Autism Acceptance Month: A Spotlight on Tim Arnold
April 18, 2024
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a recognition created by and for people on the autism spectrum. This movement aims to de-stigmatize conversations about autism by promoting a cultural shift towards true inclusion.
It is important we center autistic voices every month of the year, especially in the arts. Our creative spaces are often sanctuaries for those seeking welcoming, accepting environments.
People on the spectrum have profoundly influenced all art forms, and classical music is no exception. One of those influential people is Tim Arnold.
A London-born artist known for his work as musician, composer, and even film director, Arnold has explored the classical music genre extensively as a solo and collaborative artist, though he’s more commonly regarded for his work in the rock genre and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. In his career, spanning nearly three decades, he has worked with names such as Iggy Pop and Lindsay Kemp, who mentored David Bowie and Kate Bush. Arnold’s extensive, genre-bending body of work includes three albums with the Britpop band, Jocasta, and over 20 solo albums.
Arnold has been vocal about being autistic, having been diagnosed in 2022. He spoke candidly about being diagnosed later in life in a Medium article back in 2023 saying, “Getting a late diagnosis is like someone lifting a veil from all the signposts.”
In the same article, he goes on to say how music has provided him a coping mechanism for the way he processes the world: “My music has not been, as I and others thought, an artistic pursuit. It’s been my way of calming my brain.”
We’ve chosen to spotlight one of three classical albums by Tim Arnold, an incredibly complex and layered project entitled Sonnet 155.
Sonnet 155 began with Arnold’s love of Shakespeare, and his desire to connect “the spiritual advancement of humanity” to the literary giant. To create this album, Arnold wrote more than thirty letters to icons of the Shakespearean stage such as Sir Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. His hope was that their thoughts on Shakespeare’s works would provide inspiration for the songs on the album.
The result was an eleven song album that “re-interprets Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov and Michael Nyman.” It explores themes of love and death with truly epic rock/classical fusion songs. Three live shows at the legendary Almeida Theatre followed the album’s release. These multimedia performances included readings and other contributions from veteran actors, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Lisa Dillon.
Sonnet 155 is one of many complex and beautiful works by Tim Arnold. His other classical works include his albums, Sound to Pictures Vol. 1 & 2 and Restrung. Arnold’s most recent album Super Connected, is an art-rock album that explores modern technology and mental health. It is available to stream on Spotify.
During Autism Acceptance Month, we celebrate and recognize those on the autism spectrum, including Tim Arnold. To learn more about how to support the autism self-advocacy movement, head to the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network website.
Pictured: Tim Arnold, courtesy timarnold.co.uk