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EmailThe art of beatboxing has moved into common knowledge over several years. Each year, more and more people are being shown that it can exist beyond the realms of hip-hop and drum n bass. There is a massive following, numerous successful viral videos, and I have seen and experienced an entire room volunteering their undivided attention to solo beatboxing countless times. Beatboxing is officially 'cool'.
Why then, would something that can be practised anywhere outside of libraries not be anywhere near as common a form of percussion as drum kit in signed bands or chart records? What risk don't the record labels want to take? Why aren't as many people taking up beatboxing as drum kit?
Perhaps there is a clue right here on Humanbeatbox.com. At the time of writing this, the video forum contains 11,002 threads with 110,859 views whereas the audio forum contains 837 threads with 5,906 views.
On all drumming forums and bass guitar forums that I have ever seen there are more videos than audio clips as well, so, what is my point? It's that these are all examples of one part of music being shown in isolation. They will not have as much depth as a complete piece.
The vast majority of beatbox freestyles are just one part of a potential song: the solo. People, both audience and performers, are feeling a need for visuals because of something missing from the audio. This hits beatboxing harder because so many people have been introduced to beatboxing through internet videos. Moreover, beatboxing is impressive. We're making music that emulates sounds that have only existed for one hundred, or even thirty, years. We're doing something that everybody would have a capacity to do right now if they had the knowledge. We could do all of this in a field in 3000BC. How dangerous it is that you can measure the loudness of a roar of applause by how little of beatboxing your audience has seen? Maybe it's more dangerous than you think. You can walk home at the end of the night thinking:
'Wow, my set was tight. I got the best applause of the night and the only encore. I did well'
However, that doesn't mean, if you made and distributed a recording of the night, that it would get listened to while your 'fans' take a bath. Novelty is like a spice, the right amount can turn a dish into the most exciting type of food but too much can ruin it and, more importantly, it alone is not a staple diet.
I do not view beatboxing as a novelty; I believe there is potential for equal depth to beatboxing as to any other instrument and that this is realized in many examples, such as 'Mr Maybe' by Beardyman, or 'White Light' by MC Xander. Both tracks use vocals as their sole instrument and are performed by one beatboxer/vocalist. The difference is that both artists have given a structure and kept enough subtlety to leave people wanting more from audio alone. The fact that both tracks contain great lyrics also helps.
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I think this article is on point. I guess one would say that I'm a professional beatboxer, it may be hard to believe but I pay bills through my art. BUT that is because I have ventured out beyond the realm of just beatboxing. My thoughts have always been that you NEED to make music! Beatboxing is great as a solo act, like look at all these cool sounds I can do sort of thing, but this does run the risk of being put into the category of novelty act and potentially fad. Even Michael Winslow created a comedy routine to showcase his skills. I think beatboxers should think more in terms of music and educate themselves on music. Learn to play with other musicians, learn composition and production, learn to make music. Otherwise I think you will find a dream of being a professional beatboxer just that, a dream.
Very good article, entertaining too!
-FT