Beatbox Workshop - Shodekeh

Beatbox Workshop
Originally uploaded by nekosoft

Professional Beatboxer Shodekeh (autoplaying sounds) leads a workshop in CU's Atlas Black Box Theater.

This was my favorite CWA event this year.
At the start of the workshop the audience (mostly high school aged) clamored into the chairs set up in the theater. Shodekeh approached the single microphone onstage and asked if there were any other beatboxers in the audience. Two brave gentlemen raised their hands and Shodekeh asked them to join him onstage as guest panelists. The two guests had a chance to show off their stuff and then Shodekeh took his turn:



Remember: single microphone on stage. All the beats, record static, record scratches, didgeridoo - everything is coming out of some part of Shodekeh's body.

After the cheers died down Shodekeh pulled everyone onstage and arranged us into a big circle. He assigned us sounds to make and then "conducted" us, wave-style. Shodekeh was clearly having a blast, hearing the sound travel around the room. He then had everyone choose the sound they wanted to make and grouped us together. I was a whistler, naturally. Once again he conducted us, beatboxing over the top of our noises. I get a certain thrill when strangers sing together, but beatboxing together was an entirely different experience - the tapestry of sounds as each person wove their own music into everyone else's, with a pro leading us all.