Participants Blog

Beatboxing for Intercordia

Daniel at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick is working hard to meet his fund raising deadline before he goes overseas with Intercordia this summer.  One of Daniel’s more creative projects is putting together an International beatbox CD called Straight From the Mouth Straight From the Heart.  For those of us who are out of touch with beatbox culture, Wikipedia defines it this way:  “Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments.”  Check out this interview with Daniel taken from Future Students, a news publication on the St. Thomas University website.

Beatboxer Turned B-Boy About to Travel Abroad

Daniel Blais doesn’t miss a beat.

Originally from New Minas, Nova Scotia, Blais came to St. Thomas in 2006 to study Great Ideas and Sociology.

“I heard about it through a friend and enrolled. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I’m very glad I took the plunge.”

Blais was recently selected among eight students at St. Thomas to attend 2009’s Intercordia volunteer mission. Intercordia pairs five universities with projects around the globe. Daniel and his peers will spend the summer helping out those in need.

A bright student and friendly face around campus, Daniel is also recognized for something else. A family member posted a homevideo of Daniel beatboxing that has been hit more than a quarter million times since being uploaded to You Tube.

“Beatboxing is vocal percussion. I make drum beats, sound effects, turn-table noises, and different instrumental sounds with my throat, mouth, and nasal cavity. It’s about manipulation.”

Daniel’s been popping out beats for the last five years after watching a clip online.

“When I first saw that I was like, ‘That’s not real!’ Then I heard someone on the bus doing it. This guy’s cheek was moving. I watched him and sort of became fascinated. I started doing research online and found out there was an international community. I’d jam with people from Russia, Australia, England, and America.”

“There are all sorts of things you can do: high hat, rim shot, bass drum. You have to listen carefully. A snare, for example is a ‘P-F-S’ kind of sound. You have to remember in breaths and focus on timing and coordination.”

Blais’ ultimate passion, however, is dancing. As a member of STU/UNB Dance Club, Daniel challenged himself to learn all different genres. But Blais is best known for his b-boy moves.

“B-Boys means ‘boys on the beat’ or ‘break boys’. Being a b-boy isn’t about spinning on your head or doing a windmill to please the crowd. It’s about learning the steps and adding your own flavor.”

As a part of the club, Daniel and the others received a special honour last year. World renowned choreographer, Lenny Len, made a special trip from Toronto to build and teach the dancers a new routine.

“I remember my first dance lesson the instructor said: ‘Check out the foundation. This is about the dance.’ You have to want to improve for yourself. Dancing isn’t easy; I took dance to improve my overall style, I’ve been feeling more and more like you should do the things you don’t want to do.”

Always thinking of new ways to build on his talent, Blais is currently brewing up an inventive routine.

“I’m thinking about is setting up mics around me and hitting the beats with my feet while dancing and simultaneously beatboxing.”

Daniel and his crew have competed in one-on-one competitions, as well as battles, where the whole crew dances in a routine.

As for his future, Daniel wants to find a way to meld his education with his music.

“Next year at STU, I want to do honours in Sociology. I would like to a do a thesis on hip-hop. I just read Dr. Peter Weeks’ (Professor of Sociology) article on Ethnomethodology of Jazz Improvisation. I was stunned at how brilliant it was and at how much I was able to relate his methods to elements of hiphop culture. I think it’s great that as long as your topic is valid and interesting, a professor is able and willing to help you through at St. Thomas.”

“Hip-hop is also about improv. You can’t just do a routine. You can practice for hours, but without soul nothing comes through. You have to dance on the music and add in things you’re still working on. It can’t be mechanical if you want it to leave an impression.”

By: Amanda Jardine
Published: January 26, 2009
Future Students