Biography
“Jason Tom is from another planet! He is the Michael Jordan of beatboxing! The Human Beatbox Machine!”
— Allan Silva
Jason Tom wants to live in a world where beatboxing is our daily.
A sought-after human beatbox, he’s been spotlighted on TEDx Talks, Beatbox Battle Television, KS EdTech Disrupt, HI*Sessions Acoustic Live, Millennial Magazine, University of Hawaiʻi News, Team Lally Radio Show, Kapiʻo News, and Metro HNL newspaper.
When he’s not doing the boots and cats, you can find him blogging, brain storming how to bring forth the intangibles into the tangible, and dissecting complex problems with math students.
His next live showcase will be at Trinity Christian School's ʻOhana Day, Shriners Hospital for Children, Mililani Baptist Preschool, Aliʻiolani Elementary, and Ala Moana Centerstage! Then the 27th Hawaiʻi Children and Youth Day, and Prisma Dance's Creation production will hit the stage in 2020!
Discover more about Jason — and check out his current projects — at JasonTom.com.
TEDx Talks Jason Tom Vocal Groove
“Jason Tom is a world class talent with a passion for beatboxing. Beyond his incredible talent, Jason is a hard working, creative, loyal and compassionate human being who is clearly an outstanding example of living aloha. He is an inspiration to the world, including myself.”
— Jody Kamisato
Moonwalker
“Hawaii's Number One Beatboxer Jason Tom!”
Biography II
“Jason Tom is a local beatboxer sharing his distinct sounds around the world, and to local keiki through his 'music with a message.'”
South Shore Oʻahu native, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Community College alumnus Jason Tom is an award-winning human beatbox, blogger, and mathematician!
Encountered by life and academic hurdles, when Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer signed Jason's copy of Charlie's Victory with Philippians 4:13 that propelled him to want to leave a mark around the globe and moon.
Jason is Honolulu Weekly's Best Local Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience! He has been honored the TEDx Honolulu Presenter Award for "Vocal Groove," and Hawaii Scene Choice "Best Solo Performer" Award. "Beatbox Lobby," "Jake Shimabukuro jams with human beatbox - LIVE!," and "Listen Carefully" are his debut YouTube hits.
Chaminade Silversword Newspaper named him Hawai’i's King of Beatbox, Jody Kamisato refer him as Hawai’i's Human Beatbox, and basketball coach Allan Silva call him the Human Beatbox Machine! He's presented at the Chevron Speech Festival, Hawai’i Children and Youth Day, and has performed for 10,000 to 20,000 middle- and high school students annually on the American Lung Association in Hawaiʻi's Music With A Message tour.
He's presented at TEDx Shift Conference and was interviewed by Angela Keen. He's opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, Quest Crew, Reeps One, and has collaborated live with Tom Thum, Jake Shimabukuro, Kamuela Kahoano, and Makana. Entertainment journalist John Berger reviewed his human beatbox collaboration on Faioso's Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominated Best Hip Hop and RnB Album of the Year "Nobody Owns Me" and wrote, "'I'm Movin On' stands out musically in combining stream-of-consciousness lyrics with the human beat box percussion of Jason Tom."
With Prisma Dance, he is the beatbox specialty artist for the Creation production, and together they've presented showcases at Ala Moana Centerstage, U.S.VETS, Shriners Hospital, Celebrate Kalihi, and Harvest Celebration at Kalihi Union Church!
“Jason Tom is an incredible talent. If you can make it to his gigs, please do so. He will blow you away. ”
— Traci Toguchi, actress and singer-songwriter
He's recently completed an unreleased music video project out in Sydney, Australia.
He's lived in Northern California, New York, and Beijing, China. He now enjoys blogging out of the Gathering Place in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi! Visit him online at JasonTom.com, HawaiiBeatbox.com, and JasonTom.org!
KS EdTech Jason Tom Disrupt
“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.”
Biography Timeline 1980s to Present
South Shore Oʻahu native, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Community College alumnus Jason Tom is an award-winning human beatbox, blogger, and mathematician!
Encountered by life and academic hurdles.. when Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer signed Jason's copy of Charlie's Victory with Philippians 4:13 that propelled him onward to not give up.
In the 1988 and 1989 school year, Jason attended first grade at Liholiho Elementary where he began his amateur beatbox exploration after he watched the Moonwalker VHS in class.
