Two nights ago, I did an opening beatbox performance for the Rock Your Body Fashion Dance Benefit at the SoHo Mixed Media Bar presented by National Dance Week Hawaii and Dancers Unlimited. Here I am rocking the Far East Movement x Subcrew cap, the O.W.W.L (One World With Love) shirt and my Radii 420 Top sneakers.

Jason Tom at Rock Your Body Fashion Dance Benefit photo by Tracy Chan of Nonstop Honolulu

I also met an AliveNotDead friend Sergio (Far East Movement and Subcrew also have AliveNotDead) who uploaded a mini clip here:

Now onto poetry slam. I want to give a shout out to @NctrnlBst of Nonstop Honolulu for covering December 2011's First Thursdays "No Rules" Poetry Slam (non-qualifier to the Grand Slam Finals) with ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner as the featured headliner hosted by Kealoha (also a TEDxHonolulu 2011 presenter) of HawaiiSlam. Turning back time some, on October 2006, I made my First Thursdays, the largest registered poetry slam in the world, Poetry Slam debut as a beatboxer (though I was first introduced to the slam in 2004 prior) and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro was the featured headliner (also a TEDxHonolulu 2011 presenter). That was when Jake and I met and then we collaborated live the next month.

Here is Kealoha's TEDxHonolulu presentation "Science Poetry Life"

Taimane Gardner's First Thursdays performance with her back up guitarist Jazzy Jaz

Here is footage of my First Thursdays performance captured by @NctrnlBst

My former classmate Christopher from the MELE Program also captured footage of First Thursdays here

Jake Shimabukuro's TEDxHonolulu presentation "Peace Love Ukulele"

Jason Tom and Jake Shimabukuro

Jason Tom's TEDxHonolulu presentation "Vocal Groove"

God Bless everyone and I wish for everyone to have wonderful and safe holiday season!

"Fell In Love WithAh Human Beat Box" is a peep into one of the singles on the Kenny Muhammad album "HUMANORCHESTRA." It's a has story and concept about a woman who falls in love with a human beat box artist. A great concept! It features the Human Orchestra Kenny Muhammad, Honey Larochelle on vocals and Selan on keys fusing live instrumentation with the human beat box.  The song "Fell In Love WithAh Human Beat Box" will also have an accompanying music video.

 
The Human Orchestra Kenny Muhammad

 
Honey Larochelle

I want to thank everyone that have wished me or are wishing me a happy birthday! I am grateful for every day that I am alive, breathing and beatboxing. Peace, love and beatboxing! Many blessings, prosperity, and happiness to all! -Jason Tom

Edit: Also on my birthday my presentation "Vocal Groove" at the TEDxHonolulu conference have been uploaded. Check it out, support it on YouTube and share it with your friends, peers, family, cats, dogs, pets and friends and everyone you know!

P.S. Mahalo to comic artist Jon Murakami for this happy birthday quick art sketch greeting... WOW!!

Here is the flickr photostream set 2 of my TEDxHonolulu presentation "Vocal Groove." I also brought in my surprise guest popper Philosophy of Shell Shock (he and his dance group also presented at TEDxWaiakea) and it was my way of  connecting to two TEDx's of Hawaiʻi (island of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi) through time and travel. Also posted is my TEDxHonolulu presentation photostream set 1 and set 3. Hope you enjoy!

Shout out to George Carroll (we share the same birthday), Kaala Souza, Empowered Presentations, and the X-Team! Props to all of the presenters, volunteers, photographers, videographers, and attendees! TED.com's human beatbox James "AudioPoet" Burchfield have also reached out to me over time expressing great interest to collaborate and connect with me. Shout out to James Burchfield! Let's do it!

Video of "Vocal Groove" and all of the TEDxHonolulu presentations will be uploaded to TEDxTalks by December 1st. Also check out these TEDxHonolulu blog recaps by Alan Tamayose, Jen Takahashi, and the TEDxHonolulu Twitter Master StarletShay.  Hit me up! -Jason Tom

Jason Tom featured in an exclusive interview for November's edition of Girl Fest Hawaii's monthly e-zine, "What's Going On." Sign up for the Girl Fest newsletter here.

Our Conscious Brothers
An Interview with Jason Tom
The "Human Beatbox"

Girl Fest loves its conscious brothers in the community working to equalize gender disparities between men and women as well as boys and girls. That's why we jumped at the chance to interview local Hip-Hop artist Jason Tom aka the "Human Beatbox." You may have seen him on stage busting out sounds that normally come out of machines, but you may not know that he also teaches his art to girls and boys-- not to mention he's our kind of man against violence!

