Two years ago, Sewell was the voice of opera band Amici Forever, a far cry from his job as a chartered accountant working in a bank.
Combining his musical and business acumen, the Kiwi-born tenor created the pop/opera band and sang at prestigious events worldwide, including London's West End and the Royal Albert Hall.
But in 2006, Sewell and his wife Simone received more life-changing news that would again lead him to re-evaluate his career.
Daughter Sienna, now five, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Autism affects a person's development, making it delayed or uneven, and consists of a group of related disorders that vary in severity. Some of the common characteristics include over-sensitivity to sounds, textures or smells, delay in babbling or spoken language, little interest in making friends, extremely short attention span, repetitive body movements and intense tantrums.
Sewell, back in the country to promote his new album, Believe, says he and his wife had no idea that Sienna had autism.
"She was our first child. We had no idea about the milestones. Sienna could sing all the Amici songs, but she couldn't say mum or dad. There was no appropriate vocabulary. She'd just mimic things."
Six doctors later and the Sewells had a diagnosis. "But we still didn't know what the hell it was, and we went through a grieving process. Then Simone went researching on the internet."
Sewell made the decision to leave Amici, because children with autism and related disorders like Asperger's and ADHD benefit from stability and routine.
In his farewell message, made as the band toured New Zealand, Sewell said "much effort is required from their loved ones to ensure their future is bright and their potential realised".
"Therefore, our family coping with Daddy's frequent absences and regular globetrotting, according to a fluctuating and dictated schedule, is not cool."
His album Believe features Sienna's Song and proceeds will go to New Zealand families affected by autism.
The huge success of the album is pleasing news for the tenor. "It's crazy, innit?" he says, taking time to talk during rehearsals for a performance last week at an Auckland mall, supported by Dancing With the Stars winner Temepara George and her dance partner, Stefano Olivieri, to raise awareness and educate others about autism.
"Believe went gold in four days. It seemed to take us forever to get there with Amici. It seems like it is bigger than we are. We own all the publishing and royalties for the songs and to be able to give the proceeds to New Zealand families is fantastic. We had so much support over here when Sienna was diagnosed."
He has no regrets about his decision to turn his back on a glittering career and has a message of hope for families facing the disorder.
"People try to fix the symptoms rather than the cause. When we started cleaning up Sienna's diet, making it gluten- and dairy-free, she spoke her first word within one day - water. It was so coherent, and she pointed at the tap. Autism is a neurological disease that we believe affects immunity, the digestive and nervous systems, so foods that you and I can process will be harder for sufferers to do. And if the diet isn't cleaned up, the cycle is perpetuated, and it does affect behaviour. New Zealand food is especially rife with pesticides. We buy everything organic, we've had to turn our diets upside down."
He and his wife have also added more vitamins and minerals into Sienna's diet.
"When we first got the diagnosis, we were told just to lock her away. And we are certainly not the only parents to have been told that kind of stuff. Don't listen. Don't let people tell you that you are a bad parent. Don't listen to that crap. Recovery is possible."
Although there were a few false roads, there have also been successes.
"That's the thing with these children: every day is a milestone and you have to celebrate every success. Sienna is in her own little world, and would happily stay in that world, but we do everything we can to help her socialise. They have to live in the real world, too, and so far it is working. She still has issues, but we have her in a mainstream school in London. She has a teacher's aide who is showing her how to act appropriately with children. She loves the other kids, but she gets over-excited and in their faces, which to her is entirely normal, and she thinks she is having the best time. But some kids find it weird and not too appropriate having someone waving right in their faces."
Since the album was released, he has worked hard to highlight the effects and treatment of autism in his promotion. An example of the reaction was that Sienna's autism specialist in New Zealand received more than 400 inquiries from worried parents.
Sewell says Sienna's doctor has set up an information pack for parents online at autism@xtra.co.nz.
"It helps you as a parent to go, `hey, that's what I can do'. We are delighted to offer help and hope to other parents who are travelling the same path. As parents, we think the hardest part upon receiving this devastating diagnosis is not knowing how you can help your child. But with this album, we'll continue to get the message out that there is a lot you can do to heal your child using biomedical intervention. Autism is treatable."
He says the album, produced by Neil Patrick, who is considered a master of classical crossover music, is a little bit pop, a little bit opera.
"It's a dream come true for me. Not that long ago, I was a chartered accountant working in a bank and I longed to be a professional singer. Now, a few years on, I am actually doing it, and this time on my own."
Source: Taranaki Daily News
