Shenzhen autistic group gives harmony an enticing and inspiring voice

The musical journey of this ensemble started with the mother of one member.

At 20, Beibei started to learn piano, for which he showed great talent and passion. With the efforts and company of his mother, Sun Lili, Beibei made something of himself in competitions and on TV.

"Many people got to know Beibei through music and gradually came to understand the autistic community. I wondered if we could bring those with autistic spectrum disorders together and connect them in the world of music," says Sun.

The idea of creating an ensemble was born in 2013.

It was a bumpy ride at the time when it started. There was no training space or teacher. Sun decided to use her home as a classroom and invited Beibei's piano teacher in to lead the ensemble.

As it takes longer for autistic people to process information, their mothers must memorize all the key points in class and practice the musical pieces with their children at home until they have a good command of all the chord changes and scales.

The ensemble soon secured its first performance opportunity in 2013. It was on a concrete open-air stage in a village with a sparse audience. Wearing full costumes in searing heat, the ensemble members brought their first musical piece to the audience.

"Our kids can cooperate too. They're amazing kids," Sun says. She still remembers the members' sweat-soaked shirts and the mothers' eyes filled with tears of joy.