Like most teenage girls, one group of Montreal friends can’t get enough of singer Billie Eilish.
“I like her performing, the way she performs,” said 13-year-old Jade Ceausu-Raichman.
Her friend Kayla Patak, who is a few years older, added, “I love her remix with Justin Bieber. I love that mix, it’s very good.”
They wanted to buy tickets to her February concert at the Bell Centre, but when they went to Evenko’s website, the show was completely sold out.
Now the girls, who all sing in the band Fireball Rainbow are asking for the public’s help.
“I hope someone will buy tickets for us,” said Fireball Rainbow member Hebe Xia.
Fireball Rainbow meets once a week. The band, started by Westmount Music Therapy, is geared towards girls with autism.
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“Everything that they’re going through, all of their challenges and strengths that come from them having autism, they’re able to connect with each other and not feel so alone,” said music therapist and owner of Westmount Music Therapy Alison Usher-Jones.
The teens express their emotions through song, exploring different topics like what it’s like to be a teenager, as a form of music therapy.
“It makes me feel relaxed and calm,” said Ceausu-Raichman.
Over the past five years, the eight girls have built meaningful friendships.
Thirteen-year-old Madison Erskine-Gervais told Global News that she loves the time she gets to spend with her friends.
“I really appreciate them. I love all of them very equally. They’re all very nice to me,” said Patak.
Now they want to experience a concert together — an activity typical teenage girls may take for granted.
“I want to go to a concert with people my age,” said thirteen year-old Xia.
The 19-year-old singer-songwriter is a role model for the girls. Their music therapist says Eilish shows them that being different is okay.
Usher-Jones said that Billie Eilish inadvertently has shown this group of girls that being yourself, expressing yourself the way that you want to and have to through music is accepted.
They are hoping to get seven to 10 tickets for the girls and adult supervision so they can dance to their favourite artist in person.
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