Tom Thum: The orchestra in my mouth | TED

TED

19 Jul 201311:41

Summary

TLDRTom Thum, a beatboxer from Brisbane, Australia, delivers a humorous and impressive performance at TEDx, showcasing his vocal talents. He demonstrates beatboxing, imitates instruments like the didgeridoo, sitar, and guzheng, and uses Kaoss Pads to manipulate his voice. Tom's journey through sound takes the audience across continents, culminating in a transformation of the Sydney Opera House into a jazz bar, featuring a virtual double bassist and a tribute to a jazz legend.

Takeaways

🎤 Tom Thum is a beatboxer who uses his voice to create a wide variety of sounds.
🤑 He earns money by performing beatboxing in unconventional places like bars and street corners.
🎭 Tom demonstrated his beatboxing skills by imitating classic songs and sounds during his talk.
👏 The audience responded positively to his performance, applauding throughout.
🌏 Tom has traveled the world performing his unique talent, which has allowed him to visit many places.
🎵 He showcased his ability to mimic different musical instruments and sounds from various cultures.
🎧 Tom used Kaoss Pads to enhance his voice with effects and create loops during his performance.
🎷 He creatively used technology to add depth to his performance, such as reverb and drum machine effects.
🏙️ Tom transformed the Sydney Opera House into a jazz bar through the power of his beatboxing.
🎹 He introduced imaginary characters like Mr. Smokey Jefferson and Mr. Peeping Tom to enhance the storytelling of his performance.

Q & A

What does Tom Thum do for a living?
-Tom Thum is a beatboxer, meaning he creates various sounds using only his voice.
What is the significance of Tom Thum's performance at TEDx?
-Tom's performance at TEDx is significant as it showcases his unique talent of beatboxing and his ability to mimic various sounds and instruments.
How does Tom Thum describe the setting for his usual performances?
-Tom Thum typically performs in seedy downtown bars and on street corners, suggesting a more informal and possibly gritty setting.
What classic song does Tom Thum beatbox during his performance?
-Tom Thum beatboxes 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson during his performance.
What does Tom Thum say about the microphone he uses during his performance?
-Tom Thum assures the audience that there are no effects on the microphone, implying that all the sounds are produced solely by his voice.
Where is Tom Thum originally from?
-Tom Thum is from Brisbane, Australia.
What does Tom Thum say about the cultural scene in Brisbane?
-Tom Thum humorously notes that while Brisbane is a great city to live in, it is not the cultural hub of the Southern Hemisphere.
What does Tom Thum do with the Kaoss Pads during his performance?
-Tom Thum uses Kaoss Pads to add effects to his voice, mimic the effect of a drum machine, and loop his voice.
How does Tom Thum transform the Sydney Opera House into a jazz bar during his performance?
-Tom Thum uses his beatboxing skills and the Kaoss Pads to create a jazz bar atmosphere within the Sydney Opera House.
Who are Mr. Smokey Jefferson and Mr. Peeping Tom in the context of Tom Thum's performance?
-Mr. Smokey Jefferson and Mr. Peeping Tom are characters or personas created by Tom Thum to add a narrative element to his beatboxing performance.
What does Tom Thum say about the demand for beatboxing in his hometown?
-Tom Thum indicates that there is not much work for beatboxers in Brisbane, suggesting that he has to perform outside of his hometown and Australia to pursue his passion.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Introduction to Beatboxing

Tom Thum introduces himself and humorously admits to using his mouth in strange ways for money, which turns out to be beatboxing. He performs a beatboxing demonstration, including mimicking the sound of a didgeridoo, and reveals that all sounds are produced using only his voice without any effects on the microphone. Tom expresses excitement about representing his community and acknowledges the niche nature of beatboxing, especially in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia.

05:03

🌍 World Beatbox Tour

Tom takes the audience on a virtual journey around the world with beatboxing sounds that mimic various cultural instruments and environments, such as an airplane, Indian sitar, Chinese guzheng, and a German party atmosphere. He introduces Kaoss Pads, a technology that enhances his voice with effects like reverb and allows him to mimic drum machines and loop his voice. Tom then transforms the Sydney Opera House into a jazz bar, beatboxing to create a full jazz band experience, and introduces imaginary jazz legends Mr. Smokey Jefferson on double bass and Mr. Peeping Tom as the star performer.

11:14

👏 Audience Appreciation

The audience applauds Tom's performance, showing their appreciation for his unique and entertaining beatboxing act.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Beatboxing

Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines, instrumental sounds, and other musical elements using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. In the context of the video, Tom Thum, the speaker, is a beatboxer who uses his voice to create a variety of sounds, including beatboxing renditions of classic songs like 'Billie Jean'. This art form is central to the video's theme, showcasing the human voice's incredible versatility and creativity.

