Entertainment News: Grammy winner Jennifer Decilveo plays Santa for Spectrum Laboratory

(Info from press release)

Grammy-winner Decilveo recently gifted gear to LA-based neurodivergent music and creative training ground Spectrum Laboratory

Decilveo also co-composed an original song with Spec Labs musical artists on the autism spectrum, and there’s more collaboration to come

Spec Labs closes a banner year with a video montage of accomplishments and a fundraising campaign

On November 24 at Fever Studios in North Hollywood, and in the form of talented musical multi-hyphenate Jennifer Decilveo, Kris Kringle embarked on a pre-Christmas Eve stop. This altruistic adventure directly benefitted the Spec Labs Records division of Spectrum Laboratory: a noteworthy day program for neurodivergent artists. Consequently, Decilveo’s generosity made waves of sound and in status quo. The resulting single is set for release in early 2025, and the effort hints at a gift that keeps on giving.

Last month, Grammy-winning music producer, performer, and songwriter Decilveo donated premium equipment to Spec Labs - the nearly 10-year-old Los Angeles neurodivergent creative collective and school - for student use. With the shiny new instruments and accessories, Spec Labs autistic musicians swiftly jumped into a sound booth and collaborated with Decilveo on a tune intended for public consumption. This initial meeting-of-minds also inspired talks of an encore in the near future.

Spectrum Laboratory co-founder and principal Garth Herberg gushed about his pal and benefactor Decilveo. “This was our first go-round with Jenn, and we ended up keeping the session pretty intimate. We had about 14 people in the studio and about 6 or 7 online. Jenn gave us a Rhodes keyboard, a Ludwig drum kit, some outboard gear, and a microphone. She offered to help in any other way that she could, so we set up this workshop too. The students absolutely loved it, and so did she!”

Although new-ish to autism advocacy, Jennifer Decilveo is no stranger to boast-worthy projects, in general. She counts Miley Cyrus, Andra Day, Kylie Minogue, Demi Lovato, Machine Gun Kelly, and Ben Plattamong her many and varied award-winning, songwriting partners. One famous undertaking includes Decilveo’s co-writing and producing of Day’s “Rise Up” from the album CHEERS TO THE FALL. Decilveo also has a 2022 Global Music Album Grammy for Angelique Kidjo’s MOTHER NATURE and many other accolades under her belt.

“To create a successful song, the artist and the composition need spirit. Spec Labbers have that in spades,” asserted Decilveo. “I am so excited for these special musicians to hear the final mix. We’ve made something unforgettable, and soon the world will know it.”

Two talented neurodivergent song stylists-in-training penned impassioned thank-you notes to the special guest instructor for her particular JENNerosity:

Jenn,

Thank you so much for running that workshop! That was literally the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my whole life!

I’ve spent my life surrounded by musicians who would all be playing different instruments and creating music by improvising and reading each other’s vibes and energy. I’ve participated in a couple, but I’m truly not a “musician,” though I’m competent at guitar and piano. I’m a songwriter.

This jam session made me feel like I had superpowers. I wasn’t trying to fit the square peg in the round hole anymore, struggling to keep up as a guitar player around far more talented musicians. Suddenly, I WAS A SONGWRITER. I found my people.

The singing with and over and around each other, the coming up with ideas based on each other’s ideas, it was . . . electric. I went home feeling like I could shoot flames out of my hands.

I truly can’t thank you enough for this experience. It was the most creatively validating thing I’ve ever done. I feel seen. I feel accomplished. Thank you so much!!! I hope to see you again soon!

- Shaun Steinberg

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Thank you so much for coming in to visit us. It was so much fun, and I’m so excited for you to come back in the New Year, and hopefully you’ll be able to help us with some of our songs, as well. I’m glad that you enjoyed our ideas, and I can’t wait to see how this project turned out.

From Domonique Brown

Spectrum Laboratory closes a melodious 2024 on a high note. In April, Spec Labs immersed itself into the inaugural Autism in Entertainment Conference at Skirball Center. Multiple event presenters came from the Spec Labs community, such as co-founders Herberg and Jason Weissbrod, voice department head Cathy McAuley, former student and animation instructor Dani Bowman, and even the Conference’s official voice-of-god announcer (current voiceover trainee Tyler Berman). Also this year, Spec Labs staged two major musical productions (INHERITING WONDERLAND and SPEC-O-WEEN, respectively); completed and distributed an award-winning horror short film (HOUSE OF MASKS); and presented the Spec-ond City Players improv troupe at the iconic Hollywood Laugh Factory comedy club. In the last week, Spec Labs and Canadian video game studio Simply Sweet Games announced a strategic educational partnership for mobile app testing. With a 10-year anniversary celebration ahead, Spec Labs expects 2025 to be a show stopper!

See video clips of the recent Jenn Decilveo class and consider a donation to the Spec Labs end-of-year campaign here: secure.givelively.org/donate/spec-labs/celebrating-spectrum-laboratory-in-2024

To learn more about Spectrum Laboratory, its projects, and class schedules, please visit speclabs.org

About Spectrum Laboratory:

The Spectrum Laboratory educational formula is a creation of Jason Weissbrod and Garth Herberg. Concocted in 2015, LA-based Spectrum Laboratory celebrates neurodiversity and inclusion in the arts. A.k.a. Spec Labs, this pioneering collective and 501(c)(3) non-profit organization empowers and mentors student artists in acting, film, music, and voiceover. Participants pursue their passions while learning to be successful within the larger entertainment industry. Notable alums include Dani Bowman and Abbey Romeo of Netflix’s Emmy-winning hit series LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM and Domonique Brown of Netflix’s coming-of-age seriocomic serial ATYPICAL.