Jamming for a cause

Mike Sciacca

By bringing more than 44 musicians to the stage for a local rock jam,

Jenny Warren is hoping to bring some attention to autism.

Warren, a Huntington Beach resident, is the founder of the

national female rock act, the Iron Maidens. She will be joining a

group of local rock musicians in staging Metal Jam 2003, a “hard rock

jam” show benefiting Unlocking Autism, a nonprofit organization that

has a goal of helping those on the autism spectrum reach their

greatest potential in leading fulfilling, productive lives in

relationships, society and employment.

“It’s going to be a great night,” Warren said. “It should be a lot

of fun and more importantly, it’s for a good cause.”

The jam will be hosted by KNAC.com’s international rock disc

jockey simply known as, Junkman, and will feature 44 musicians.

The music of local bands will pay tribute to the influence of

popular metal bands and bands scheduled to join the jam benefit

include The Iron Maidens: a female tribute to Iron Maiden; Creeping

Death: a tribute to Metallica; Sabotage: a tribute to Black Sabbath;

Hangar 18: a tribute to Megadeath; Empyre: a tribute to Queensryche;

Metal 101: a tribute to 1980s metal, and Mr. Crowley: a tribute to

Ozzy Osbourne.

Warren said some of the musicians will sit in on each other’s sets

and 22 songs will be played during a jam session that could last up

to five hours.

“There’s going to be a lot of talent up on that stage,” said

Warren, whose husband, Bill Warren, is the lead singer and guitar

player for the group, Creeping Death. “We wanted to bring a lot of

musicians together locally, to network and jam in a good, positive

environment and educate the public about autism at the same time.”

The show is being organized by Warren and other local musicians

who have lived through the “struggles and triumphs” of raising an

autistic child.

Warren’s son, Brandon Ferguson, who turns 9 today, is autistic, as

are the children of fellow jam musicians, Jeff Fahnestock, lead

vocalist for the band, Sabotage, and Liz and Erick Jimenez.

Brandon, who diagnosed at 2, is on the high functioning end of

autism.

He went through years of special education and received early

intervention of Applied Behavioral Analysis based on the Ivar Lovaas

methodology at the UCLA Lovaas Institute, as well as rigorous speech

therapy, Warren said.

He currently is in a regular education fourth-grade class in the

Irvine Unified School District and receives minimal supervisions from

an aide.

“There is no telling how far his progress would have gone if we

didn’t push for early intervention,” Warren said. “I believe it is

key to the recovery for these children. Early intervention, education

and awareness are imperative.”

Jeff Fahnestock says his son, Jake, 11, is at a medium-functioning

level of autism.

“He’s making progress and doing well in speech therapy,” said

Fahnestock, who also is working on solo recording projects. “I’m

ecstatic to be participating in this jam for Unlocking Autism. It’s

going to be a lot of fun with friends, sort of a celebration of music

and life.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].