GFH: Where did you grow up, what do you do (your passion), and who were your influences?

JT: I grew up in Honolulu's Chinatown on the island of Oahu since the early 80s. I believe we are the agents of change. Bay Area California beatboxer Elaine Chao indirectly influenced me to get into the beatbox performing after I caught her 2003 Showtime At The Apollo performance on television. My biggest beatbox influence to date is Rahzel. We met at the International Human Beatbox Convention in the Big Apple and I was at a complete loss for words.

GFH: You teach downtown. Please give details and highlight some girls you teach, if possible.

JT: I opened up the Human Beatbox Academy at the ArtSmith on Smith Street across from Little Village restaurant. Class is every Wednesday from 3:30pm-6:15pm and we welcome all ages and genders. The first class is free. My youngest [student] was 4-year-old Tinkerbell. Her older brother Chase was my most enthused student. Maylene is my current regular female student and she picks it up well. Her tempo is great and she's creative with the curriculum taught. 

Working with my students from scratch is exciting because they progress and develop and grow with the art of beatboxing. On occasion they even perform with me on stage. In 2010 my youngest was 7-year-old Pele when I taught at the Diverse Art Center on Queen Street and she had a lot of fun. Female enrollment for beatboxing was at a high [then], too.

I think some might have an impression that beatboxing is a guy thing. Some parents say they want to enroll their son but do not think it is for their daughter. As I mentioned, Elaine Chao (www.gotspit.com) influenced me to get into performing after seeing her rock the stage beatboxing on TV. I think if it weren't for her I do not think I would be performing as soon as I did as a beatboxer.

GFH: What kinds of things do you promote as an artist. What's important to you?

Expression, communication, encouragement, education, literacy, languages, tapping into creative outlets, perseverance, play, travel, the arts, faith, fashion, and [teaching] our youth. I believe that a teacher's number one priority and objective is to take initiative to be a leader of his or her community and positively impacting our generation. [Teachers] also should also value the students overall well being and concerned about their environment. Sexual harassment and domestic violence against women concern me. Human nature concerns me-- how people attack one another either verbally, physically or passive aggressively. Bullying and adult bullying at work is also a serious issue.

GFH: What do you know about the roots of hip-hop and how do you feel about how the Hip-Hop genre has changed?

JT: There is a lot I don't know that I'm consistently learning. Hip-Hop is recognized as having "four pillars" in the arts of writing (aerosol art), deejaying, b-boying/b-girling, and emceeing. There are also other elements that play into the culture such as knowledge, beatboxing, fashion, etc.

As with any art or culture, Hip-Hop evolves for the better, for the worse, and in between. There is a watered-down version that degrades and objectifies women in a light that does not honor females. However, I don't think Hip-Hop is to blame. "Mainstream media" is to blame for degrading our younger generation with messages to dumb them down-- distracting us away from the truth and good news. Hip-Hop that uplifts a community, with lyrical content of depth and substance at its core, still exists. There are Hip-Hop jams today that strive to stay true to Hip-Hop culture and I highly recommend it for anyone to check events like these out. ***


Jason with his hanai little brother, bringing up the next gen!

Girl Fest also recommends you check Jason's classes out at:
The Human Beatbox Academy (of the ArtSmith)
1116 Smith Street, #215
Honolulu, HI 96817

I will be battling at Road to South By's Battle of the Bands Oahu Hawaii competition. This is for the South by Southwest Music Festival. It is an all ages event taking place on Saturday, November 5th at Hawaiian Brian's. Watch this video clip I did with StarletShay for the deets:

Come check out these upcoming Estria events... there is a lot going on and I will also be rocking the mic reppin' Hawaii and the art of beatboxing.

Wed, Oct 5th - Estria VIP Party
@ SMSHBX, 18th Street and Telegraph, 6-9pm

Thu, Oct 6th - The Can Film Festival feat. Bomb It 2
@ Roxie Theatre, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 6-11pm

Fri, Oct 7th - Pecha Kucha Night
@ Oaksterdam, 1600 Broadway, Oakland, CA, "Women Creating Art," 7-10pm

Fri, Oct 7th - Estria Foundation Art Show
@ SMSHBX, 18th Street and Telegraph, Oakland, CA, 6pm-8pm

Sat, Oct 8th - Life Is Living/Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle Finals
@ DeFemery Park, 1651 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA, 11am-6pm

Sat, Oct 8th - Official Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle After Party
@ Beta Lounge, 2129 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA, 8pm-12am