Shockwave Interview

  
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1.  How old are you?

26 years old

2.  Where are you from?

Born in Boston, spent my childhood in Foxboro. In American football, that’s where the Patriots play.

3.  How long have you've been Beatboxing for?

About 7 years.

4.  When and how did you first become interested in Beatboxing?

I began piano in junior high, dropped it- my teacher’s house stank like cats.  In middle school, I played a bit of sax but it… trumpet tried… I then played percussion. Throughout high school in various forms- orchestra, marching band, jazz... found the rhythm… LOVE the vibraphone… To vent the classical training, my friends and I would express ourselves with hardcore and joke around with raps, I’d be the beatboxer sometimes…  never thought much of it, but it was what caught me with the music…. The simplicity…

5.  What are your musical influences?

Do you mean influence or inspire? Music-wise, I’m inspired by cats I see in person… on the regular… Baba, Taylor, Ches, and a lot of the crazy musicians and improvisers doing open mics and variety shows, doing their own thing for free. I’m currently under the “influence” of various conscious rappers and independent hip-hop, indy rock, and solid anything, (ejects cd player) some reggae house compilation, mos def, indie-rock band: “Karate”, jedi mind tricks, Hooverphonic…

…may I say… try the “Karate”.

6.  Does anyone else in your family beatbox?

No but my mom should be on stage or an episode of Seinfeld…

7.  Why did you go into this field?  Is beatboxing a passion for you

In college, my friend Dave from high school put together an acapella group and cast me as the vocal percussionist. It was fun but I didn’t take it too seriously, the songs were lame but I liked exercising hip-hop.

At the time, I was also doing improv comedy with “Mission:IMPROVable”. Ta-da, I became the vocal effects guy for short-form jokey joke make-em-ups. Senior year, I began a solo act getting a word from the audience and improvising a non-verbal soundscape with mime and clown… sprinkling it with throat bass drops and tongue click humming beats, ending it with something ridiculous.

I moved to the New York City, got into the improv and music scene, started doing open mics, became house band of a variety show, saw a BBE show, met Lucky, saw an improv-freestyle rap show at an theater, became part of Freestyle Love Supreme… continued several side projects… wrote an interview for Mike… the rest is history..

8.  What type of equipment do you have?

A Shure SM58, a wireless Samson, a cool bendable stereo mini-disc microphone wire (like this: Y), some Radio Shack crap I want to smash, a ZOOM Palmtop Studio PS-04 that is awesome (luck!) but I still have to figure out, a tiny Marshall “Amp” that takes a 9-volt, and a bag of wires.

9.  How do you feel about the Beatboxing Movement?

It’s Fucking Awesome. Year of the Fifth.

Beatboxers and crews are killing audiences. Normal people are blown away and repeats are impressed. More newbies are learning it, performing it, breaking barriers. New genres of mouth music... New shows, combos, new routines… The 5^th is a year or two from it’s own section of a music store.

I think the portion of “the movement” that is online- the collective of bulletin board users and online battlers are pioneers of this new age. My advice to them is to watch what they publicly post if we want this thing to grow. Sometimes we let our “e”-go get ahead of itself. A hot avatar can mean the shit cause the Internet is the universal equalizer. Remember how much of the tupac biggie scandel was instigated by the media…? Real Communication goes beyond… Let’s keep it real… beatboxing was born in the streets… something from nothing and technology is only fun…

10.  Who is your favourite beatboxer?

I don’t have a favorite color and it’s like apples vs. oranges… how do you compare Shodekeh and John Pointer, Yuri and Afra? Masai and Akim?

11.  What other stuff (besides beatboxing) are you involved in?

I work freelance in production assistance, ride my bike, like girls and sometimes dress up as a chicken.

12.  What are your future Beatboxing goals?

I’ll continue to work with “Freestyle Love Supreme” in whatever endeavors that unfold. I’m putting together a solo show of soundscapes and hot beats for the theater. Miming and things with a mic - hope to get some run for $, take it to the Edinburgh fringe or something. Also producing a beatboxing compilation of North American artists with baba and lucky- so pushing that forward will be exciting.

13.  Is there anyone you would love to work with?

Adam Matta and I should both do an “Erin and her Cello” show together.

14.  Where's your favourite spot to beatbox? In the shower?

Honestly…? Ok, so I said above dressing up as a chicken- it’s true… I used to have a morning job for 25$ an hour on Wall Street dressing in a chicken outfit and handing out menus in the financial district.

Sooo… my favorite spot to beatbox was in a chicken mask on Wall Street. Imagine looking through slits of rubber at stock traders and business people, flapping your arms and humming billie jean with my lips…

15.  What's the best Beatboxing memory you have?

(See above)

16.  What advice do you give to someone who wants to get into Beatboxing?

Don’t be afraid of funny faces- explore your lips. When in public, train your subtlety.

It takes three basics to Beatbox.

1. Musical Theory/Understanding

2. Vocal/Respiratory Technique

3. Microphone Technique

(IN THAT ORDER)

17.  What's the best collaboration you've done with Beatboxing?

Rocking shows via “Beatboxer Entertainment” has blessed me with the raw, boundary pushing, DIY, disbelieving witness of this amazing art form… and on a regular, my group, “Freestyle Love Supreme” has presented me with amazingly imaginative and professional opportunities and accomplishments.

18.  Any Shout-Outs?

Nope!