💡Innate Ability

Innate ability refers to a natural talent or skill that a person is born with. In the video, Tom Thum talks about representing his 'kinfolk' and those who have not been able to make a career out of their 'innate ability for inhuman noisemaking'. This phrase is used to emphasize the unique and inherent skills that some individuals possess, which in Tom's case, is his extraordinary beatboxing talent.

💡Cultural Hub

A cultural hub is a place recognized for its rich cultural activities, artistic expression, and diversity. Tom mentions that Brisbane, his hometown, is a great city to live in but is not the cultural hub of the Southern Hemisphere. This statement is used to highlight the contrast between his local environment and the broader, more culturally vibrant places where he performs, emphasizing the global nature of his beatboxing career.

💡Kaoss Pads

Kaoss Pads are electronic music performance instruments that allow for real-time audio manipulation and effects processing. In the video, Tom introduces Kaoss Pads as tools he uses to enhance his voice with effects like reverb and to mimic drum machines. They are integral to his performance, showcasing how technology can be combined with human creativity to produce unique soundscapes.

💡Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians, traditionally made from eucalyptus tree trunks and used in ceremonial music. Tom uses beatboxing to imitate the sound of a didgeridoo, symbolizing the connection to the indigenous culture of Australia. This demonstrates his ability to emulate a wide range of sounds and his respect for different musical traditions.

💡Sitar

The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument used mainly in Indian classical music and became popular in the Western world through the music of The Beatles and other bands. Tom's beatboxing imitation of a sitar showcases his talent for replicating the sounds of various musical instruments, specifically those from different cultural backgrounds, adding a layer of multicultural appreciation to his performance.

💡Guzheng

The guzheng is a Chinese musical instrument with a history of over 2500 years, consisting of a large, rectangular wooden body with movable bridges and strings. Tom's beatboxing of the guzheng sound illustrates his skill in mimicking diverse musical instruments, in this case, one from Chinese tradition, further emphasizing the global reach of his art.

💡Looping

Looping, in the context of music, refers to the process of repeating a sound or sequence of sounds. Tom uses a Kaoss Pad to loop his voice, creating layered soundscapes. This technique is crucial for his performance, allowing him to build complex musical arrangements using only his voice, and it highlights the innovative ways in which technology can be used to enhance live performances.

💡Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in Sydney, Australia, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tom transforms the Sydney Opera House into a 'smoky downtown jazz bar' through his beatboxing, using the venue as a metaphor for the diverse settings in which his art can be performed. This showcases the adaptability and universal appeal of his beatboxing skills.

💡Double Bass

The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. Tom introduces a 'very special friend', Mr. Smokey Jefferson, as a double bassist, further enriching the jazz performance with his beatboxing. This addition of a double bass to the performance signifies the collaborative nature of music and the ability to create a full band sound with just one person's voice.

💡Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tom's performance culminates in a jazz segment, where he introduces 'Mr. Peeping Tom' as a jazz legend, indicating the influence of jazz on his art. Jazz is known for its improvisational nature, which aligns with the spontaneous creativity inherent in beatboxing.

Highlights

Tom Thum introduces himself as a beatboxer who uses his mouth in strange ways for money.

He demonstrates beatboxing in a humorous and engaging way.

Tom Thum performs a beatboxing rendition of 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson.

He clarifies that all sounds are made using only his voice, with no effects on the microphone.

Tom expresses excitement for representing his community and the niche market of beatboxing.

He mentions the challenges of making a career out of beatboxing, especially from Brisbane, Australia.

Tom shares his experiences of traveling the world due to his beatboxing passion.

He takes the audience on a journey through continents and sound with beatboxing.

Tom imitates the sound of a didgeridoo, an Australian Aboriginal instrument.

He beatboxes the sound of an airplane, showcasing his versatility.

Tom incorporates the sound of a sitar to represent India.

He mimics the guzheng, a Chinese musical instrument, in his performance.

Tom beatboxes in a style reminiscent of a German party atmosphere.

He introduces Kaoss Pads, a technology that enhances his beatboxing with effects.

Tom demonstrates how to use Kaoss Pads to add reverb to his voice, emulating a trumpet.

He shows off the ability to sample his own sounds and play them back using the Kaoss Pads.

Tom uses looping technology to create complex beatboxing compositions.

He transforms the Sydney Opera House into a smoky downtown jazz bar through beatboxing.

Tom introduces a fictional character, Mr. Smokey Jefferson, adding a narrative to his performance.

He concludes with a grand introduction of himself as Mr. Peeping Tom, the star of the show.