Jason Tom

Jason Tom

Background information
Birth name Jason Tom
Also known as Hawaii's Human Beatbox,[1][2] 譚志豪, 谭志豪
Born (1982-11-21) November 21, 1982
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2004–present
Associated acts Michael Winslow
Jake Shimabukuro
Kamuela Kahoano
Pimpbot
Kealoha
Makana
Website jasontom.com
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tom.
Jason Tom
Traditional Chinese 譚志豪
Simplified Chinese 谭志豪

Jason Tom (born November 21, 1982) is an American musician, performance poet, and motivational speaker known for beatboxing in music, dance, and poetry slams. As the founder of the Human Beatbox Academy, he does outreach with performances, workshops and events for people of all ages. Tom has toured China and collaborated with groups such as Hawaii Meth Project and Music With A Message.[1] His Hawaii beatbox class at the Art Smith was included in "Our Favorite Things" in the April 2012 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine.[3] Tom has opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, and Quest Crew.[4] He also is a part of the newly formed Hawaii Hip-Hop Collective.[2]

Biography

Early life, background, and education

At age four, Tom recorded himself on audio cassette tapes singing Michael Jackson's "Bad."[4] He combined scat singing with an urban beatboxing technique known as an inward K snare drum. Although Tom played a toy piano, a ukulele and the tuba, he used beatboxing and other vocalizing as his primary musical instrument.[5][6][7] He graduated from McKinley High School in 2001.[8]

Tom graduated from Kapiolani Community College as a Phi Theta Kappa honor student with an associate degree in liberal arts in 2007.[8] 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.[6] Tom received a certificate of completion in intensive Chinese in summer 2006 from the Freeman Foundation China Scholarship Study Abroad Program at Beijing Foreign Studies University.[8]

His secondary-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)".[9][10]

2009–2010

Tom was voted the Best Hawaii Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience by Honolulu Weekly in 2009.[11] He represented Hawaii at the sixth international Human Beatbox Convention and the first American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn.[4][12]

2011–2012

Jason Tom emceeing Innovative Sessions

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.[13][14] He performed at the Aloha Music For Japan concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Centerstage.[15] Tom founded the Human Beatbox Academy (Hawaii Beatbox School) and co-founded the ArtSmith studio in downtown Honolulu's arts district.[16]

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.[17][18][19] Tom was a top-eight performance poet finalist in HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam.[20]

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).[21][22]

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".[23] 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.[24]

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.[4][12] He appeared on "I'm Movin' On" on Faioso's 2010 debut album, Nobody Owns Me.[25][26]

References

  1. 1 2 Hulme, Julia (25 January 2016). "Jason Tom: The Human BeatBox". Millennial Magazine. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 O'Connor, Christina (23 September 2016). "Unbeatable". Metro HNL. Star Advertiser. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Farinas, Wil (April 10, 2012). "Hawaii Business Magazine April 2012". JasonTom.com.
  4. 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.
  5. ↑ Chan, Tracy (October 2, 2009). "He's Got Beat: Jason Tom captivating audiences with human beatbox skills". Honolulu Advertiser.
  6. 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 2014-11-27
  7. ↑ Cristobal, Vina (October 26, 2014). "Jason Tom, Beatbox Hero – Issue #3 HNL Flow Video Feature". HNL Flow: One For The Books Video Feature.
  8. 1 2 3 Domdom, Jolica (1 April 2015). "Local beatboxer breaks it down for the Hogan Entrepreneurs". Chaminade Silversword. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Island, Ellice (August 2009). "In The Spotlight: Jason Tom the Human Beatbox". The 808 Scene Zine. Retrieved on 2014-11-28
  10. ↑ "Honolulu Community College sponsors its first songwriters workshop". University of Hawaii News Release. June 18, 2009. Retrieved on 2014-11-28
  11. ↑ Staff, Honolulu Weekly (October 12, 2009). "Best of Honolulu – The Arts". Honolulu Weekly.
  12. 1 2 Moniz, Melissa (July 21, 2010). "C&K Concert; Packo Mixes It Up". Midweek.
  13. ↑ "3 Back to Back and Honolulu Twestival". March 23, 2011. Retrieved on 2012-02-17
  14. ↑ "Honolulu Twestival Coverage". March 29, 2011. Retrieved on 2012-02-17
  15. ↑ "Aloha Music For Japan Concert". April 29, 2011. Retrieved on 2012-02-17
  16. ↑ "Interview with Jason Tom (The Human Beatbox Academy)　ジェーソン・トム". April 7, 2011. Retrieved on 2012-02-17
  17. ↑ "WaterWrites Hawaii Mural". July 5, 2011. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
  18. ↑ "Estria Graffiti Battle Honolulu & HIstory". September 2, 2011. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
  19. ↑ "Estria Events". October 4, 2011. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
  20. ↑ Quillopo, Jermel-Lynn (April 5, 2012). "Social Encore: Spoken like a champion". Honolulu Pulse.
  21. ↑ "Oahu Beatboxer Jason Tom performs". KITV. October 27, 2013. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
  22. ↑ "Local beatboxer shares his sounds". KITV. October 27, 2013. Retrieved on 2014-07-01
  23. ↑ "TEDx Honolulu "Shift"". TEDx Honolulu 2009. November 5, 2009. Retrieved on 2014-12-04
  24. ↑ "TEDx Honolulu "It's About Time"". TEDx Honolulu 2011. November 1, 2011. Retrieved on 2014-12-04
  25. ↑ Berger, John (April 2, 2010). "'Kaden' sweet and easy: Nobody Owns Me (Faioso)". Honolulu Star-Bulletin HI Life – Island Mele.
  26. ↑ Staff, Hononolulu Star-Bulletin (April 16, 2010). "2010 Nā Hōkū Award nominees". Honolulu Star-Bulletin HI Life.
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