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If one could achieve rock star status through determination alone, Joseph Square would be a household name.
Currently, the 25-year-old entertainer’s fan base is almost entirely in the Ponchatura area, and his high-energy variety shows have been captivating the local community over the past few years, sometimes with 100 shows, sometimes with 20.
“But no matter how big the audience is, Joseph will attend,” said his father, James Square. “People say 110%, but you don’t have that to give. But he gave it his all, 100%, and it was a really fun show.”
Joseph Square does the occasional symphony concert and opera, of course never, but his favorite music is rock, man.
The elder Square said that as his son performed more shows, he became more and more comfortable with his role as host.
“It’s been great to see him grow in this particular career field he’s chosen,” his father said.
It’s another milestone in the young singer’s life, especially considering he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism when he was 3 or 4 years old.
“He can take care of himself. He’s very good at planning. He can cook. He has a lot of independent living skills,” his father explained. “But when you look at the executive functions, like actually being a fully independent adult with the ability to drive a car, do his own banking, handle legal matters and so on, he’s probably 12 or 13 years old.”
Because of these constraints, Joseph Square divides his time between living at his father’s home outside of Ponchatoula and living with his mother, Janis Fleming-Square, and his grandmother in Sherman, Texas.
However, autism didn’t stop him from attending and graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in May.
Joseph Square graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in May with a certificate of achievement. Despite his high-functioning autism, he had his sights set on rock stardom.
“People always ask, ‘Well, what did he major in?’ Well, that’s not really a degree major,” James Square said. “It was a special program for young people with developmental disabilities. So what he received was called a certificate of achievement. It was four years of life skills training, community partnerships, and then they always try to find An area of interest and they will audit some courses in that area.
“So in Joseph’s particular case, he knew he wanted to be a performer. He had the opportunity to work with several groups in the conservatory and performing arts department.”
Get more immersed in what he says is his son’s life plan – to be a rock star.
Joseph Square’s performance officially suffered when he almost accidentally sang “You’re a mean man, Mr. Grinch” solo at a school Christmas concert 10 years ago.
“We rehearsed after school, like you do with a band,” said the longtime former bandleader. “He (Joseph) was going home and he was annoyed with me that I needed to finish the music.
“But when he heard us rehearse ‘Mr. Grinch’, he came out, raised his eyebrows, and started singing in the back door, and then he walked slowly to the front group, and I was on stage. I just joked, “Would you like to sing this at the Christmas concert? ’ He said, ‘I’ll think about it.’”
He had never performed on stage before.
The rehearsals went well, and then it was concert time.
“Of course, the students were cheering. The audience was always packed, and as soon as he said his first line, you could see his light up, like where I needed to be. And he just kept growing. Since then,” said the proud father.
Joseph Square will present another of his Christmas shows this season, titled “Triple Rock Holiday!” It’s his version of a sock hop.
It all unfolds on the gym floor, which puts the show’s star on the same spatial level as his audience. Half of the floor was decked out as his stage area. the other half? A dance space, of course. There’s always a house band playing to the singer’s repertoire, he’s the lead singer, and he’s got some banter on the show too.
“It got to the point where I was just helping him put it together and I let him do his thing because he wanted to be a star. My job was to facilitate that,” his father said.
“Triple Rock Vacation!” is scheduled for Sunday, December 18 at 5 p.m. in the Ponchatoula Junior High gymnasium, just around the corner from the school, 315 E. Oak St. The triple designation is due to the fact that, in addition to the singers, there are two house bands—Michael Noble Lodge Combo and Grammy-nominated Julian Primeaux Band. Admission is $10, and proceeds will go toward building DAAP, Differently-Abled Performers Productions.
It is said that there will be a rock star in the building.
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