Jason Tom

Early life, background, and education===
At the tender age of four, Jason Tom began beatboxing, and by age six recorded his cover rendition of Michael Jackson's "Badder" on music cassette tape after he watched Moonwalker at Liholiho Elementary, and at family gatherings. As a McKinley Tiger alumnus, Jason was a two-year letterman in varsity soccer and judo. Jason scored McKinley's one soccer goal in a loss to Kaimuki High School's two goals by Jared Shirai and Troy Uehera. He last competed as a Shobukan Judo Club member prior to colliding with an SUV.
In 2006, Jason was a Freeman Scholar of Beijing Foreign Studies University. He earned his spot on the University of HawaiÊ»i at KapiÊ»olani Dean's List from 2006 to 2007.
Jason graduated from KapiÊ»olani Community College as a Phi Theta Kappa honor student in 2007. At KCC, he was a supplemental instructor in mathematics with a concentration in algebra.
His higher education musical peers included American Idol's Jordan Segundo, Kalei Gamiao, and John Tussey, and he attended the first MELE Songwriters Workshop in 2009. Tom and Yelp Hawaii manager Emi Hart joined songwriter workshop, and he composed "Listen Carefully (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)".
2009-2010
Tom was voted the Best Hawaii Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience by Honolulu Weekly in 2009. He represented Hawaii at the sixth international Human Beatbox Convention and the first American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn.
2011-2012
Tom headlined the Honolulu Twestival with Kamuela Kahoano, Willow Chang and Emi Hart. Their combined contribution with the Honolulu Twestival team and attendees raised over $2,000 for the Blood Bank of Hawaii. He performed at the Aloha Music For Japan concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Centerstage. Tom founded the Human Beatbox Academy (Hawaii Beatbox School) and co-founded the ArtSmith studio in downtown Honolulu's arts district.
With Estria, he performed at the #WaterWrites Hawaii mural unveiling in Kalihi (near Honolulu Community College), the Estria Graffiti Battle, Honolulu and HIstory and the fifth annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, California. Tom was a top-eight performance poet finalist in HawaiiSlam's First Thursdays Grand Slam.
2013
He joined the Say Yes To Purpose tour with Diverse Art and the Academy of Hype and performed on the Music with a Message tour, visiting middle and high schools throughout Hawaii. Tom appeared in the film American Beatboxer, which documented the 2010 International Human Beatbox Convention (Boxcon) and American Beatbox Championship in Brooklyn which were organized by Humanbeatbox.com and the World Beatbox Association (WBA).
Career Highlights
McDonald's NextNext Music: Sounds That Sparks Change
Jason Tom finished as the top three musician of 40 musicians, artists and bands who entered the McDonald's NextNext Music: Sounds That Sparks Change Competition and Charity Event with 6,291 votes. McDonald's of Hawaii consumer votes for him supported the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Hawaii Children And Youth Day
Jason Tom has performed for Hawaii Children And Youth Day at the Hawaii State Capitol Rotunda.
Hawaii Explorations Expo
Jason Tom presented at the Hawaii Explorations Expo in Hilo that also featured Henk Rogers and . An event expo that advocates for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education on Hawaii Island!
Speaker
On November 5, 2009, Tom was a presenter at the first Honolulu conference at the Hawaii Convention Center with Neil Blecherman, Jill Buck, Henk Rogers and Kaiser Kuo. In an interviewed with former Hawaii TV news reporter Angela, he said: "Successful people fail more". Tom also spoke at the TEDx Honolulu conference on November 1, 2011. TEDx Honolulu: It's About Time was hosted by Ka'ala Souza at the Honolulu Design Center's Cupolo Theatre.
Releases
Tom's T-shirt release party in Honolulu featured a collaboration of beatbox, locking, popping, and b-boying with Skillroy and Andy Tran. The shirt was hand-drawn by Hawaii artist JKS.

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