From 1989 to 1994, Jason transferred to and graduated from Kauluwela Elementary. As a Tiger Cub he discovered his love for drawing, mathematics, and created "Gecko Man." Jason attended Sun Yat-Sen Chinese School every after school, but stopped when he could not get beyond first grade from a number of attempts. Meanwhile at home, Jason honed his beatboxing skills while he simultaneously listened to and vocally sung the music instruments from Michael Jackson's Dangerous music cassette album.
From 1994 to 1997, Jason attended and graduated from Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School. There he enjoyed keyboarding class most.
Jason is a class of 2001 alumni of President William McKinley High School, and he lettered two years in varsity soccer and judo as a Tiger.
2004 was the season Jason began his pursuit in a professional career as a beatboxer, and when he returned to college. The thought came after he finished practice at Shobukan Judo Club and he collided with a SUV near Pizza Hut and Liliha Bakery. Knocked unconscious. Driver rendered help.
Jason applied judo upon impact and broke his fall that prevented broken bones. Post collision, he reflected on Elaine Chao's 2003 Showtime at the Apollo televised beatbox performance that inspired him to pursue beatboxing. Concussed, a family member took him to see "the Passion of the Christ" the next day.
Jason judo flipped the script on his KCC academic grade point average from 1.0 to consecutive 4.0s. He worked his way from the bottom to the top, got accepted into BFSU, got inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, placed top 5 in four consecutive KCC Talent Shows, and landed on the KCC Dean's List. Meantime, KCC hired him to as an algebra 1 supplemental instructor, math tutor, and note taker.
2005, Jason was Asian Avenue's Member of the Week as "spidermon," a username based on his judo name, "Spider-Man," given by his coach.
2006, Jason completed the Freeman Foundation Scholarship program at BFSU. He then collaborated live with Jake Shimabukuro at a bookstore in Honolulu.
2007, Jason as "JasonTom" was Asian Ave's Member of the Day on April 29. Then this KCC Phi Theta Kappan graduated.
Prior and post college graduation, Jason enrolled in music business and audio engineering through Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment Music Business, and Honolulu's Mike Curb MELE Studio.
2008, Jason as "JasonTom" was Asian Ave's MOTD for 86 consecutive days. On October 24, Jason began to fellowship at Word of Life Christian Center in Downtown Honolulu.
2009, Jason presented at TEDx Honolulu Shift Conference with a question and answer session with Angela Keen. He also opened for Michael Winslow, Jabbawockeez, and Quest Crew that year. Jason composed and performed music for Faioso's "Im Movin On" track for her Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominated Best Hip Hop and RnB Album of the Year "Nobody Owns Me."
From 2009 to 2015, Jason performed for 10,000 to 20,000 middle- and high school students annually on the American Lung Association in Hawaii's Music With A Message tour.
Eventually stressors and trauma caught up to Jason's health. He discontinued college in 2010.
In 2010, Jason was selected as a the Best of Honolulu Weekly's Local Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience.
From 2011 through 2016, life stressors triggered Jason to have memory issues, but he did not give up without a fight. He'd unknowingly be triggered to relive the SUV collision. Through prayer and enduring faith, God reversed the process of complex trauma, recurring nightmares, night terrors that afflicted Jason. God restored his health.
In 2011, Jason was honored with the TEDx Honolulu presenter award for "Vocal Groove," and the Hawaii Scene Choice "Best Solo Performer" Award.
2013, Jason presented beatboxing and a message on "perseverance" for the 25th Chevron Speech Festival at the President William McKinley High School Gymnasium with 300 students from 27 elementary schools.
In 2015, Jason was selected as one of the world's top 150 professional vocal percussion artists for the Beatbox Battle World Championship.
In 2016, Jason finished as the top 3 musician in the McDonald's NextNext music competition, and he contributed those proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House Hawaii charity.
2018, Jason opened for the 10th KS EdTech Conference "Disrupt!"
Jason advanced as one of the top 12 performance poets for HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam Finals in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019.
With Prisma Dance, Jason is the beatbox specialty artist for the Creation production, and together they've presented showcases at Ala Moana Centerstage, U.S.VETS Barber's Point, Shriners Hospital Honolulu, Celebrate Kalihi at Farrington High School, and Harvest Celebration at Kalihi Union Church!
Today Jason impacts people with a message of practical approach, sound principle, and perseverance to those around the globe and moon through beatboxing, motivational speaking, mathematics, faith, and blogging.
Dubbed Hawaiʻi's Human Beatbox, Hawaiʻi's King of Beatbox, and the Human Beatbox Machine!
What helped Jason's health ultimately is spending quality time with Jesus. John 10:10 verse, Luke 16:10 verse, meditating on the "fruit of the spirit" from Galatians chapter 5, four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are many of his favorites.