"Tough times don't last, tough people do." 

Based out of "The Gathering Place," Oʻahu, the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, professional beatboxer Jason Tom designed a giant of an idea worth spreading for the TEDx Talks "Vocal Groove" entertainment presentation. This global icon and national treasure, Honolulu native, beatboxer since six, presenter, trauma perseverer, voice actor, prayer warrior, math geek, ex-judoka, ex-soccer player, and fourth-generation American of Hawaiʻi Chinese ancestry, has not forgotten where he came from to know where he is going to impact families, lives and communities. 

It began at the tender age of six when Tom recorded himself on an audio cassette tape of his 1989 beatboxing and scat singing rendition of "Badder," from the Moonwalker movie based on the Michael Jackson music album "Bad," in the concrete jungle of Downtown Honolulu at his parents' master bedroom of their two-bedroom apartment. 

A judo fighter retiree in his early 20's who left the competition mat and jumped straight into the world of music business, public speaking, and the entertainment industry. In his early 30's he retired from beatbox competition the year he was the Hawaiʻi all-star beatboxer among the world's top 150 professional vocal percussion artists to qualify for the 4th Beatbox Battle World Championship. He shifted his sight on family, health, ministry, philanthropy, beatbox music, mathematics, and community. Tom's published "Let's Do This" blog plus www.JasonTom.com and www.HawaiiBeatbox.com reaches 5.2 million individuals, and households throughout our world. 

He attended Beijing Foreign Studies University having completed that Freeman Foundation China study abroad scholarship with a 4.0 grade point average and graduated as a Phi Theta Kappan at the University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Community College during his time as a mathematics supplemental instruction leader with a concentration in "algebra" while beatboxing around the globe. He got on the UH KCC Dean's List with a 3.84 cumulative grade point average. In 2006 and 2007, he placed in four consecutive KCC talent contests. He then completed five semesters of the MELE Program taught by professors at Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment And Music Business via live feed partnered with the UH at Honolulu Community College. 

Then one Friday evening in October 2008 he entered the statewide Emerge Talent Contest at Word of Life Christian Center. Tom was the last to compete out of 12 contestants, and emerged as the first-place winner. It is written in the gospel book of Matthew chapter 20 and verse 16, "so the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." He continues to look to God's wisdom and knowledge for guidance in his endeavors and lifestyle as an entrepreneur under 40 to keep an eye out for. 

He carries a message of perseverance and delivers his passion to envision our world through a scope of being "on the beat" with "eyes on the prize" to "make noise" in our endeavors. He has opened for Michael Winslow of the Police Academy and Spaceballs movie film fame, the America's Best Dance Crew Champions the Jabbawockeez and Quest Crew, Blue Scholars, and has performed live with Jake Shimabukuro, Honoka and Azita, Taimane Gardner, and Makana. 

FROM ZERO TO HERO 
Today, this southpaw is Hawaiʻi's scene choice "Best Performer" award-winning human beatbox, voice actor, math coach, musician, blogger, bachelor, a three-time Hawaiʻi slam First Thursdays top 12 performance poet, McKinley High School's "Mr. Hustle" award recipient soccer striker and outside halfback alumni that between 2009 and 2015 has performed in front of 10,000 to 20,000 middle- and high school students annually with the American Lung Association in Hawaii spreading an encouragement to live a Not-On-Tobacco lifestyle that a Moanalua High School student dubbed Tom as the "Human Skrillex." 

CLASS & SHOWMANSHIP 
"I couldn't take my eyes off him," said Hawaiʻi's Got Talent judge Andy Bumatai. "There is no denying he is interesting to watch. He definitely has talent, and he seems like a really nice guy. Could we be witnessing Hawai'i's first beatbox star?" 

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 Tom's signature Michael Jackson moves, from the hip thrust to the hand jive. He glides across the floor in a smooth moonwalk. 

WAKE UP CALL 
It is written in proverbs chapter 24 verse 16, "for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again..." After being struck by a van at the age of 21, Jason Tom was hit with the realization of what he was doing with his life. Having a near-life death experience was a wakeup call and a reality check for Tom to pursue a career he is passionate about, which is beatboxing. 

PURPOSE & CALLING IN LIFE 
The day following that accident in 2004 he caught the Passion of the Christ movie film that soon followed him rocking the mic to young and old alike. His unique style mixes old- and new- school beatboxing with hip-hop, house and dubstep with his personal touch of boots and cats, tom-toms, kicks, hi-hats, snare drums, and didgeridoo all performed by his voice live. "I said, 'why not, put it out there, get out there and perform. Perpetuate the art form of beatboxing.' I love beatboxing, because that's my instrument," as Tom shared on Art And Flea's Do What You Love Series. 

