The OFFICIAL website of the ONLY Special Needs Rock Band! The Skittlez Band
About The Skittlez Band
Our Story
Our Mission
Our Mission
The Skittles started in 2010 with Seth (Down Syndrome) playing drums and his friend John (fetal alcohol syndrome) playing electric guitar. They played in Seth's bedroom for about a year when Seth decided he wanted to play guitar too, so his dad lent him his bass guitar to see how he would do. Another friend from school came to play drums,
The Skittles started in 2010 with Seth (Down Syndrome) playing drums and his friend John (fetal alcohol syndrome) playing electric guitar. They played in Seth's bedroom for about a year when Seth decided he wanted to play guitar too, so his dad lent him his bass guitar to see how he would do. Another friend from school came to play drums, but things just didn't work out and they were back to a duo. Their first gigs were playing each other's birthday parties. It became known in their Special Needs circle of friends that they played for free.
About 2012, they found a friend in their Challenger Baseball League, Grayson (autism), who played keyboard.
They were now a threesome and needed a bigger place to practice. John's living room became the new practice place. They also needed a name. The trio became The Skittles. John- the Red Skittle, Seth- the Blue Skittle, and Grayson - the Green Skittle. With the help of John and Seth's dads (Jim / Nate) and Grayson's mom (Michelle) the group became more structured and rehearsed almost every Saturday. They started playing even more birthday parties.
Around 2013, a new drummer joined, James (autism). There was now a Purple Skittle! They began playing Halloween parties for their Challenger Baseball Coach (Doug) as well as for the local Special Needs school for Valentine’s Day and other events.
In 2018, Grayson and family had to move out of state, and boy, do we miss them. Lucky for the Skittles, Virgile (autism) and his family found them at a Coach Doug party, and he just happened to be a KEYBOARD player! We have a new Green Skittle!
The Skittles were really taking off....and then Covid happened. Things slowly opened back up and the boys found themselves playing gigs for a local Down Syndrome Group, called GHFEDS, which led to private parties and church functions, and even a fundraising event for medical expenses (Warriors for Lane). Next thing you know, they are playing for a SOLD-OUT crowd at Main Street Crossing in Tomball, TX. The money earned there was donated to their Challenger Baseball League.
A GHFEDS mom (Debbie) introduced them to the Dash Gordon Foundation (check him out on Face Book). Dash then began promoting them and getting them actual paid bookings. Dash suggested we needed to spell Skittles with a "Z" to avoid copywrite issues. We are in the process of applying for a 501(c).
The Skittlez have 8 gigs booked for 2024 already, including Rock the Dock in Kemah in May and Main Street Crossing in Tomball (their 3 previous appearances have all sold out), in August. They will also be performing at a couple of Strawberry Festivals and Food Truck Parks!
We are now able to offer some Skittlez Swag at local events and will be working on more inventory and an online store is coming soon!
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
Skittlez Mission statement: Our mission is to inspire the special needs community to focus on abilities over disabilities by sharing our life's passion with others.
We would love for you to follow the journey of these incredible young men who are changing lives with every gig they play.
Our Team
Our Mission
Our Team
Our Team mainly consists of Moms and Dads. The dads are all experienced musicians. Jim (drummer and teacher), Nate (bass guitar), Jimmy (drummer), and Cedric (guitar) now turned Roadies.
The Moms (Shawn, Pam, Virginie) help with merch and whatever else is needed.
Dash Gordon (Foundation) has helped push us past our wildest dreams (Kemah -
Our Team mainly consists of Moms and Dads. The dads are all experienced musicians. Jim (drummer and teacher), Nate (bass guitar), Jimmy (drummer), and Cedric (guitar) now turned Roadies.
The Moms (Shawn, Pam, Virginie) help with merch and whatever else is needed.
Dash Gordon (Foundation) has helped push us past our wildest dreams (Kemah - Rock the Dock IS HAPPENING). We are so very thankful for his guidance! God Bless you Dash and your Team!
Our team is passionate about what we do. They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every event, ensuring that every detail is taken care of.
Contact our tour manager
Bookings
Do you have questions or want to book a show? Reach out, and let's make it happen.
Hours
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |
Closed major holidays
