Biography: Who is Jason Tom?
“Jason Tom is from another planet. He is the Michael Jordan of beatboxing.. the Human Beatbox Machine!”
— Allan Silva
Who is Jason Tom? Jason Tom is Hawaiʻi's amazing Human Beatbox adventurer to have emerged onto the music, entertainment, and performing arts industry. His childhood alias was "Superman," and his judo alias was "Spider-Man." He spent his early years in Honolulu and Northern California. His adult life were spent in Beijing, San Francisco, New York, and Honolulu. He is a southpaw. Ssshhhh... trade secret, he holds a microphone with his right to express music creativity with his left.
As a fourth-generation Chinese American he's performed in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese fluently for the ReThink Conference, Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, Chinese New Year Festival, Night in Chinatown Block Party, Moon Festival, International Hawaiʻi Chinese Cultural Arts Festival, and on his China Beatbox Tour. His Chinese name, in traditional form 譚志豪 and 谭志豪 in simplified form, means "will," "many aspirations" and "a person of outstanding talent."
He shattered an Asian American stereotype of not being on an honor roll. So he hustled by doing summer school, correspondence, and sports to keep his grades up. He was a two-year letterman in soccer and judo at McKinley High School. He was nominated "Mr. Aloha" at his senior prom, and was recipient of the McKinley Tigers' Soccer "Mr. Hustle" Award.
He went on to win gold medals at judo tournaments hosted at San Jose State University, and the City College of San Francisco. His final judo win was a Third Place Trophy at the Salt Lake District Park Judo Tournament. Then toward the end of that same month, he collided with a SUV as a pedestrian at the crosswalk nearby Shobukan Judo Club, Pizza Hut, Walgreens, and Liliha Bakery. He was knocked unconscious. Driver rendered help. She called first responders and prayed over him.
By God's grace, no broken bones, but a serious concussion and trauma. God's hand of protection over his life, that driver who rendered help, and his judo saved him that night. He gradually left judo, and took care of unfinished business.
That was the turning point of his life. He sought after his life's true purpose. He shattered doubt and failure. He pursued his human beatbox, math, and academic journey. He judo flipped his college transcript from a 1.0 to a 4.0 grade point average.
He was beatboxing while he worked as a Supplemental Math Instructor peer-mentor, completed the Freeman Foundation Scholarship program at Beijing Foreign Studies University, got inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, was on the students Dean's List, and earned his general degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Community College. He then took some music business and audio engineering courses through the partnership of Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Enertainment and Music Business, and Honolulu Community College.
Within a span of time, he placed in four consecutive KCC Talent Shows, was Asian Avenue Dot Com's Member of the Week, and Asian Ave Dot Com's Member of the Day. He's been featured in TEDx Talks, KS EdTech, Beatbox Battle TV, RAW natural born artists, Millennial Magazine, Island Scene Magazine, University of Hawaiʻi News, University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, University of Hawaiʻi Alumni, Kapʻio News, Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, Frolic Hawaiʻi, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Midweek, McKinley High School The Pinion, Metro HNL, Honolulu Advertiser, Star Bulletin, Metromix, Honolulu Weekly, 808 Scene Zine, Honolulu Pulse, AZN RAPS Dot Com, Asian Media Internet News, Asian American Risings. All the while he sought after a life dedicated to God.
He's performed and spoken at the Chevron Honolulu Speech Festival, and on the "Music With A Message," "Say Yes to Purpose," "Not Even Once," and "Real and Powerful" school tours. Music genres he vocalizes are hip hop, house, reggaeton, dubstep, dancehall, and drum and bass. Music instruments he vocalizes are the synth bass, electric bass, didgeridoo, and the drum kit's bass kick, hi-hats, snares, crash cymbals, and tom-toms. He's also vocalized the Chinese violin "erhu," ukulele, and ipu.
He's performed in cities of Oʻahu Island, Hilo of Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi Island, Los Angeles, Australia, and China. He's been proposed opportunities for appearances in Lānaʻi Island, Maui Island, Kona of Hawaiʻi Island, Nevada, Texas, Boston, Canada, India, Israel, Germany, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
Jason has a goal to go further and deeper into music, entertainment, performing arts, speaking, voice over work, commercial work, film, and publishing. The body of work of those who've inspired him are Stan Lee, Fred Newman, Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond, Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer, Tim Storey, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Winslow, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Jackson, Rahzel, MC Jin, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, Taylor Takata, Kiana Tom, Jake Shimabukuro, Elaine Chao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Far East Movement, Doug E. Fresh, Fat Boys, and Weird Al Yankovic.
Jason founded the Human Beatbox Academy to hit the pavement for generations to come. Meanwhile, Radical Rob Onekea, Gizmo, Re-Run of TMT, Joevon Brown, Kutmaster Spaz, and Skill Roy paved the way for artists like him.
“Jason Tom's rendition of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' is a spectacle of showmanship. From the first drum and snare beats, the song is recognizable, and you wonder how so many sounds could be coming from one person's mouth. Add to this Jason Tom's signature Michael Jackson moves, from the hip thrust to the hand jive. He glides across the floor in a smooth moonwalk, a move that typically gets enthusiastic approval from audiences.”
— Tracy Chan
From child of God to man of faith, Jason was born and water baptized into Catholicism during the administration of America's 40th president Ronald Reagan. By age 15, he welcomed Jesus into his life. At age 21, he pursued a career in beatboxng. And by 25, he devoted his life further to God as a born again Christian.
