Music, Community and a Cause Close to Our Hearts
At Sable Audio, supporting our music community has always meant more than what happens inside a rehearsal room or recording studio. Sometimes it means showing up somewhere completely different, picking up a guitar, sitting behind a drum kit or running sound because music can help bring people together for something that matters.
Recently, Avery had the opportunity to be part of two fundraisers supporting Autism Nova Scotia, a cause that hits particularly close to home for us. Both Avery and Hope are autistic and ADHD. Neurodivergence is part of who we are, how we experience the world and, inevitably, part of the perspective we bring to building Sable Audio.
And in the case of one of these fundraisers, the connection is even more personal...
From One End of Nova Scotia to the Other
The first event was the kickoff party for Landon's Tip-to-Tip Run.
Landon Smith is taking on the enormous challenge of running more than 780 kilometres across Nova Scotia in support of Autism Nova Scotia. The run was inspired in part by his autistic nephew and a desire to help autistic children and their families access support and resources. That family is connected to ours, too.
Landon's nephew is also Hope's cousin.
So when Avery was asked to provide music for the launch party, this wasn't simply an opportunity to perform at a fundraiser for an organization we care about. It was a chance to support a cause that intersects with our own experiences as autistic people, our family and our wider community.
For the launch party, Avery traded the distortion and metalcore for an acoustic guitar. Performing solo on acoustic guitar and vocals, Avery provided the music while the community came together to send Landon off and support the cause.
And that community showed up.
The launch party raised $1,726, plus a $100 gas card to help support the journey.
It was a pretty incredible beginning for something that will ultimately stretch from one end of Nova Scotia to the other.
Another Show, Same Cause
Not long after Landon's Tip-to-Tip launch party, Sable Audio had another opportunity to support Autism Nova Scotia through music.
The second annual Midday Show, organized by Michael Butz and held at Knox United Church in Lower Sackville, brought musicians and community members together for another fundraiser benefiting Autism Nova Scotia Bedford-Sackville.
This time, Avery swapped his guitar for a seat behind the drum kit.
Oliver Carter opened the show before Michael was joined by Nick Murray on guitar, Tyler Mello on bass and Avery filling in on drums. Sable Audio also helped with front-of-house sound for the event.
The Midday Show raised $531.35 for Autism Nova Scotia Bedford-Sackville.
Between the two events, that's $2,257.35 raised for Autism Nova Scotia, before even counting the additional $100 gas card donated to support Landon's run.
Two very different shows.
One shared purpose.
Why This Matters to Sable Audio
There's an obvious reason this cause is personal for us.
Sable Audio is being built by neurodivergent people. Both Avery and Hope know firsthand that being autistic and ADHD can shape the way you communicate, work, create, socialize and move through spaces that weren't necessarily designed with your brain in mind.
For Hope, there's another layer to that connection. Autism isn't only part of her own experience. It's present within her family as well.
There's also a strong connection between neurodivergence and the way many of us experience music. For us, music has been a way to communicate, create, connect with other people and find community. It's also introduced us to countless other neurodivergent musicians who have found their own sense of belonging within the music scene.
That's part of why accessibility and inclusion matter to us as Sable Audio grows.
We want the music community we're helping build to have room for different kinds of people, different brains, different communication styles and different ways of creating. Supporting organizations and community members doing work for autistic Nova Scotians is one small way we can put that belief into practice.
Music Can Do More
Neither of these events was about Sable Audio.
That's important.
We didn't organize them. We weren't the reason people donated. We were simply fortunate enough to be invited to contribute something we know how to do.
Music.
Landon's launch party raised $1,726 because a community came together behind what he's trying to accomplish.
The Midday Show raised another $531.35 because musicians, organizers, volunteers, a venue and an audience all contributed their pieces.
We're proud that Avery and Sable Audio got to be two of those pieces. And whenever possible, we want to keep showing up. Because supporting local music isn't only about getting people onto stages. Sometimes it's about using those stages to support the communities we're part of.
For us, this is one of those causes that will always be close to our hearts.