Whiz Kid: Owen Saunders

Whiz Kid's Name: Owen Saunders

Whiz Kid's Age:  11

Whiz Kid's School:  Pelham Middle School

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment:

When Bill Shea, creative director for Autism Speaks, happened upon Owen Saunders’ self-mixed electronic pop tracks on Facebook, Shea knew he found the inspiration—and sound—for the organization's “Light it up Blue” campaign. Shea commissioned the 11-year-old to produce a song for the organization’s April 1 initiative, which asks businesses, homes, places of worship and even websites to turn on blue lights to raise awareness for autism.

Within two days, Owen toiled at his home computer to produce“Light it Up Blue,” a piece so uplifting, that Shea gave the green light for the song to get recorded. Owen, along with 10 other neighborhood kids, recorded the lyrics in a studio in Mamaroneck, under the guidance of Pelham’s choir director Eric Katz. Since getting posted on the Autism Speaks YouTube channel, the campaign’s official song has garnered more than 7,000 hits.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness:

Though Owen plays just about “everything,” and taught himself how to mix tracks using his Mac software, his mom, Sue Cirillo, was initially worried that the project might be too daunting for the sixth grader. Just two days after Sue told Owen about the initiative, she reminded her son, that “this is the real deal.” Owen replied with a cool, “I wrote it already.”

While it helps that Owen “inherited the music gene,” according to mom, he assiduously seeks out musical inspiration in places unlikely for a middle schooler. While driving in the car, Owen often can identify 60s and 70s rock legends, like Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. But while his skills speak volumes, Owen is the humble, low key kind of artist—you’ll only see him make a brief appearance at the piano on the “Light it up Blue” video.