Five months from now marks the 12th anniversary of my time at Word of Life Christian Center, a church I call home.

Had it not been for God in my life and Jesus doing a work in me I would not be free and not be alive. I am grateful and thankful to my Word of Life family, Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulveda, Pastor Wally and Patti Matanza, Rick and Nicole Abordo, John and Lexi Lum, and our men's Life Group growing together in the Word of God, and the things of God.

I am grateful God came into my life as early as He did.

Those of us in our current walk with God, let us rejoice each day that Jesus rescued...
Forgave...
Restored...
Redeemed...
Freed...
Healed...
Delivered...
Made whole.
Renewed...
Pruned...
Counseled....
Taught...
Disciplined....
Refined...
Favored....
And clothed you and I in His majesty.
This Jesus is available to you and I, our family, friends, our neighbors.

In 1998, I accepted Jesus in into my life at age 15 while I was a student at McKinley High School. Prior to that I had gotten my copy of Charlie's Victory signed by Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer with Philippians 4:13. I was a new born again Christian, but not yet a committed one.

In 2008, age 25, I sought after God. My friend Janel invited me to a Christian conference at the Sheraton Waikiki that featured the Katina's. That night, I opened up my heart to God, and I rededicated my life to Jesus.

I shared this with my music business classmate John Tussey, and he encouraged me to find a home church. To get planted there, grow in my walk with God, and get to know Jesus. I prayed to God to make a way.

Days following my prayer to God, my music business classmates Lei and Cherry Anne encouraged me to enter the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show on Friday, October 24. I answered, "yes."

Jason Tom Beatboxing at Word of Life Emerge Talent Show

Video Credit: Isaiah Viernes

That same day, my audio engineering professor James Hearon asked if I'd be interested to teach a beatbox workshop at Word of Life Academy on Monday, October 27. I answered, "yes.

I got to Word of Life Christian Center on Friday, October 24th, and I got greeted by Cherry Anne. I met Yumi, and she took care of the sign up of the contestants. She interviewed me, and I met the age cut off to enter. I was the twelfth out of twelve contestants to sign up for the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals. The order of the contestants was the order of our sign up.

I met 11 amazing talent including Kevin the Kwalified Emcee who I met then as "Kevin."

I asked Kevin, "what talent are you going to perform tonight?"

"I'm going to rap," Kevin responded.

Kevin asked, "what about you?"

"Beatbox," I responded.

When it was Kevin's time to go on stage, he asked the host Jarmal to beatbox while he rapped.

Then I told myself I will bring my A game beatbox mode.

When I got on stage, host Jarmal asked, "so Jason, what are you going to do for us tonight?"

I said, "I'm going to beatbox." The crowd made a thunderous roar before I began.

During my performance the crowd was so loud that it felt as though I was on a roller coaster ride.

I won first place at the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals, and I advanced to the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Grand Finals.

I rededicated my life once more to my personal Lord and savior Jesus Christ that night. Jarmal equipped me with my first bible, which I still have to this day. I then began my bible reading plan with the Gospel of John. Word of Life Christian Center is a church I call home.

Wow! This month is the birth month of Jason Tom dot com! Jason Tom dot com turns 12! Let's wish Jason Tom dot com a Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday Jason Tom dot com!

Can you believe Jason Tom dot com, my official website and blog has been around for 12 years and counting? This is a testament of what commitment looks like. Longevity. I am grateful and elated to share with you that JasonTom.com is not stopping on documenting my beatboxing journey.

Jason Tom dot com works tirelessly around the clock to compile 31 of my beatboxing years and beyond.

Again, Happy Birthday JasonTom.com! And yes, some of my friends offline do actually refer me as, "Jason Tom dot com." What great friends they are. They've got a great sense of humor.

31 years? My first 15 were my amateur years of cultivating and honing the beatboxing craft. My next 16 years are my career years as a beatboxer.

How did my beatboxing journey begin??? Let's go back to 1989. My amateur years.....

In 1989, I was six-years-old, and I remember it as though it happened yesterday that I began beatboxing at my parents' master bedroom in the concrete jungle of Honolulu. It took place after I watched Moonwalker VHS in my first grade class as a Liholiho Warrior, and at family gatherings in Pearl City.

I loved how the King of Pop's Bad short film took place in the New York Subway. I loved the energy of the song, the assertiveness of the message, and the dance sequences. I loved Moonwalker's kid version "Badder," and Weird Al Yankovic's parody "Fat." Michael Jackson's song "Bad" got stuck in my head, and I had to record myself scat singing, beatboxing, and singing "I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it, you know" on music cassette to get it out.

