For Jodi DiPiazza, music came before language. She was singing before she could speak, using melody as her earliest form of expression and communication. By the age of four, she had taught herself to play the piano by watching a light-up keyboard, beginning a lifelong relationship with music that would eventually take her from formal classical training to national television, major benefit stages, and the release of her debut album.
DiPiazza first gained national attention at age 10 when she performed alongside Katy Perry during The Night of Too Many Stars, a benefit supporting autism programs. The performance, broadcast from New York City’s Beacon Theatre, went viral and led to appearances on Good Morning America and subsequent collaborations with artists including “Weird Al” Yankovic, Cynthia Erivo, and Questlove and The Roots. Despite the visibility, she has remained focused on her craft, approaching each opportunity as a way to connect through music rather than pursue celebrity.
Today, DiPiazza continues to use her platform to advocate for disability inclusion through performance, volunteerism, and storytelling. Her debut album, Believe reflects her commitment to kindness, resilience, and authenticity—values shaped by her lived experience as an autistic artist navigating both higher education and the music industry.
In an interview with ABILITY Magazine’s Jennifer Woodall, DiPiazza reflects on her musical beginnings, her songwriting process, her experiences with advocacy, and the importance of self-belief and self-advocacy for artists of all abilities.
Woodall: When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
DiPiazza: Well, I didn’t start speaking until I was three and a half, but I was singing before I could speak, so music is my first language. When I was four years old, I taught myself to play the piano by watching a light-up keyboard. As I grew up, I was involved in many music activities. I studied music with my music instructor, Luciano Salvatore, and I also attended the prep division at Mannes College of Music for 10 years. Music was always the way I expressed myself. I didn’t think of it as a career at first. It was just who I was. Over time, I didn’t think of choosing music as a career and didn’t choose it as a career, music chose me because it was what I love to do.
Woodall: You went to college and got a degree in music. What was your college experience like?
DiPiazza: I attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where I majored in music and focused on vocal performance. In addition to my required Gen Ed classes, I also took piano lessons, took classes in composition, songwriting, and conducting, and I participated in some music ensembles. Among the music ensembles I participated in included the Bach Festival Choir, which is a large community choir that selects some college students to participate in it and totals to about 180 voices. I actually arranged an orchestral version of “White Christmas” for the choir and it was performed for several years in a row. I also participated in the Rollins Singers, which was modeled after the Voices of Liberty at Walt Disney World. I actually planned to audition for the Voices of Liberty, but a songwriting class that I took changed my career path. I started writing songs, and I realized I was pretty good at it, and I decided that a more flexible career in songwriting would be better for me than a 9:00 to 5:00 job. But I still want to sing in the Voices of Liberty. College helped me to improve my skills as a musician. It was also a time when I learned to be more independent. Although some parts were challenging, staying focused on music helped me succeed. I actually graduated from Rollins this past made this past May with summa cum laude honors and a 4. 0 GPA, and I was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society.
Woodall: Did you feel like there were enough programs and resources to support the disability community in your college?
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DiPiazza: Well, Rollins College has a lot of accommodations for differently-abled students, and those were important. I started off with being allowed to record each class and have it transcribed into print as I am better off reading the material than hearing it verbally. But after the first semester or two, once I had the routine down and felt comfortable on campus, I didn’t need much support for the rest of my college experience. Rollins is a small college with small class sizes and a small campus, which made things easier. I was comfortable moving around campus with the expectations of instructors and the college in general. And they had support not just for the differently-abled, but also for the neurotypical, as there was a great writing center with student volunteers to help with any papers or problems. I actually lived off campus with my family, but for students who lived on campus, there were a lot of extra support for them being alone away from home.
Woodall: You débuted your first single, “The First Christmas Day”. Can you talk about the song and your songwriting process?
DiPiazza: Sure. I actually wrote “The First Christmas Day” while I was College in Rollins. I decided to write the song about the nativity scene. I almost always write the lyrics first because that’s the most difficult part for me. After that, I organize most of the song in my head and then go to the piano or my laptop to write it down in songwriting software. I don’t plan everything in advance, but I fine-tune the song and add in special musical elements as I go. For this recording project, I started with piano and vocals, but since I’m also a composer, I did the instrumentation and wrote the other parts for the final recording.
Woodall: Do you have a favorite program that you like to work with when you’re organizing your music?
