , autism doesn ’ t limit them .”
Mullins , who is a freshman at Baldwin High School ,
“ They will continue to develop and mature and will have even more opportunities over time . They ’ re serious musicians and they ’ re going to earn people ’ s respect .”
joined the band in late summer as the bass player . She also plays guitar , saxophone and some piano .
“ I give them a lot of credit for getting up and performing ,” says Beverly Hartman , Mullins ’ mother . “ She really enjoys what she ’ s doing . She ’ s having fun . Any free moment she gets , she ’ s playing music .”
Spectrum has performed at Moondog ’ s in Blawnox , Zander ’ s in Plum , Jergel ’ s in Warrendale , the Lamp Theatre in Irwin , the Autism Speaks Walk in Schenley Park , and City of Asylum on the North Side . n
Norwin | Winter 2016 | icmags . com 15