I then got hit with an early setback when I failed the first grade. I transferred to Kauluwela and I became a Tiger Cub. During my Kauluwela years, I continued to cultivate and hone my music beatboxing skills. I practiced for hours imitating the music, vocals, instruments, and percussion sounds from Michael Jackson's Dangerous music cassette album. I continued to hone my beatboxing craft with that album as a Kawananakoa Ali’i Warrior. At that point I listened to my music on music cassettes on my boombox.

Then as a McKinley Tiger, I worked on practicing for hours imitating the instruments and songs of Michael Jackson's CD albums History: Past, Present and Future Book 1, and Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix. I also studied his History on Film Volume 2 on VHS for hours. I studied a lot of Michael Jackson's interviews, music videos and concerts on VHS. Then I got that on History on Film Volume 2 on DVD and Dangerous: the Short Films DVD. I studied them for hours.

That's what I primarily did musically to cultivate my beatboxing during my amateur years.

I had no plans or goals of becoming an entertainer. It was the last profession I'd ever thought about pursuing. My first career choice was to be like a Stan Lee, and get into the comic book industry. Then it was to get into a sports career in soccer or judo. It was not until I collided with a SUV that my life was nearly taken from me that I realized I needed to pursue a career I am passionate about. I chose beatboxing, and I got into the music and entertainment industry. Here's to many more years of beatboxing to come.

Beatboxer of the Decade,

Jason Tom is HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays 16th Anniversary Grand Slam Finalist at Hawaiian Brian's Crossroads Concert Hall. Show hosted by Hawai`i Poet Laureate Kealoha with DJ Toki of Sisters in Sound and live painter Alicia Soder. 

Video Credit: Sáshily Kling

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The best First Thursdays show of the year is almost here!! We've got the 2019 Grand Slam FINALS and HawaiiSlam’s 16th Anniversary on April 4th. 

Come witness the 12 best poets from the 2018-2019 season fighting for their metaphoric lives in an all out, three-round elimination match for $2000 and a spot on the 2019 HawaiiSlam team. Competing poets are Anesu Makufa, Noa Helelā, Izzi Emz, Lani Fisher, Jesse Lipman, Brianna Johnston, Jason Tom, Liam Skilling, Z, Destiny Sharion, Asia Lavarello, and Sterling Higa. The show will be hosted by Kealoha (Hawai`i Poet Laureate) with DJ Toki (Sisters in Sound) and Alicia Soder (live paint). 

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door, so get yours now for this annual fundraiser and anniversary show!! You can get tickets for the Grand Slam FINALS as follows: 

IN PERSON: 
- Hawaiian Brian's (1680 Kapiolani Boulevard), phone: (808) 946-1343. Tickets are sold at the bar in the main pool room. There is a 15-minute free grace period for parking in the Hawaiian Brian’s parking structure 

ONLINE: 
- Internet purchase at www.HawaiiSlam.com or click here on this paypal link. Note that internet orders will be held for you at the door. If you're buying tickets for people other than yourself, you can email us at info@HawaiiSlam.com at least one day before the show to specify who to hold the tickets under (you can specify various names -- useful if your group plans to arrive at different times). If you are having difficulties with purchasing via paypal, give us a call at (808) 387-9664 and we'll help you out. Please note that internet purchases will not be available on the day of the show! 
___________________________________________ 
First Thursdays (April 4th -- Grand Slam FINALS) 
LOCATION: Hawaiian Brian's (Crossroads concert hall) 
1680 Kapi`olani Boulevard (2nd Floor above 24 Hour Fitness) 
Doors at 7:30pm, Show at 8:30pm 
$15 Fundraiser to Send the Team to the National Poetry Slam 
All Ages 
Phone: (808) 387-9664 
Email: info@HawaiiSlam.com 
Website: www.HawaiiSlam.com 

Validated parking for Hawaiian Brian’s is $2 for 4 hours and $2 per additional hour. There is plenty of street parking in the area as well (note, if you street park or walk/bike/bus, enter through the 24 Hour Fitness lobby on Kapi`olani and walk up the stairs). 

First Thursdays is the largest registered poetry slam in the world (400+ in attendance)!! HawaiiSlam has official 501(c)(3) non-profit status through Poetry Slam Inc. Please forward to anybody who may be interested...