DiPiazza: I use Sibelius to write my music.
Woodall: Can you tell me about your experience performing with Katy Perry?
DiPiazza: Well, I’m a friend of Robert Smigel, who’s one of the producers of an autism benefit show called “The Night of Too Many Stars.” He has a son with autism, and I was a classmate of his son for some time. When I was 10 years old, the producers asked me to send in a video of myself singing and playing Katy Perry’s song, “Firework”, and then they sent the video to Katy, who then agreed to come perform with me. Our performance took place at the Beacon Theater in NYC, and it aired on Comedy Central, and it went viral. After that, I appeared on Good Morning America and was featured in magazines and newspapers and all over the internet. I later returned to the “Night of Too Many Stars” at age 13 to perform with “Weird Al” Yankovic, and again at 16 to perform with Cynthia Erivobefore she was quite famous as she is now, Questlove and the Roots at Madison Square Garden, which aired live on HBO.
DiPiazza: I recently saw Wicked for Good at the movie theater, and I loved it.
Woodall: I haven’t seen the new one yet, but I did really like the first one. What did you get to perform with Weird Al?
DiPiazza: It was in February 2015. He was super nice, and we still get in touch. He sends me birthday cards and Christmas cards each year. We performed “Yoda” which is a parody of “Lola” by the Kinks. And also the chorus we performed with was the Actionplay chorus, which also sang for my performance with Cynthia Erivo. They’re a chorus of neurodivergent and disabled teen and adult stage performers.
Woodall: What are your goals with your music?
DiPiazza: Well, I released my first single, “The First Christmas Day” which is the first of eight songs from my debut album, Believe. Because of how Spotify works, musicians are usually advised to release one song every six weeks rather than releasing the full album at once. After the eighth song is released, it becomes the full album. My next release is scheduled for January 15th 2026 and is titled “At the End of the Rainbow.” I am also currently working on songs for future albums. One song I’m especially excited about is about Mr. Fred Rogers, who is Rollins College’s most famous alumnus. There’s a statue of him outside Knowles Memorial Chapel, and I wrote a song using some of his sayings and hints of his music. His nephew was my composition instructor, and he shared the song with some of Mr. Rogers’ children. One thing I really appreciated about Rollins College is that kindness is built into the curriculum, and the music department handbook actually stated that we were expected to be kind to one another, and we were kind to each other, students and staff alike. And that made a big difference for me.
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Woodall: If you could perform with anyone, who would you pick?
DiPiazza: I don’t have just one, but I am a big fan of almost all genres of music. For example, I love Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion, as well as pop stars Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae, and Sean Mendez. I also enjoy country music such as Carrie Underwood and Luke Holmes. And of course, everyone loves Taylor Swift, and so do I. I would be happy to perform with anyone famous or unknown. I just love music so much.
Woodall: I’d like to talk about your advocacy. Was there a defining moment that made you want to be an advocate?
DiPiazza: Well, following my performance with Katy Perry, people began asking me to perform at events to raise money and awareness for charitable organizations. These included Autism Speaks, the Special Olympics, the Louis Armstrong Foundation, The Arc, and many others. I was also able to perform the National Anthem during Autism Awareness Month at the Red Bulls and MetLife Stadiums. I also performed for an organization called Arts for Autism, which place at the Gershwin Theater, and it was really exciting to sing on the same stage where Wicked: The Musical is performed. I said “Yes.” every time I could because I wanted to help as many people as possible. I realized that music was a way for me to give back and recognize how lucky I am. Because of this volunteer work, I also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which recognizes community service and I thought that was cool, and it made me proud. I don’t know if there was one defining moment, but with every performance, I became more and more involved.
Woodall: Have you faced any discrimination issues within the music industry?
DiPiazza: I don’t really think about discrimination. I may not be right for everyone or every situation, and that’s okay. I don’t want to force myself into places where I’m not welcome. I stay focused on my music and work hard on what I can do rather on the things that I can’t do or control.
Woodall: Do you have any advice for others about how they can practice self-advocacy?
DiPiazza: Yeah. I was taught in school how to advocate for myself. It’s important to know yourself and your limits, and it’s okay to take your time and ask for help when you need it.
Woodall: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
DiPiazza: I would like to say that if you work hard and believe in yourself, your hopes and dreams can come true. I’m looking forward to continuing to work hard and keep dreaming.
