Album Notes

Tony Belcastro, the artist behind Theory of Mind™, is an autistic composer and musician that sees the world around him as if he is an observer caught within the confines of a 3 dimensional movie, where the background scenery resembles a 2 dimensional oil painting and everything and everyone is either a prop, or a character in the show. The music of Theory of Mind presents an opportunity for the characters to experience the movie from Tony's point of view. Considered instrumental progressive rock, or even progressive fantasy rock, Theory of Mind fuses elements of many music genres including rock, classical, blues, jazz and electronica into a thick sonic stew. From distant times and places to dreamlike fantasy worlds, one goal of Theory of Mind is to teleport the listener to other dimensions on a musical roller coaster ride within the often intense and unpredictable mind of a bipolar autistic savant; where a relaxing moment can instantly transform into a whirlwind of flying debris from which there is no escape until it sets you down at your destination. Theory of mind, in psychological terms, means having an understanding that other people’s minds are different than your own and having the ability to comprehend, or develop theories about what other people are thinking, or feeling, simply by observing them. It is often referred to as the ability to "walk in someone else’s shoes." Most non-autistic people develop theory of mind at an early age and are able to reciprocate emotionally, even when they are very young. Like many autistic people, Tony does not have this ability, which contributes to extreme stress when confronted with any form of social interaction, a major difficulty for him, especially if it involves people that he is not highly familiar and/or comfortable with. Tony’s musical endeavor with Crater Rock Music has been named Theory of Mind because music is a natural form of expression for him. He is able to convey the emotions and experiences within himself to other people through his compositions more effectively than he can verbally. It is Tony’s hope that his music will help to cultivate the acceptance and appreciation of autistic people everywhere.