Meet the professional band made up of autistic musicians

AUTUMN rain may be drumming against the windows, but joy is bouncing off the walls of the little community centre that’s become home to an extraordinary band of musicians.

It’s rehearsal time for Aukestra ahead of a weekend wedding booking in the County Durham village of Edmondsley, and the room is rocking with life as the finishing touches are put to the set-list.

Midnight At The Oasis, Relight My Fire, and The Power of Love, come first, followed by a magnificent Niall Rodgers medley of We Are Family, Le Freak, I Want Your Love, Everybody Dance, and Good Times.

(Image: Peter Barron) Before we go into further detail, it’s fair to say that Aukestra is simply a cracking band. Bursting with superb musicianship and vocals, it’s capable of producing a sound guaranteed to get any audience clapping along and dancing.

But what makes Aukestra so special is that most of its members are autistic, and their lives have been transformed by the power of music.

“First and foremost, we want to be viewed for being as professional as possible – worthy of being booked on our own merits,” says the band’s inspirational leader, Jak Dixon.

“It’s not about disability, it’s about being good – and we never stop challenging ourselves to be better at making music.”

The rehearsal is taking place in the Mary Sanders Communal Hall, in Birtley – the humble base for a not-for-profit company that Jak's built around music to help give autistic people fulfilment, social skills, and happiness.

Funded by local authorities, the learners at the community centre spend three days of their week playing music with the support of accomplished bass player, Jak, and his staff.

But they also benefit from community-based learning, including employability skills, cookery, and going for walks.

Born in Gateshead, Jak went to Pelton Roseberry Comprehensive, in Chester-le-Street, where music was always part of his life.

He had a background in amateur musical theatre but, after A-levels, took a job in a residential care home in Seaham, looking after adults with autism and severe learning difficulties.

“I loved the challenge and being able to make a difference,” he explains.

After seven years working in residential care, he moved to a specialist college in Sunderland, spending 13 years as a teacher and manager.

“So many times, I heard parents being told ‘your child will never achieve’, or ‘your child will never make friends’, and I wanted to prove that negativity wrong,” he recalls.

“I’m stubborn when it comes to challenging pre-conceived ideas, and I was determined to prove that these people can achieve in life if they have the right support from people with the right attitude.”

A turning point came when Jak overheard an autistic teenager, Christopher Calvert, singing in the college garden.

“He’d just left school, was very shy, and didn’t like interacting with people. When he saw me listening, he shut up, but I persuaded him to sing in front of me, and I knew straight away that he had potential.”

Christopher told Jak his favourite song was Last Christmas by Wham, and he went on to sing it – beautifully – in front of 400 people during a carol concert, staged by the college, at Sunderland Minster.

“His grandad was in the audience, and he was in tears because he’d been told his grandson was incapable of achieving anything,” says Jak.

It was enough to convince Jak to make music a key part of the college curriculum. Further inspiration came the following Christmas, when the college supported a shoebox appeal for British soldiers in war zones.

Pete Hill, a friend of Jak's since teenage days, wrote a song, called Help Our Heroes, based on discussions with the learners.

When the Help For Heroes charity heard about the song, it was recorded and performed at the Phoenix House rehabilitation centre, at Catterick Garrison. By then, Jak had assembled a group of musicians at the college and they went down a storm.

“There was an instant bond between the autistic musicians and the injured soldiers,” he says.

An album followed, and the band was invited by Prince William to perform at the opening of the Tedworth House recovery centre, in Wiltshire.

As the band went from strength to strength, it was developed into a standalone course, using music to develop employability and social skills.

The benefits to those involved were clear, but Government funding for the two-year programme ran out. Jak's response was to resign from his job and form a not-for-profit company, called Aukestral Creative Solutions.

The company started out with no building and no clients but, with Aukestra chosen as the name for the band, it has grown through word of mouth into a place where autistic people find contentment and confidence.

Christopher Calvert is still there as a stunning vocalist, alongside fellow singers Zoe Brown and Ross Walker. Jack Dinning never stops smiling while playing the bongos, and blind keyboard player, Alex Wilson, oozes talent.

(Image: Peter Barron) “His mum had heard about us and Alex blew us away within a minute of his audition," says Jak.

The other autistic band members are James Dawson, Joe Dodds, and Cameron Allen, and they are supported by Jak, on bass, and fellow staff members: Pete Hill, on drums, and Lesley Stanbury, on guitar and vocals.

Meanwhile, Jak’s partner, Gayle Houghton, plays an important role behind the scenes as organiser.

"The staff love being part of Aukestra, but most of the band members are autistic, and that's made the rest of us better musicians because they know every chord and lyric, and keep us grounded," smiles Jak.

As well as playing at functions around the UK, Aukestra has played in Poland and Greece.

• Anyone wishing to book Aukestra (and I promise you will not be disappointed) should email info@aukestra.com

And Jak is far from finished with his musical mission. He's always on the lookout for new talent, and his next ambition is to find a bigger building, so he can form a junior version of Aukestra.

"Keeping going is a daily challenge, with rent and salaries to pay, so every penny counts," he admits.

"But we're like a family, and I'm so proud of what we've achieved together over the past ten years – it's impossible to explain how much satisfaction and joy has been created here."

The rain is still falling outside, but the spirit inside is perfectly captured by the lyrics of the song that completes today's uplifting rehearsal:

These are the Good Times...Our new state of mind."

(Image: Peter Barron)