Class News

Son of David Wyles ’64 to perform for the Autism Society

Rio “Soulshocka” Wyles
— Dream Big, Y'All —

September 30, 2021

David Wyles emailed: “I thought you might like to see this submission for Rio (aka SoulShocka) to perform at an Autism Society of America gala concert back in Washington, D.C. on November 3. Wish us luck!”

The concert is titled, “Autism only got half of me. The other half is a lyrical rapper.” — Soul Shocka.

Cruisin’ in Dogtown —

“You know, Rio has music in his head all the time,” said the late R&B great Carl Anderson, our neighbor and friend in Venice CA. He saw something in Rio that we were struggling to see ourselves, beyond the sadness over his diagnosis of autism, and the profound loss of language at age three and a half leaving him to ask, “What’s your name?," over and over. The language came back, but in an odd, ritualistic, nonsensical way.

But the music was always there, never lost. His way into reading, teaching himself at age nine, through the lyrics of the songs he loved. And equally important, a way back into relating to peers, breaking through with the love of music they all shared. Then, the beginning of a career as a performer and by eleven as a composer, with lyrics that quickly went beyond the personal to something greater: “You know in life things happen doesn’t seem what it seems. Even in dreams, obstacles may appear ... One day, you figure it out what your life was all about.”

Early on, Rio announced his intention to work in the music business, while browsing through the bins at Tower Records. Admonished by all the doctors to adjust our expectations, his mother reluctantly asked, “Do you want to work here?,” knowing even that would be an impossibility. He shot me a look and quickly set me straight with a clarity I’d never seen or heard before. “I want to be a rapper and own my own label. You gotta’ dream bigger than that, Mom.”

This m.c. known as SoulShocka, proud graduate of Hamilton HS Music Academy, in January of 2011 received The Genius of Autism Award at Carnegie Hall as part of the “FLY” ensemble through Elaine Hall’s Miracle Project, and again the following year as a solo artist. He’s been privileged to perform at the United Nations, and over the years to grace the stage at Club Nokia, The Pantages, and The Dolby Theater (home of the Academy Awards), along with musical luminaries Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Neil Young, Don Felder, John Mayer, Patti Smith, Judy Collins, Burt Bacharach, and Sheryl Crow as part of Autism Speaks annual “Light Up the Blues” concerts. To record in collaboration with Rev Run (leader of rap group RunDMC) on the album “Fly,’ as well as with Timeflies, and Adrienne Bailon, on the remix of the Timeflies hit, “Swoon.”

Jack Black introduces SoulShocka at the latest “Light Up The Blues” concert, performing his own composition, “SoulShocka Is Born.”

Finally, during the pandemic, when everybody was under quarantine, Rio managed to write and perform “COVID-19” over Zoom with other Spectrum Laboratory participants. Here it is.