The father of a teenager who got the opportunity to sing with Gary Lightbody this week says his son couldn’t have been any happier, even if he “had have been handed one million pounds”.
Conor Bruen (19), from west Belfast, has autism and ADHD and was attending the Drake Music Studio on the Springfield Road when he spotted the Snow Patrol frontman on the premises.
The Drake Music Project provides access to independent music making for children and adults across Northern Ireland with complex disabilities.
Conor’s dad Sean explained: “Conor spotted Gary and went up to him to ask if he would sing with him. Gary was really nice. He had been next door in a meeting and he went in and they sang away.”
Sean, who runs his own social enterprise that helps provide financial wellbeing, shared a video of Conor and Gary singing Snow Patrol’s classic ballad Chasing Cars, to X (formally Twitter).
At the time of writing, the video has been viewed around 15,000 times.
Belfast boy Conor Bruen showcases singing abilities with Gary Lightbody
Sean has stressed the importance of showing that “kids with autism have talent too”, explaining: “Whilst Conor can struggle with academics, he shows bounds of intelligence in other ways.
“All those who know him can confirm that if he hears a song, within five minutes he could perform it back in great quality.
“Even that song he sang with Gary, I don’t think Conor had ever heard it before,” the proud parent added.
“The guys put the words on a screen for him like karaoke.
“You could have given Conor a million pounds on Tuesday night and he wouldn’t have been happier. He didn’t go to sleep until about 2.30am.
“The response he was getting from everybody too… he was absolutely buzzing. I think people were a wee bit surprised because Conor has got a really good voice.
“Gary was fantastic with him. Even rewatching the video, Conor was pointing to Gary and signalling to him when to come in to sing his part… when it was his song!
“He has great confidence with singing. He can learn a song so quickly. It’s amazing how his brain works.”
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Sean noted that organisations such as the Drake Music Studio, as well as Hotbox Entertainment and the Oh Yeah Music Centre, are immensely beneficial to young people who are neurodiverse and have diverse needs.
Conor attends specially funded programmes at all three locations, but Sean says it’s a “shame” that they don’t receive more financial support for their work.
“Hotbox is a social enterprise, so it only gets part funded, and the Oh Yeah Music Centre is much the same. So it’s a pity they don’t get more money to do programmes like this more, or full time.
“They get something like 70p per hour every week for this kind of work.
“I run a social enterprise myself and am in contact with a lot of other ones. Many organise work experience in cafés and hospitality for kids with autism. But for Conor, music has to be his thing.
“James Ayo [the director of Hotbox Entertainment] has offered him work experience once a week.”
Ayo moved from London to Belfast six years ago and set up Hotbox Entertainment, which is now located on the Shankill Road, to help support Northern Ireland’s growing hip hop scene.
Sean says it has been a brilliant place for Conor to develop his skills, as he particularly loves rap and hip hop.
“Conor’s autism is the opposite of non-verbal,” he continued.
“He would talk to everybody and he tells everybody everything. It’s just a pity there aren’t more opportunities in the music and arts sector for these kids.”