Jason Tom is an American musician, math teacher, blogger, 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. His Hawaii beatbox class at the Art Smith was included in "Our Favorite Things" in the April 2012 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine. Tom has opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, and Quest Crew. He also is a part of the newly formed Hawaii Hip-Hop Collective.
Biography
Early life, background, and education
At age six, Jason Tom recorded his cover rendition of Michael Jackson's "Badder" on music cassette tape after he watched Moonwalker at Liholiho Elementary, and at family gatherings. 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. 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. He last competed as a Shobukan Judo Club member prior to colliding with a SUV. In 2006, Jason completed the Freeman Foundation intensive Chinese scholarship program at Beijing Foreign Studies University. He earned his spot on the University of Hawaiʻi at KapiʻolaniDean's List from 2006 to 2007. 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. 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. 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 ".
2009–2010
Tom was voted the Best Hawaii Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience by Honolulu Weekly in 2009. He represented Hawaii at the sixth international Human Beatbox Convention and the first American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn.
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. He performed at the Aloha Music For Japan concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Centerstage. Tom founded the Human Beatbox Academy and co-founded the ArtSmith studio in downtown Honolulu's arts district. With Estria, he performed at the #WaterWrites Hawaii mural unveiling in Kalihi, the Estria Graffiti Battle, Honolulu and HIstory and the fifth annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, California. Tom was a top-eight performance poet finalist in HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam.
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 and American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn which were organized by Humanbeatbox.com and the World Beatbox Association.
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.
Jason Tom is nominated as one of the world's top 150 male solo professional vocal percussion artists for the Beatbox Battle World Championship.
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". 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.
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. He appeared on "I'm Movin' On" on Faioso's 2010 debut album, Nobody Owns Me.
