Accessible orchestra helps autistic musician find his voice

Trumpet player Cameron Jacobs says joining an accessible orchestra helped him communicate through music and find a sense of belonging after years of rejection. Jacobs (20) from Salisbury in Wiltshire, has autism, ADHD and Tourette’s. He joined Orchestras for All seven years ago and is now an ambassador for the organisation, which helps children and teenagers from all backgrounds learn classical music. “I feel like music is another language. It feels like you are speaking to people in the audience,” Jacobs says. Before joining the orchestra, Jacobs struggled to find a musical environment where he felt comfortable. His mother, Polly, says he had been out of school for almost a year and had experienced rejection from schools and clubs.

“For the first time [with Orchestras for All] we felt it was somewhere which wanted to accept him with his own uniqueness exactly the way he is,” she says. Jacobs says he was “so excited” when he joined because he could be himself while enjoying music. “I feel like I am part of a wonderful community,” he says. “To be part of an orchestra and to play to others, I feel very proud. ” His involvement has also helped him develop leadership skills. In 2025, he ran the London Marathon barefoot to raise money for Orchestras for All and set a Guinness World Record as the youngest person, aged 18, to complete the event barefoot. A BBC interview after the marathon went viral, with millions watching as Jacobs described his mother as an inspiration. “There is a quote I have held throughout my life and it’s, believe you can and you’re halfway there,” he says. Nick Thorne, executive director of…