Jason has opened shows for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, Quest Crew, Blue Scholars, Reeps One, and has performed live with Tom Thum, John Cruz, Jake Shimabukuro, Makana, and Taimane.
Following his first birthday in Honolulu, his early years were spent in East Bay, Northern California. Upon his return, Jason attended preschool at Island Paradise.
At the tender age of four, Jason, as a Kauluwela Tiger Cub kindergartner, began beatboxing the song Michael Jackson Bad following its music video premiere. At the age of six, an older family member recorded his beatboxing of Bad on music cassette tape following the release of Weird Al Yankovic's Fat, and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker film. That season, he was a Liholiho Warrior first grader. He then got held back the first grade.
“Tough times don't last. Tough people do.”
— Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Wait a minute!!!
What???
Who does that? Wait, Jason Tom did that? The Jason Tom Dot Com?
Yes!
Jason Tom did that.
The Jason Tom Dot Com.
No way, get out!
Wow! Now, this is a story of what it means to not give up.
Jason found success upon his Kauluwela Elementary return. It was there, he created Gecko Man, drew home made comic books, continued to beatbox, and discovered that he enjoyed math. He was nicknamed Superman by his P.E. classmate Ruben. By 1991, as a Kauluwela third grader, Jason practiced his beatboxing along to "Jam," "Black or White," "Remember the Time," "Who is It," "Why You Wanna Trip on Me," and "Dangerous" from Michael Jackson's Dangerous album. His inner ear collected a library of sounds and instruments to hone his vocal percussion skill from the Dangerous album.
He was held back the first grade multiple times at Sun Yat-sen Chinese School, and experienced stage fright at its year-end campus presentation, year after year after year. Frustrated, traumatized, he dropped out of Chinese school.
Growing up introverted, his beatboxing was his hidden talent through his years at Liholiho Elementary, Kauluwela Elementary, Kawananakoa Middle, and McKinley High. Jason's beatboxing leaked during his McKinley freshman year when his classmate Jess overheard him beatboxing during their English class. Jess asked him, "was that you or a radio?" When Jess learned that it was not a radio, he responded, "wait, that was you? Wow, that sounded like a radio. Amazing! Can you do it again? That sounded really cool."
As a McKinley High School sophomore, he was emotionally touched and moved by Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer's story. They blessed him and signed Jason's copy of "Charlie's Victory" at the McKinley Auditorium. Charlie and Lucy's story inspired his decision to not give up in life, and school. He was also inspired to give sports a shot.
“Known as Hawaiʻi’s human beatbox, Jason Tom, a Kapiʻolani Community College alumnus, is using beatboxing—a form of vocal percussion that uses the mouth and voice to create sounds and rhythms—to spread a positive message about 'staying on the beat' when it comes to achieving your goals.”
— Kapiʻolani Ching
Reunited as McKinley Tigers, Ruben continued to call Jason, "Superman." Following his sophomore year, he played on McKinley Tigers' basketball summer league. His junior year, he was temporarily the McKinley volleyball team manager, and even gave baseball a try. He found success as a two-year letterman in soccer and judo.
In his first judo season, coach Clinton Sunada nicknamed him "Spider-Man" right before he sparred with at that time future USA judo Beijing Olympian and Hawaii Judo Academy founder Taylor Takata. He finished his senior season as the McKinley boys soccer regular season score leader, and was recipient of the McKinley Tigers' Soccer "Mr. Hustle" Award.
He took a college break following his first two semesters at Kapiʻolani Community College, and he returned to his Northern Californian roots. Between the two semesters, he was emotionally impacted by the horrific September 11th attacks.
In East Bay California, he got hired to do clerical work for an Albany furniture warehouse. He won gold medals at judo tournaments hosted at the San Jose State University, and City College of San Francisco. While he helped to clean up after the the San Jose State University Judo Tournament finished, he picked up a live microphone and beatboxed some sounds. Then kids and teenagers came running toward Jason and responded, "whoa, that was you? That sounded so cool... do it again! Do it again!" He then got his judo belt promotion from white belt to yonkyu-green belt.
“Jason Tom’s quest to 'find himself' led him to northern California and brought him home to Kapi‘olani Community College, where the Freeman Study Abroad Scholarship opened the door to 'a new perspective.'”
— University of Hawaiʻi Foundation
Jason caught Asian American beatboxers Leejay Abucayan's Stir TV and Elaine Chao's Showtime at the Apollo features upon his return to Honolulu. Following his third place judo trophy won in Honolulu, he collided with a SUV as a pedestrian. That was the turning point of his life. His muscle memory responded with a judo sprawl upon impact, and he judo broke his fall prior to him going unconscious on wet asphalt.
Driver rendered help, called first responders, and she prayed over him. ER doctor told his family that it's a miracle he had no broken bones and a collision as such could've been fatal.
He was escorted home that night by family. He woke up the next morning concussed and traumatized by what happened. At age 21 by that time, he contemplated about life. That same day, a family member took him to see the Passion of the Christ on the big screen. He eventually left judo, returned to college, and pursued beatboxing.
During his college years, he took voice lessons from professor Lina Doo, and private voice lessons from vocal coach Cat Wong of Cat Wong Studios.
He completed the Freeman Foundationsh Schlarship program at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Graduated from KCC. He then enrolled in music business and audio engineering courses through Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business partnership with Honolulu Community College.