[Applause]
[Music]
some reason you guys like that I for one
do certainly enjoy it but let me tell
you something I did not come out of the
womb like five years ago might be boxing
journey started with a bet so my best
friend at the time Elena and I were
watching YouTube videos in class and we
stumbled upon this video of a guy
dancing to a dubstep remix of the song
Pumped Up Kicks and he was just screwing
physics and we were just blown away and
then the related videos call him on the
right side forced us to watch another
video and the second video was of a
Chinese beat boxer and he did something
he called six sounds he layered six
different sounds on top of each other
using only his mouth and his voice and
after watching those two videos Elena
and I kind of just sat there in awe for
a while and then she said man I wish I
could do that and I was like yeah me too
and then she was like too bad we’re not
talented enough and I was like we girl
the girls speak for yourself I bet I
could do that with some practice and she
was like yeah right if you can do that
I’ll learn how to do the dance and so we
made a bet if I can learn the six sounds
Elaine will learn to dance I never
planned on being a beatboxer as a 7th
grader I wasn’t thinking about finding
my passion I don’t even know what
passion meant yet as a high school that
all you seem to hear is find your
passion talk about your passion as if
we’re supposed to pinpoint a single
thing we know we want the rest of our
lives to revolve around that’s a lot of
and I would argue that’s way too much
pressure you know that’s like getting a
tattoo which then they would say oh
you’re gonna regret that you don’t know
you want went with you for the rest of
your life but you know they’re right
passion is a feeling and feelings change
so don’t let this cultural imperative to
find your passion really get to you too
much if you feel pressure to do it
you’re not doing it right but it’s still
important to be aware of when you have
these sparks of emotion that are telling
you hey I feel good about what I do what
I’m doing right now
you know without praise or recognition
from the outside because let’s be real
school is great but a few letters in the
grade book should not and will not
satisfy you there has to be something
more and the only way to do those things
is by being yourself letting you do you
I mean I did it through a silly bit and
I took that bet because that’s just the
type of person I am
I go around to my friends asking hey you
want to bet you want to bet how much you
wanna bet I can make it from here to the
trash can five quiet ten five and you
know I like playing poker too but that
doesn’t mean my passion is gambling I
think it shows my playfulness and my
willingness to take risks you know
sometimes I make it in and most the
times I do not you know I’m a little bit
of cocky a little bit cautious I think
that’s me I’m stubborn too
you know I didn’t just make the bet I
had to win the bet and learning how to
make sick sounds at the same time was
hard first I had to master the sounds
themselves and practicing the kick was
literally just spitting on everything
and everyone around me
really and you know the people around me
they told me to stop because as one guy
put it it sounded like I was farting
through my mouth and I was embarrassing
him and so I would be box when when I
was alone which I quite often was during
my early beatboxing days and I remember
practicing the rimshot which is an
inward sound that requires inhaling and
I would inhale so sharply and so
suddenly I ended up choking on my own
spit on multiple occasions my mother was
getting quite concerned but that wasn’t
the most frustrating part I probably
play the video back 200 times at least
trying to figure out how to get the
rhythm right and put the beats together
I would play the video back in half
speed to try to write to try to write
out the beats and it would sound
something like and I would remember
thinking yeah I got this no problem
boots and cats and then I played in full
speed and it sound like hold up I did
not sign up for this well I did but I
just remember feeling absolutely
devastated the first time I listened to
the video back in full speed but I stuck
to it not because it was my passion but
because I’m stubborn I like to be
impressive and I really wanted to see
the dorkiest girl I know dance to
dubstep and then I developed my passion
for beatboxing naturally not forcefully
forcefully by sticking the label my
passion on it and waiting for some magic
to happen and for me to move on to
bigger and better things know who would
have thought what one son are like farts
what eventually sound like a snare on a
drum no one around me and if I didn’t
believe it I would have stopped trying
but I did and I want to let the words of
others stop me from getting what I want
which was to win that bet which by the
way Lane you never fold up on I didn’t
think it would land me here I never
would have thought I’d have the honor of
performing alongside Newbery
medal-winning author Kwame Alexander and
a white guy playing the PIPA shoutout to
a company and just thinking of within
our school community I get to teach and
maybe even inspire and I’m performing
with what I think are the most talented
people here I mean have you heard
Michelle lossing or have you seen
Chelsea home dance or Mathew tongue
flick play the violin I mean he stomps
when he plays and to be considered a
talent standing next to them I can’t
wrap my head around it and it all
started with me being typical me taking
on an absurd bit but embracing my choice
by following through so you remember
that sick sound thing I was talking
about
well now I’m at eight you guys want to
hear it
now I’m not saying that every time you
make a rash decision it will always be
better than listening to the advice of
others I’m saying don’t let them govern
who you are that’s a responsibility you
have to take on for yourself and frankly
I don’t think I’d be here for anything
else but beatboxing and so I think the
rewards are well worth the risks Tomek
here sitting in the crowd when someone
asks you what do you do don’t say oh I’m
a student I don’t do anything yet each
and every one of you is so much more
than a student whether you are a writer
like Ryan a photographer like Nicole a
rapper like R a dancer
Chelsea artist ming-lee athlete candice
actress Anisha Kota Brandon or beatboxer
chanwoo as long as what you what you’re
doing makes you feel good and it’s not
illegal then do it and stick to it maybe
you’ll find something better and stick
to that don’t try to be the next Steve
Jobs I hate it when people say that
Steve Jobs was a legend guess the rest
in peace but you can’t be the next Steve
Jobs because Steve Jobs has its own
story and you have yours embrace what
makes you unique the little things and
the big things you know you have
something that no one else does the
beautiful mix of your story and your
character embrace it because it is what
will get you through with the good times
and the others have the courage to do you have the courage to be you thank you
[Music]
