Beatbox Speech Therapy
Boots and cats, boots and cats. A common reference to the simplicity of the basics of beatboxing, parallel to the complexity which the art often encompasses. As people, we are walking instruments. Language itself is a soundscape of waves iterated by our larynx, or vocal box. People naturally have the ability to create complex vocal sounds, yet most of us do not choose to explore the illusionary boundaries of sound capabilities. People often think that they themselves, or others around them, are fixated on an inflexible point of talent from birth, and cannot develop their talent. As you’ve likely heard, “some people are born singers and some people are not”.
Incorrect!!!! Well, sorta. Some people are born with a more advanced innate understanding of larynx capabilities, but everyone is born with the ability to create complex vocal sounds, although some people may need to train more. One’s vocal talent, in either singing or beatboxing, is like training a muscle. It must be practiced and strengthened over time, not expected with mild effort.
Many people have gained notoriety within beatbox culture as well! For example, the researcher, creative, and musician named Harry Yeff, musically known as Reeps One. Here’s an example of his talents!
People have been known to be able to create a vast and complex array of sounds through their larynx and vocal iterations. A recent study (Blaylock 2017) explored how people from different musical backgrounds were able to generate incredibly complex sounds, despite their linguistic background (their native language). In terms of the general soundscape abilities, standard and complex sounds (Blaylock 2017) included the snore bass, hi hats, powerful kicks, snares, and most other percussive elements. It was found that in beatboxing, there is a grammar of some sorts. Whatever sound is emitted needs to be audible, for example. High pressure sounds are often more popular in sounds chosen to be used by beatboxers and to be listened to by audiences, due to their loudness and closer mimicry to the real original loud percussive instrument or element (Blaylock 2017). No matter one’s language, both linguistic and non-linguistic sounds are used by beatboxers, even sounds that are not typical in one’s native language. Perhaps beatboxing is an original language of some sorts since we can all speak it. Here’s another example of an incredible beatboxer, known as NaPoM!
I’ve also seen the variations of beatboxing and how they’re encompassed in different settings. People have been known to compete in beatbox battles, for example! Two people go head-to-head, or I guess larynx-to-larynx, and try to win over the crowd and the judges in order to win the battle. Competitors have been increasing their use of beatbox battle looping stations. Here’s the video from the Looping Beatbox Finals of 2019!
I personally have seen how quickly people can learn how to develop their beatbox skills! In my experience for teaching capacities, I’ve volunteered in many different capacities with children, from being a camp counselor with a summer program for children with intellectual disabilities, to being a mentor for America Counts, to being an assistant coach for High School Unified Sports, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about life through different experiences. Throughout my journeys I have encountered that children love to learn about topics that are extremely engaging. What could be more engaging than making an instrumental beat with your vocal chords!
But adults can learn in very similar ways to children! Here’s an example of teaching beatboxing to children, except with having beatboxing simultaneously being used as a method for speech therapy.
Many musicians and scholars have also researched the exciting field of linguistic-based music, which has led to incredible discoveries related to therapy in speech capabilities, most specifically, in people with intellectual disabilities that affect speech patterns.
It has been found that the Beatalk technique, a therapy method in which speech therapy patients are given exercises and tasks which involve pronouncing words in the form of human beatboxing so that phonemes can be articulated with ease, has been proven to be more effective than traditional speech therapy techniques involving sit-down sessions of vowel, sentence, and consonant repetition (Icht 2019). Children often have less issues with speech therapy sessions; however, having adults participate in the Beatalk speech therapy method has proven to be very effective in yielding larger gains for speech improvements due to the Beatalk method being more involved and being more enjoyable than standard and possibly demotivating speech therapy sessions (Icht 2019). The improvements are noted in the categories of articulation accuracy and voice measures (Icht 2019).
Isn’t that awesome?!?! Beatboxing was initially viewed as a musical activity for fun! And now it’s being used as a method for speech therapy! That’s awesome!!!! Who knows what other medical applications can be derived from activities that are initially thought of as solely activities for enjoyment and/or entertainment!
Here’s another super dooper cool beatbox video if you couldn’t get enough! Boots and cats, my friend. Boots and cats :)
References!!! :D
Blaylock, Reed, et al. “Sounds of the Human Vocal Tract.” INTERSPEECH. 2017.
Icht, Michal. “Introducing the Beatalk technique: using beatbox sounds and rhythms to improve speech characteristics of adults with intellectual disability.” International journal of language & communication disorders 54.3 (2019): 401–416.