Jennifer Takahashi blogged, "I don't think I can think of a better example of stretching the limits of potential than what Jason Tom can do with his voice. The sounds that he creates from his body are seriously incredible. Beyond that, what he has done with his talent is truly inspiring. His performance at TEDx Talks was one of the ones that inspired me to start this blog." 

It is written in the gospel book of Luke chapter 16 and verse 10, "he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Off stage, Tom taught beatboxing to Noa and Elijah. Elijah won 1st place in 2018 and Noa won 1st place in 2017 in the high school division variety act category of the Hawaiʻi statewide Brown Bags to Stardom talent competition. 

"Great entertainers are far and few between. Jason Tom is a great entertainer and motivator on stage. Need more like him!" wrote Johnny Kai, Hawaii Music Awards and Brown Bags To Stardom founder. 

He has been interviewed by Attilio Leonardi, Adienne Lally, Nina Wu, Angela Keen, Jill Kuramoto, Olena Heu, Tracy Chan, Lexus Yamashiro, Sam the Man, Hawaiian Ryan, Bitna Kim, Willow Chang, Ellise Kakazu. 

He's supported events with former Miss Hawaii Pageant winners and contestants Traci Toguchi, Jalee Fuselier (Jalee Polompo), Crystal Lee (Crystal Montrone), Ellise Kakazu, Carissa Kano, Liane Ancajas, Brittany Lee, 

He has appeared on and presented at TEDx Talks "Shift" and "It's About Time" Conferences, Rock The School Bells Conference, ReThink Conference, KS EdTech "DisRupt" Conference, G12 Hawaiʻi "Awaken to Conquer" Conference, RAW Artist Schowcase, Twestival, Hi Sessions, Millennial Magazine, Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, Chevron's Honolulu District Speech Festival, Town Center of Mililani Back to School Bash, Yelp Elite, Beatroot, Koko Head Elementary Back to School Assembly, Kauluwela Elementary Welcome Back Assembly, Kamehameha Schools "Find the Hero in You" Assembly, International Hawaiʻi Chinese Cultural Arts Festival, Taste of Chinatown, Moon Festival, Chinese New Year Festival, Night In Chinatown, American Lung Assocation's Music With A Message, 6th International Human Beatbox Convention, Rice Festival, Hawaiʻi Book And Music Festival, Hawaii Children And Youth Day, Team Lally Kapolei Grand Opening, MyGocenter Kapolei Grand Opening, Honolulu Museum's Art After Dark, Team Lally Radio Show, Beatbox Battle Television, "American Beatboxer" documentary movie film, 1st & 4th American Beatbox Championship, Venue Tradeshow, SpoCom Anaheim Supershow, SpoCom Hawaii, Art+Flea TV, Art+Flea Boom Bap, Art+Flea Mililani, Kapiʻo News, HonoluluMagazine.com, HawaiiBeatbox.com, HumanBeatbox.com, SwissBeatbox.com, Fame Magazine, Honolulu Star Advertiser, KFVE, OC16, Olelo, National Public Radio, 93.9 The Beat, Hawaii News Now, MMAHawaii.com, GirlsnCars.com, fkn-famous.com, and more. 

Tom is also featured on the Na Hoku Hanohano Award/Hawaii Grammy Award RnB/Hip-Hop nominated album "Nobody Owns Me." 

His to be released "Breathe" music video was filmed in Sydney, Australia by Now We Collide. 

The Jason Tom Amphitheater proposed by Kapiʻo News made it on the Christmas Dream List for KCC to be built on the campus in honor of him as one of their famed alumnus. Since then Kapiʻo News featured Tom in an alumnus write up. His TEDx Talk video "Vocal Groove" recently got featured at a TED-Education Club Student Talks event. Tom is preparing for Prisma Dance's "Creation" Production this November and December 2018, China shows in 2019. 

Who is Jason Tom? #JasonTom 
http://hawaiibeatbox.com/entries/general/who-is-jason-tom 

Team Lally Radio Show 
The Art Of Beatboxing With Hawaii's Human Beatbox 
https://www.teamlally.com/blog/the-art-of-beatboxing-with-hawaiis-human-beatbox9.html 

Jason Tom Top 25 Video Marathon 
http://hawaiibeatbox.com/entries/hip-hop/jason-tom-top-25-video-marathon 

Jason Tom Top 20 YouTube Videos 
http://hawaiibeatbox.com/entries/videos/jason-tom-top-20-youtube-videos 

Kapiʻo News 
KCC Alumnus Inspires Community Through Beatboxing, Motivational Speaking by Lexus Yamashiro 
https://www.kapionews.com/index.php/2017/07/19/kcc-alumnus-inspires-community-through-beatboxing-motivational-speaking/ 

Metro HNL 
Unbeatable by Christina O'Connor 
http://www.metrohnl.com/unbeatable/ 

Millennial Magazine 
Jason Tom: The Human BeatBox by Julia Hulme 
https://millennialmagazine.com/2016/01/25/jason-tom-the-human-beatbox/