some reason you guys like that I for one
do certainly enjoy it but let me tell
you something I did not come out of the
womb like five years ago might be boxing
journey started with a bet so my best
friend at the time Elena and I were
watching YouTube videos in class and we
stumbled upon this video of a guy
dancing to a dubstep remix of the song
Pumped Up Kicks and he was just screwing
physics and we were just blown away and
then the related videos call him on the
right side forced us to watch another
video and the second video was of a
Chinese beat boxer and he did something
he called six sounds he layered six
different sounds on top of each other
using only his mouth and his voice and
after watching those two videos Elena
and I kind of just sat there in awe for
a while and then she said man I wish I
could do that and I was like yeah me too
and then she was like too bad we’re not
talented enough and I was like we girl
the girls speak for yourself I bet I
could do that with some practice and she
was like yeah right if you can do that
I’ll learn how to do the dance and so we
made a bet if I can learn the six sounds
Elaine will learn to dance I never
planned on being a beatboxer as a 7th
grader I wasn’t thinking about finding
my passion I don’t even know what
passion meant yet as a high school that
all you seem to hear is find your
passion talk about your passion as if
we’re supposed to pinpoint a single
thing we know we want the rest of our
lives to revolve around that’s a lot of
and I would argue that’s way too much
pressure you know that’s like getting a
tattoo which then they would say oh
you’re gonna regret that you don’t know
you want went with you for the rest of
your life but you know they’re right
passion is a feeling and feelings change
so don’t let this cultural imperative to
find your passion really get to you too
much if you feel pressure to do it
you’re not doing it right but it’s still
important to be aware of when you have
these sparks of emotion that are telling
you hey I feel good about what I do what
I’m doing right now
you know without praise or recognition
from the outside because let’s be real
school is great but a few letters in the
grade book should not and will not
satisfy you there has to be something
more and the only way to do those things
is by being yourself letting you do you
I mean I did it through a silly bit and
I took that bet because that’s just the
type of person I am
I go around to my friends asking hey you
want to bet you want to bet how much you
wanna bet I can make it from here to the
trash can five quiet ten five and you
know I like playing poker too but that
doesn’t mean my passion is gambling I
think it shows my playfulness and my
willingness to take risks you know
sometimes I make it in and most the
times I do not you know I’m a little bit
of cocky a little bit cautious I think
that’s me I’m stubborn too
you know I didn’t just make the bet I
had to win the bet and learning how to
make sick sounds at the same time was
hard first I had to master the sounds
themselves and practicing the kick was
literally just spitting on everything
and everyone around me
really and you know the people around me
they told me to stop because as one guy
put it it sounded like I was farting
through my mouth and I was embarrassing
him and so I would be box when when I
was alone which I quite often was during
my early beatboxing days and I remember
practicing the rimshot which is an
inward sound that requires inhaling and
I would inhale so sharply and so
suddenly I ended up choking on my own
spit on multiple occasions my mother was
getting quite concerned but that wasn’t
the most frustrating part I probably
play the video back 200 times at least
trying to figure out how to get the
rhythm right and put the beats together
I would play the video back in half
speed to try to write to try to write
out the beats and it would sound
something like and I would remember
thinking yeah I got this no problem
boots and cats and then I played in full
speed and it sound like hold up I did
not sign up for this well I did but I
just remember feeling absolutely
devastated the first time I listened to
the video back in full speed but I stuck
to it not because it was my passion but
because I’m stubborn I like to be
impressive and I really wanted to see
the dorkiest girl I know dance to
dubstep and then I developed my passion
for beatboxing naturally not forcefully
forcefully by sticking the label my
passion on it and waiting for some magic
to happen and for me to move on to
bigger and better things know who would
have thought what one son are like farts
what eventually sound like a snare on a
drum no one around me and if I didn’t
believe it I would have stopped trying
but I did and I want to let the words of
others stop me from getting what I want
which was to win that bet which by the
way Lane you never fold up on I didn’t
think it would land me here I never
would have thought I’d have the honor of
performing alongside Newbery
medal-winning author Kwame Alexander and
a white guy playing the PIPA shoutout to
a company and just thinking of within
our school community I get to teach and
maybe even inspire and I’m performing
with what I think are the most talented
people here I mean have you heard
Michelle lossing or have you seen
Chelsea home dance or Mathew tongue
flick play the violin I mean he stomps
when he plays and to be considered a
talent standing next to them I can’t
wrap my head around it and it all
started with me being typical me taking
on an absurd bit but embracing my choice
by following through so you remember
that sick sound thing I was talking
about
well now I’m at eight you guys want to
hear it
now I’m not saying that every time you
make a rash decision it will always be
better than listening to the advice of
others I’m saying don’t let them govern
who you are that’s a responsibility you
have to take on for yourself and frankly
I don’t think I’d be here for anything
else but beatboxing and so I think the
rewards are well worth the risks Tomek
here sitting in the crowd when someone
asks you what do you do don’t say oh I’m
a student I don’t do anything yet each
and every one of you is so much more
than a student whether you are a writer
like Ryan a photographer like Nicole a
rapper like R a dancer
Chelsea artist ming-lee athlete candice
actress Anisha Kota Brandon or beatboxer
chanwoo as long as what you what you’re
doing makes you feel good and it’s not
illegal then do it and stick to it maybe
you’ll find something better and stick
to that don’t try to be the next Steve
Jobs I hate it when people say that
Steve Jobs was a legend guess the rest
in peace but you can’t be the next Steve
Jobs because Steve Jobs has its own
story and you have yours embrace what
makes you unique the little things and
the big things you know you have
something that no one else does the
beautiful mix of your story and your
character embrace it because it is what
will get you through with the good times
and the others have the courage to do you have the courage to be you thank you
Please follow and like us: