Jason Tom

Last updated

Jason Tom
Jason Tom NYC Williamsburg Bridge.JPG
Background information
Birth nameJason Tom
Also known asHawaii's Human Beatbox, [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Hawaii's King of Beatbox, [7] [5] Human Beatbox Machine, 譚志豪, 谭志豪
Born Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
InstrumentsVocals, human beatbox
Years active2004–present
Associated acts Michael Winslow
Jabbawockeez
Quest Crew
Blue Scholars
Jake Shimabukuro
Kamuela Kahoano
Pimpbot
Kealoha
Makana
Website jasontom.com
Jason Tom
Traditional Chinese 譚志豪
Simplified Chinese 谭志豪

Jason Tom is an American musician, math teacher, blogger, performance poet, and motivational speaker known for beatboxing in music, dance, and poetry slams. [1] [2] [8] [9] He has toured China and collaborated with groups such as Hawaii Meth Project and Music with a Message. [3] His Hawaii beatbox class at the Art Smith was included in "Our Favorite Things" in the April 2012 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine . [10] Tom has opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, and Quest Crew. [11] He also is a part of the newly formed Hawaii Hip-Hop Collective. [4]

Contents

Biography

Early life, background, and education

At the tender age of four, Jason Tom began beatboxing, and by age six recorded his cover rendition of Michael Jackson's "Badder" on music cassette tape after he watched Moonwalker at Liholiho Elementary, and at family gatherings. [11] He combined scat singing with an urban beatboxing technique known as an inward K snare drum. Although Jason attempted to play a toy piano, an ukulele and tuba, he used beatboxing and other vocalizing as his primary musical instrument. He continued to hone his beatboxing skill through his years at Kauluwela Elementary, Prince David Kawananakoa Middle, and President William McKinley High School. [12] [13] [14] [15] As a McKinley Tiger alumnus, Jason was a two-year letterman in varsity soccer and judo. Jason scored McKinley's one soccer goal in a loss to Kaimuki High School's two goals by Jared Shirai and Troy Uehera. [16] He last competed as a Shobukan Judo Club member prior to colliding with an SUV. [17] [7]

In 2006, Jason was a Freeman Scholar of Beijing Foreign Studies University. [18] [19] He earned his spot on the University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Dean's List from 2006 to 2007. [20]

Jason graduated from Kapiʻolani Community College as a Phi Theta Kappa honor student in 2007. At KCC, he was a supplemental instructor in mathematics with a concentration in algebra. [21] [1] [2] His Voice I professor at KCC, Lina Doo, introduced him to Tuvan throat singing and he incorporated it into his beatboxing after Doo encouraged him to watch Genghis Blues . [13] [22] [1] [2] [7] [23] [24]

His higher education musical peers included American Idol's Jordan Segundo, Kalei Gamiao, and John Tussey, and he attended the first MELE Songwriters Workshop in 2009. Tom and Yelp Hawaii manager Emi Hart joined Adam Watts' songwriter workshop, and he composed "Listen Carefully (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)". [25] [26]

2009–2010

Tom was voted the Best Hawaii Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience by Honolulu Weekly in 2009. [27] He represented Hawaii at the sixth international Human Beatbox Convention and the first American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn. [11] [28]

2011–2012

Tom headlined the Honolulu Twestival with Kamuela Kahoano, Willow Chang and Emi Hart. Their combined contribution with the Honolulu Twestival team and attendees raised over $2,000 for the Blood Bank of Hawaii. [29] [30] He performed at the Aloha Music For Japan concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Centerstage. [31] Tom founded the Human Beatbox Academy (Hawaii Beatbox School) and co-founded the ArtSmith studio in downtown Honolulu's arts district. [32]

With Estria, he performed at the #WaterWrites Hawaii mural unveiling in Kalihi (near Honolulu Community College), the Estria Graffiti Battle, Honolulu and HIstory and the fifth annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, California. [33] [34] [35] Tom was a top-eight performance poet finalist in HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam. [36]

2013

He joined the Say Yes To Purpose tour with Diverse Art and the Academy of Hype and performed on the Music with a Message tour, visiting middle and high schools throughout Hawaii. Tom appeared in the film American Beatboxer, which documented the 2010 International Human Beatbox Convention (Boxcon) and American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn which were organized by Humanbeatbox.com and the World Beatbox Association (WBA). [37] [38]

Career Highlights

McDonald's NextNext Music: Sounds That Sparks Change

Jason Tom finished as the top three musician of 40 musicians, artists and bands who entered the McDonald's NextNext Music: Sounds That Sparks Change Competition and Charity Event with 6,291 votes. McDonald's of Hawaii consumer votes for him supported the Ronald McDonald House Charities. [39] [4] [40]

Hawaii Children And Youth Day

Jason Tom has performed for Hawaii Children And Youth Day at the Hawaii State Capitol Rotunda. [41] [42]

Hawaii Explorations Expo

Jason Tom presented at the Hawaii Explorations Expo in Hilo that also featured Henk Rogers and Kalepa Baybayan. An event expo that advocates for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education on Hawaii Island! [43] [44] [45]

Speaker

On November 5, 2009, Tom was a presenter at the first TEDx Honolulu conference at the Hawaii Convention Center with Neil Blecherman, Jill Buck, Henk Rogers and Kaiser Kuo. In an interviewed with former Hawaii TV news reporter Angela, he said: "Successful people fail more". [46] Tom also spoke at the TEDx Honolulu conference on November 1, 2011. TEDx Honolulu: It's About Time was hosted by Ka'ala Souza at the Honolulu Design Center's Cupolo Theatre. [47] [48] [49]

Releases

Tom's T-shirt release party in Honolulu featured a collaboration of beatbox, locking, popping, and b-boying with Skillroy and Andy Tran. The shirt was hand-drawn by Hawaii artist JKS. [11] [28] He appeared on "I'm Movin' On" on Faioso's 2010 debut album, Nobody Owns Me. [50] [51]

Related Research Articles

Oahu Third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and site of the state capital Honolulu

Oahu, also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—about two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island lies within Honolulu County and the state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast.

Phi Theta Kappa International honor society

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The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Hawaii's musical contributions to the music of the United States are out of proportion to the state's small size. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part of Hollywood soundtracks. Hawaii also made a contribution to country music with the introduction of the steel guitar. In addition, the music which began to be played by Puerto Ricans in Hawaii in the early 1900s is called cachi cachi music, on the islands of Hawaii.

Beatboxing Vocal persecution involving mouth, lips, tongue and voice to mimick drum machine

Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines, using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve vocal imitation of turntablism, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing today is connected with hip-hop culture, often referred to as "the fifth element" of hip-hop, although it is not limited to hip-hop music. The term "beatboxing" is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general.

President William McKinley High School Public high school in Honolulu, , United States of America

President William McKinley High School, more commonly referred to as McKinley High School, is a comprehensive public high school in the Honolulu District of the Hawaii State Department of Education. It serves grades nine through twelve. McKinley is one of three schools in the Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt Complex Area which includes Kaimuki High School and Roosevelt High School. It was founded as Fort Street English Day School in 1865. Later known as Honolulu High School, it was renamed in memorial to William McKinley, the twenty-fifth President of the United States, in 1907. President William McKinley High School is one of the oldest secondary schools in the state and several of its buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The campus displays sculptures by Satoru Abe (1926–) and Bumpei Akaji (1921–2002). McKinley High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

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Simon Shlomo Kahn, known professionally as SK Shlomo and previously as Shlomo, is a British singer-songwriter, beatboxer, music producer and live looping technologist.

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KRNFX

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Gene Shinozaki American musician

