Jason Tom is Hawaiʻi's human beatbox based in urban Downtown Chinatown of Honolulu. He's both an observer and performer within Hawaiʻi's local underground poetry slam, performance, music and art circles (i.e. First Thursdays HawaiiSlam and First Fridays at the Ong King Art Center). Jason Tom also made 2008 and 2009 appearancess at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza's Moonlight Stage for the annual Chinese New Year Festival to offer the community a unique blend of Hawaiʻi's Chinese American and current Chinatown culture.



Community driven Jason Tom have also guest spoken and performed at academic institutions such as Central Middle School (for Planet Central), Word of Life Academy (to conduct a live beatbox workshop), President William McKinley High School (for Career Exploration Day), University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa (for classrooms and various live events), Honolulu Community College (for MELE events and concerts), Kapiʻolani Community College and more. Stay posted to his blog, live performances, media and contact info at Jason Tom dot com.

*Read more at the Stage!

Background Info

Two first names?

Jason Tom's Chinese family name is pronounced "Tom" in Cantonese. "Tom" written in traditional Chinese character form is "譚" and "谭" in simplified Chinese character form. He is also known by his Chinese name "志豪" or "Chee Ho," no not cheeee-hoooo. "志" means, "will; aspiration." "豪" means, "a person of outstanding talent." *definitions from Oxford Chinese Dictionary. Jason (named by his mother) is a name based on the lengendary Greek hero who freed the golden fleece and "JASON" can also be spelt by the first letter of the 7th-11th months of the solar calendar (July August September October November).

Academic Career

Jason Tom is a first generation college/university student who is currently enrolled in the MELE (Music & Entertainment Learning Experience) program at Honolulu Community College (HCC) of the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) system and through live feed (from Nashville, Tennessee) at Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business (CEMB) of Belmont University. He's also a Phi Theta Kappa graduate in fall 2007 and currently also part time student at Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) of the UH system. In summer of 2006 he attained an academic certificate of completion abroad in the Chinese Language and Culture program at Beijing Foreign Studies University - 北京外国语大学 (BFSU - 北外).

Fourth Generation Asian American

Jason Tom is a fourth generation Chinese American (on his father's side), first generation college student/graduate and human beatbox raised by parents from the restaurant industry. Although a fourth generation he relates most with second generation Asian Americans born in the states while raised multiculturally by his late-grandmother (on his father's side), relatives and parents who grew up in Asia prior to living in the states

Stay what?

Jason Tom's main language is American English. However he's also able to speak a mixture of Cantonese (广东话) and the Cantonese Sanyi (三邑) region dialect Shiqihua (石岐话) that has its roots in Zhongshan (中山), and can also hold conversations in the national standard language of mainland China - Mandarin (普通话). He also can read and write in simplified Chinese characters (简体字).

Since the Age of Four

At the age of four Jason Tom experimented with an audiocassette recorder so that he could vocally emulate his favorite record (at the time) Michael Jackson's Bad. He did this to be able to hit "play" and enjoy it. Back then he couldn't afford his favorite records so he'd vocally emulate his favorite records on audiocassette with pre-developed beatbox (including his distinctive inward "K" snare) and scat techniques that were not taught or exposed to him.

Discovery in High School

Around 1997, Jason Tom's McKinley High School classmate and friend since the second grade Jess Navarrete Jr. overheard Jason Tom beatbox queitly to himself during their English class. Jess thought it was a hidden radio until he realize it was actually Jason Tom. However, it wasn't until after high school that Jason Tom finally brought his beatbox out of the vault as a performance. So 'til this day a lot of his old friends from high school do not realize that Jason Tom is Hawai i's human beatbox.

updating....