All of a sudden, these ideas seem to be gathering momentum.

The good news
The first bit of news is, after some seriously determined graft from BAC’s fundraising department, we have finally got the funding to run the Beatbox Academy for a full year, starting in January. This is so awesomely exciting that I am having difficulty restraining myself from high-fiving unsuspecting passengers on the train I am typing this from.

So this is step one of the action plan – sorted. More about the action in a minute.

video of the BAC Beatbox Academy in action

more good news
In the meantime, the MTUM Concert Against Knife Crime has just sold out, and an amazing array of guests have stepped forward to support these ideas. Names like Jon McClure (aka Rev of the makers), Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly), Ashley Walters (aka Asher D from So Solid Crew) and Jarvis Cocker are all going to perform. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has given us a statement of support,  and Southbank Centre are inviting down several MPs who could really make a difference.

Why knife crime?
Recently I was asked why I wanted to do a benefit show specifically focusing on fighting knife crime. I am concerned about the escalating numbers of young people who are turning to knife crime – you hear about it every day. I am glad to see that the issue is getting attention in the press, and I am seeing a lot talk from politicians about how to solve it.

However, I am not seeing the politicians mention music.

I really believe that beatboxing, and music in general, gives us the potential to inspire a change, to move away from the despondent attitudes that have lead to current problems with post-code wars, drugs, knives and gun crime. I know from our experiences with the Academy that working creatively with young people provides the opportunity for them to take an interest in their own development. Suddenly it can be considered cool to apply yourself to something.

I know what it is like to get caught up in violent behaviour. I had a privileged upbringing, but as a youth I managed to get caught up with a crowd who were experimenting with violence. It ended up in a particularly bloody fight, a boot to the head, concussion and a broken face requiring reconstructive surgery.

Once I had recovered, one scarily instinctive urge was to round up the biggest gang I could muster, and go pay the perpetrator a visit he would not forget.

It could have easily spiralled out of control - but I walked away. I am so glad that I didn’t take the violent retaliation route. Music was my way out, along with the support of my family.

Fast-forward 11 years, and I’m trying to imagine the exact same situation, only magnified with the presence of knives, drugs, and in some areas, guns. I want to help.

some of our young beatboxers

How can music help?
So – why beatboxing? Well, it is cool. Anyone can learn it. It’s free - no need to spend a penny on equipment, you take it everywhere you go. Some of the young people we have worked with have been excluded from school, and I have noticed an attitude where it is deemed un-cool to show enthusiasm about anything. Well here is an excuse. Once you can drop a few beats, spit a few bars or show some kind of musical ability, you can get respect.

What’s next
After the show, there are big plans for 2009. As I said the Academy will kick off in January. This is amazing, but we need to secure some long-term funding to turn this into a national movement.

The main obstacle ahead of us is the lack of experienced beatbox tutors. So the first goal is to create a course where we can teach how to teach beatbox. Then we can move forward to set up Beatbox Academies in schools, youth clubs and arts centres around the UK.

If you know anyone who is a talented vocalist, good with young people, and wants to help the cause, please get in touch. And if you know anyone with a few million quid, they’d be good to know too.

If people listen, fix up and take part, we can really harness the power of creative arts as a way to fight negative attitudes, and then save the world.

Bring it on.

Some performers from the Beatbox Academy onstage

photos by Clive Little

We are pleased to announce some of the special guests at Shlomo’s benefit concert at the QEH on December 13th.

MUSIC THROUGH UNCONVENTIONAL MEANS: A CONCERT AGAINST KNIFE CRIME will feature beatbox artist SHLOMO and his VOCAL ORCHESTRA collaborating with over 13 diverse artists including JARVIS COCKER, MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD, MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, SEB ROCHFORD, VANESSA CARLTON and GET CAPE.WEAR CAPE.FLY plus young performers from local youth forum SE1 United and the BAC Beatbox Academy.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is supporting the performance saying: “Music and other creative activities can provide the much needed opportunities and motivation for young people to reach their potential and stay on the right track.  I am pleased to be able to support Shlomo’s event and I wish him well with his future outreach projects.”

There are only a few tickets left so get in quick! More information on the event page.

He pointed out that you can waste hours worrying about whether you’ve left the TV on standby, but one thing that can really affect the planet is what you do with your money.

If you put your money  in a bank who don’t tell you what their ethical policies are, you have no way of knowing what kind of companies they are investing in. You could be funding weapons deals, oppressive governments and doing all kinds of damage to the planet.

It had never occured to me.

I was slightly bewildered as this is not true, but the interview had already moved on before I had a chance to interject.

When I got home my wife pointed out the source of this mistake: an entry on wikipedia. The error is actually ‘referenced’ to an interview with Foreign Beggars on the community run website ukhh.com. If you read the original interview you can see that the Beggars are clearly joking (Pavan claims to be able to speak 83 languages and Metropolis says he has a ‘degree in Klingon’).

It’s one thing to have something said as a joke on a website, but I find it quite unnerving to then hear it presented as fact by a respected broadcaster like the BBC.

Makes you wonder how much of the media’s ‘knowledge’ has been researched from similarly unreliable sources?

.

You can now listen again to Shlomo and jestar* who were the special guests of Aled Jones on his Radio 3 show The Choir this Sunday.

The 35 minute piece includes selection of Vocal Orchestra tracks,  Shlo and Jes talking about the background of the choir and their beatbox outreach projects, and Aled picks up a few tricks for a beatbox jam!

We played at the QEH (sold out!) on Friday.. my birthday was on the Monday so I got to celebrate twice!

the new members of the vocal orchestra getting ready to go on

I did a duet with Fyfe Dangerfield of the Guillemots.

I’ll stick up some audio on the podcast from the Fyfe collaboration soon (i’m currently going through all the audio from the arctic - got SO much quality stuff!!

also did a duet with MC Zani (current national beatbox champion)

the new Vocal Orchestra on stage at QEH

they brought me a birthday cake and made me ‘beatbox’ out the candles!!

taking a bow

me DJing afterwards

It was my first ever DJ set, which i decided to do to celebrate my birthday and as an excuse to play a whole load of 90s classics. my mixing is awful though, so it was simultaneously the best and the worst dj set ever done.

Listen to the podcast, leave a comment here, and tell your friends to subscribe!

Stay tuned for episode 5, an arctic special…

ice