Morgan Fawcett ~

A Flute Like Medicine for FASD

Wednesday, May 25th, 5:00-6:30pm

FASD Presentation and Flute Concert

Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, Inc.

1315 East 24th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404

The Public is Invited to this Free Lecture and Concert

~Registration is requested but not required~

~Third Floor Assembly Rooms at IHB~

~Light snacks will be served; children & families are welcome~

A Brief YouTube Presentation about FASD by Morgan Fawcett:

At age 19, Morgan Redmon Fawcett (Tlingit) is an accomplished flute player with three CDs, an inspirational public speaker, and a promising photographer. Oh, and he started a non-profit called One Heart Creations to raise public awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It seems hard to believe he has a disability, but it can be a struggle each day.

Morgan names September 9th, 1991, as his first day of sobriety—it is the day his mother was ordered into an alcohol treatment center. “That is right,” he says, “My mother drank during pregnancy, and this is why I raise awareness for FASD.” For those who do not know, FASD is an umbrella term for fully preventable brain damage caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Most people with FASD look normal but are undiagnosed or often misdiagnosed as ADHD, bipolar, oppositional defiant, or conduct disorder. For Morgan, poor memory and learning problems in school caused him a lot of frustration and stress, which made him lose concentration and become agitated. But before he was even diagnosed with FASD, he found something that made a world of difference—the Native American flute.

The first time Morgan picked up a flute at age 14, he was a natural. The worker at The End of the Trail Museum in the Redwoods National Park who let him play a flute from their collection assumed he was a longtime musician after hearing him play only five minutes. Later, he took a few lessons, but mostly he taught himself and plays from the heart.

“When I play the flute, it lowers my blood pressure and eases stress away,” says Morgan. “With FASD, you could have ADHD; but instead of being on Ritalin, I play the flute.” The soothing tones and rhythmic play of flute music helps some people with FASD settle and regulate themselves to handle challenges that are just minor hassles for those without it.

Morgan is a 2011 inductee into the “Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame” at the National Organization on FAS (NOFAS) and will receive the award in Washington, DC this June.

Come join us for a terrific evening. Free parking available under the building, and in east and north parking lots. Street parking also available.

More resources on FASD:

• One Heart Creations (Morgan's website)
• Morgan's CDs can be purchased from CD Baby or iTunes
• FASD News & Tips Group on Facebook (FASD Wheel)
• MN Organization of FAS (MN's all-in-one resource for FASD)
• Indian Health Board of Minneapolis (sponsor's website)
• FASD Wheel (Free Wheel mini manual for email list sign-up)
• FASD Elephant (audio and video blog on FASD)