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The Grand Beatbox Battle is an annual international beatboxing competition hosted by Swissbeatbox. Along with the triennial Beatbox Battle World Championship, it is considered one of the pre-eminent beatboxing events. The competition holds multiple tournaments for different forms and categories of beatboxing which include: Solo, Loopstation, Tag Team, Tag Team Loopstation, and Crew.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Hawai'i's Human Beatbox". University of Hawaiʻi Foundation Office of Alumni Relations. October 19, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ching, Kapi'olani (December 13, 2018). "Kapiʻolani CC alum stays on beat spreading message of perseverance". University of Hawaiʻi News.
  3. 1 2 Hulme, Julia (January 25, 2016). "Jason Tom: The Human BeatBox". Millennial Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Connor, Christina (September 23, 2016). "Unbeatable". Metro HNL. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Jason Tom Biography". JasonTom.com.
  6. ↑ "Hawaii's Human Beatbox". HawaiiBeatbox.com.
  7. 1 2 3 Domdom, Jolica (April 1, 2015). "Local beatboxer breaks it down for the Hogan Entrepreneurs". Chaminade Silversword. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ Ching, Kapiʻolani (December 13, 2018). "Kapiʻolani CC alum stays on beat spreading message of perseverance". University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Alumni. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Peter (November 24, 2014). "Chaminade Hosts Poetry Slam". Chaminade Silversword. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ Farinas, Wil (April 10, 2012). "Hawaii Business Magazine April 2012". JasonTom.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Senaga, Ryan (July 14, 2010). "Our Own Human Beatbox: Jason Tom wants to take his unique sound all the way to the Big Apple". Honolulu Weekly.
  12. ↑ Chan, Tracy (October 2, 2009). "He's Got Beat: Jason Tom captivating audiences with human beatbox skills". Honolulu Advertiser .
  13. 1 2 Jamias, Tina (May 10, 2014). "Amazing Beatboxer Influenced By Michael Jackson Is Making A Name With His Talent". All Things Michael. Retrieved on November 27, 2014
  14. ↑ Kakazu, Ellise (October 26, 2014). "Jason Tom, Beatbox Hero – Issue No. 3 HNL Flow Video Feature". HNL Flow: One For The Books Video Feature.
  15. ↑ Wu, Nina (June 9, 2015). "Beatboxing with Jason Tom". Star Advertiser .
  16. ↑ Staff, Advertiser (January 14, 2001). "High school soccer: 'Iolani, Punahou finish scoreless". Honolulu Advertiser.
  17. ↑ Staff, Star-Bulletin (February 4, 2004). "JUDO State Tournament at Salt Lake District Park". Star-Bulletin.
  18. ↑ "The Freeman Foundation Scholarship – Jason Tom". University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. January 8, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  19. ↑ Duarte, Thomas (February 14, 2006). "Say What? Freeman Scholars Prepare for Studies Abroad". Kapiʻo Newspress volume 40, issue 5. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Dean's List Honorees 2006–2007". Kapiʻo Newspress volume 41, issue 11. November 8, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  21. ↑ Duarte, Thomas (November 11, 2005). "Supplemental Instruction: Students helping students". Kapiʻo Newspress Vol. 39, issue 13. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  22. ↑ Yamashiro, Lexus (July 15, 2017). "KCC Alumnus Inspires Community Through Beatboxing, Motivational Speaking". Kapiʻo News. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  23. ↑ Wu, Nina (June 9, 2015). "Rhythm And Moves". Star Advertiser .
  24. ↑ Wu, Nina (June 9, 2015). "For Chinatown's Jason Tom, beatboxing is a whole-body workout". Star Advertiser .
  25. ↑ Island, Ellice (August 2009). "In The Spotlight: Jason Tom the Human Beatbox". The 808 Scene Zine. Retrieved on November 28, 2014
  26. ↑ "Honolulu Community College sponsors its first songwriters workshop". University of Hawaii News Release. June 18, 2009. Retrieved on November 28, 2014
  27. ↑ Staff, Honolulu Weekly (October 12, 2009). "Best of Honolulu – The Arts". Honolulu Weekly.
  28. 1 2 Moniz, Melissa (July 21, 2010). "C&K Concert; Packo Mixes It Up". Midweek.
  29. ↑ "3 Back to Back and Honolulu Twestival". March 23, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2012
  30. ↑ "Honolulu Twestival Coverage". March 29, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2012
  31. ↑ "Aloha Music For Japan Concert". April 29, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2012
  32. ↑ "Interview with Jason Tom (The Human Beatbox Academy) ジェーソン・トム". April 7, 2011. Retrieved on February 17, 2012
  33. ↑ "WaterWrites Hawaii Mural". July 5, 2011. Retrieved on July 1, 2014
  34. ↑ "Estria Graffiti Battle Honolulu & HIstory". September 2, 2011. Retrieved on July 1, 2014
  35. ↑ "Estria Events". October 4, 2011. Retrieved on July 1, 2014
  36. ↑ Quillopo, Jermel-Lynn (April 5, 2012). "Social Encore: Spoken like a champion". Honolulu Pulse.
  37. ↑ "Oahu Beatboxer Jason Tom performs". KITV. Retrieved on July 1, 2014
  38. ↑ "Local beatboxer shares his sounds". KITV. October 27, 2013. Retrieved on July 1, 2014
  39. ↑ "McDonald's NextNext Hawaii Music Winners". Hawaii Beatbox. October 31, 2017.
  40. ↑ "NextNext Hawaii Music Contest Winners Announced". Hawaii Beatbox. November 7, 2016.
  41. ↑ "26th Hawaii Children And Youth Day". JasonTom.com. October 9, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Jason Tom Hawaii Children And Youth Day HD". hawaiiflowersleis.com. June 15, 2019.
  43. ↑ "3rd Annual Hawaii Explorations Expo". Hawaii Science and Technology Museum. October 13, 2019.
  44. ↑ "3rd Annual Hawaii Explorations Expo". Hawaii Beatbox. October 25, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Public Invited for 3rd Annual Science and Tech Expo in Hilo". Big Island Now. October 26, 2019.
  46. ↑ "TEDx Honolulu "Shift"". TEDx Honolulu 2009. November 5, 2009. Retrieved on December 4, 2014
  47. ↑ "TEDx Honolulu "It's About Time"". TEDx Honolulu 2011. November 1, 2011. Retrieved on December 4, 2014
  48. ↑ "KS EdTech Conference empowers educators to navigate the challenges and opportunities of technology". Kamehameha Schools. June 14, 2018.
  49. ↑ "KCC Scholarship Mahalo Dinner". November 8, 2018.
  50. ↑ Berger, John (April 2, 2010). "'Kaden' sweet and easy: Nobody Owns Me (Faioso)". Honolulu Star-Bulletin HI Life – Island Mele.
  51. ↑ "2010 Nā Hōkū Award nominees". Honolulu Star-Bulletin HI Life. April 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
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