The Acoustic for Autism Story ...
"As they were wrapping up the album, something happened to turn Mike's world upside down..."
In the midst of his struggle to understand the implications for his child and his family, the project took on personal significance for Mike. "We both realized that us getting reunited at this particular time in our lives wasn't just some random thing," says Louis.
"... magical ... a profound listening experience"
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"As far as the actual songs, he explains, "I didn't want them to be specifically about autism -- I wanted them to convey messages of hope. When I listen to each song, I can hear the range of emotions I've gone through and continue to go through on a daily basis. This CD is really dedicated to all of the parents out there who are in the trenches, battling for their kids every day." A Boston Globe review of the CD calls it "...magical...a profound listening experience." 100% of all of proceeds from Acoustic for Autism go to autism charities in the US. "No one who contributed to this project took any money in any way," says Louis. CLICK IMAGE AT RIGHT TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE TO LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OR PURCHASE THE ALBUM. |
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More About Louis Gendron and Mike Cusanelli ...
"I grew up in a musical house, learning drums (from my father) and guitar," explains Louis. "Around the age of five, I got to hang out in the studio with Foghat when they were recording their classic album Fool for the City, catching the rock music "bug" at an early age.
For over 20 years, Louis has worked on music videos (Cowboy Junkies, Alice in Chains Metallica, Queensryche); television (Unsolved Mysteries, Friends, Ally McBeal), documentaries (Ken Burns' Baseball) and feature films (The Insider, True Crime).
After a hiatus from film, he is preparing to start work on a documentary film about two brothers who have recovered from autism. He's also working on an original podcast and continuing to help fellow ASD parents.
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Mike has worked in almost every facet of the music industry over the last 20 years. At Putumayo World Music, he supervised all aspects of the company's traditional and non-traditional sales and merchandising. His efforts resulted in multiple releases appearing on the Billboard World Music Chart as well as the label being nominated for three consecutive NARM Label of the Year Awards.
Since 2008, when he joined World Sound Label Group as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, he has helped the label's debut artist (an Acoustic for Autism contributing artist), Anuhea, to be selected as a Discovery Download by iTunes, resulting in multiple weeks on the World Music and Heat Seekers charts.
