Today’s incredible talk contains insane beats, bizarre sound effects, voiceovers in the style of multiple eras and instruments like the didgeridoo, sitar, trumpet and double bass. And yet, only one person is on the stage. As beatboxer Tom Thum puts it in this talk from TEDxSydney, “All the sounds you just heard were made entirely using just my voice.”
In this talk, Thum takes you around the world, sonically, and shows how he makes some of his most thrilling sounds. It’s a must-watch for a Friday afternoon.
Now, perhaps this talk has inspired you to take up beatboxing yourself. If that’s the case, never fear, this TED-Ed lesson from the members of BEAT NYC will teach you the basics.
Once you’ve watched, check out these other great TED and TEDx talks showing off the incredible skills of beatboxers.
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Naturally 7 beatboxes a whole band
This R&B band has no need for instruments. At TED2009, Naturally 7 beatboxes their single, “Fly Baby.”
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Reggie Watts disorients you in the most entertaining way
In addition to beatboxing, Reggie Watts blends poetry, deep thoughts, foreign languages and accents into a mesmerizing hodgepodge in this talk from TED2012.
Smily: How to make a didgeridoo smile
In this fun performance from TEDxTokyo, Smily uses the classic Australian instrument as a vehicle for his beatboxing.
Jonathan Lopez and Man Wai Che: A beatbox champion meets a Julliard bassist
At TEDxBeaconStreet, a beatboxer finds an unusual musical partner: a classically trained bassist.
krNfx and Elysha Poirier: Beatboxing, visualized
In another unexpected pairing, a two-time Canadian beatbox champion teams up with a visual artist. This performance from TEDxToronto is a treat for the eyes and ears.
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James Burchfield plays (invisible) turntables
Perhaps the most fun part of beatboxer James Burchfield’s talk from TED2003 is when he takes the time to set up and adjust his non-existent turntables.
Beasty: Lyrics and beatboxing
At TEDxBordeaux, French beatboxer Beasty remixes “Eye of the Tiger” and then performs a song’s beats and chorus … at the same time.
Abram Wuliger: A beatbox flute freestyles
Part beatboxer and part Jethro Tull, this performance from TEDxDuke is all good.
The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys captivate the audience at TED2013. Photo: James Duncan Davidson
Jonny Mizzone didn’t come from Alabama with a banjo on his knee. No, this 11-year-old virtuoso hails from the state of New Jersey, where he and his two older brothers discovered the magic of bluegrass legends J.D. Crowe, Ralph Stanley, Clarence White and Earl Scruggs through YouTube. When he was eight years old, Mizzone posted a video of himself playing the banjo on Google’s video site, backed by brothers Robbie, now 14, on fiddle and Tommy, now 15, on guitar. The three shot into the stratosphere as YouTube sensations themselves, with many television appearances and two albums following. Soon J.D. Crowe nicknamed Jonny the “old midget,” in disbelief that someone so young could play the banjo so well.
Sleepy Man Banjo Boys: Bluegrass virtuosity from ... New Jersey?
At TED2013, the brothers — known as the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys thanks to the way Jonny liked to play while lying on his back with his eyes closed — thrilled the audience with three bluegrass-inflected ditties. We dare you not to delight as the three pass the lead from fiddle to guitar to banjo, grinning at each other all the while.
Interestingly, the origin of the word “banjo” is hotly contested. According to Wikipedia, some think the word is of Western African origin, while others believe it is Spanish or Portuguese. Either way, the instrument’s plucky sound has had a big impact on the TED stage. Here, more TED performances and talks involving the banjo.
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This TED Fellow thought she was going to study law in Beijing to work to improve US-China relations through policy … until a chance encounter with a Doc Watson song revealed a new way to approach this challenge. |
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In this talk from TED2004, folk musician David Holt plays the banjo and shares the hilarious wisdom of Aunt Zip, a 105-year-old woman from the Appalachian Mountains. |
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John Francis took a vow of silence for 17 years, and spent three decades traveling the globe by foot to hammer home the message of environmental respect. At TED2008, he not only talks … but plays the banjo. |
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Another bravura performance from the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys. It was this great act during our Worldwide Talent Search that brought the brothers to the TED2013 stage. |
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Mena Trott started a blog in 2001, sharing funny stories of her life. In the talk, she shares a post she wrote about wanting to buy a $300 banjo and having her husband tell her no. The reaction to it changed how she felt about the medium. |
Photo: James Duncan Davidson
Dina El Wedidi is a traditional Egyptian singer — but with a global twist. While her powerful chant draws from Egyptian folk songs, her lyrics speak to a generation of young Egyptians estranged from their government and looking for connection. Meanwhile, her band members play the guitar, the accordion and even the Irish violin.
Photo: James Duncan Davidson
At TEDGlobal 2013, El Wedidi plays two songs. First, “Al-Haram” which El Wedidi translates as “The Forbidden.” She says, “[It’s about the] idea of prejudging, and the misuse of religion to forbid love, art and so on.”
Next, El Wedidi plays “Hozn El-Ganoub (The Sorrow of the South).” She explains, “The south of Egypt very important — it’s the source of the Nile and the source of life.”
El Wedidi has gained popularity in Egypt since the uprisings of 2011, thanks to her thoughtful lyrics that pack political punch and her call for self-realization. As she sings in “Al-Haram”:
“What’s forbidden is not to sing / What’s forbidden are words, half of which are lies.”
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Photo: James Duncan Davidson
Classical guitar virtuoso Tariq Harb had a surprising major in college: finance. The Jordanian-born musician moved to Canada in 1999 to study at Concordia University. But after a few years in the financial sector, he found himself deeply unfulfilled. He decided to go back to the thing he loved when he was younger — music. Only he didn’t pick up the violin, the instrument he knew well. He picked up the classical guitar.
On the TEDGlobal stage, Harb sits in a red armchair, guitar perched upon his knee. As his fingers dart across the strings, his head rolls along with his plucks and the auditorium fills with the joyful, playful sound of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Homage to Brazilian Country Dweller.” The audience claps excitedly.
Offstage, Harb is full of still more contradictions. He tells CBC Music about some surprising things on his iPod: Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Faith No More, plus trip-hop, techno and house music. “That’s the dancer in me coming out,” says Harb.
A man of surprises, indeed.
Photo: James Duncan Davidson