Mouth music for all the family
Interview: Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure For Kids
International non-binary beatbox star SK Shlomo has collaborated with Bjork, Ed, Sheeran and Gorillaz, toured the world and performed on main stages at festivals like Glastonbury. And now they’re back on tour with their 5-star sell-out show Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids.
We caught up with the mouth-musician to find out more.
Q: Hi Shlomo! For anyone who hasn’t heard of your show before, can you tell us what Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure For Kids is all about?
It’s an interactive, high-energy show where all people – grown-ups, kids, toddlers, babies, nanas – get to become a sonic superhero, practise being their true self, and learn to use their voice in powerful new ways. It’s funny, fast-paced, and packed with amazing noises and fun voice tricks. I’ve been a touring beatboxer full time for 20 years now, playing festivals and venues all over the world – and this show is my way of sharing the joy of making music with the next generation.
Q: What happens in the show?
It’s an adventure – I set the whole audience a challenge to become a megastar beatboxer in 60 minutes. We travel back in time to the birth of hip-hop and witness how beatboxing grew out of the culture of people using their voices to express themselves and stand up against oppression.
Beatboxing grew out of a culture of using voices to stand up against oppression. We learn about anti-racism and stepping into our power – our true selves – before I teach everyone a bunch of top-secret beatboxing tricks. Grown-ups often need reminding they’re role models too, so I help them get over any shame and encourage them to be free and self-expressive.
Then, in the big finale, we bring out volunteers to put their new megastar skills to the test – sometimes kids vs kids, other times kids vs their grown-ups – in a mock hip-hop style beatbox battle to win the special prizes. I love it.
Q: What inspired you to create a beatboxing show for kids and families?
It started when I was touring the rave scene and became a parent – suddenly I didn’t want to be on stage in the middle of the night anymore. I wanted to create a show that would mean I could get home for bath time. And so the kids show was born – I did a trial run at Edinburgh Festival over a decade ago, and the show immediately sold out. Ever since then, the show has been a non-stop adventure!
Q: What makes Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure For Kids different from other family shows?
I think the secret is that it’s genuinely a show for *everyone*. It’s full of silly humour and audience participation, but the music is proper bass-heavy. A lot of the parents who come to the show are bass lovers who can’t go out dancing as much now they have families – and so it’s not just a show to keep the kids quiet on a Sunday afternoon, the grownups have a great time too.
Q: What kind of reactions do you get from families who come to the show?
It’s honestly one of the most beautiful things about the whole experience – and the audience grows itself – literally! As in I’ve had people come back year after year, bringing the next little sibling who’s been born since the last time I toured. The kids get so inspired – I get videos sent to me of them practising their beatboxing for weeks afterwards.
Q: It feels like you’ve placed a particular emphasis on making this show as accessible as possible. Can you share why this is important to you?
Accessibility is absolutely key. In the show, I talk about my own story as someone with neurodivergent disabilities. I have ADHD and autism, and so do a lot of the kids who come to the show. A lot of them know that they’re neurodivergent, and a lot of them have never really had a conversation about it. However, beatboxing is definitely something that appeals to people with brains like mine.
It’s been really emotional for me to receive messages from parents who saw the show and ended up having crucial conversations about neurodivergence. Lots of my audiences go on to get diagnoses and support for their kids, and often for the parents too, as these things run in the family. It’s really beautiful that I can talk about some of the challenges I’ve faced as someone who didn’t get diagnosed until my late 30s, and help other families to get the support that they need much earlier.
Creating an accessible space and an inclusive environment for people to show up, whoever they are, and however they are, is really central to the whole movement.
Q: What can audiences expect from the tour this year?
More beats, more bass, more silliness! This tour’s extra special because we’re hitting more cities than ever before. I’m so excited to bring the adventure back on the road and see some familiar faces – and meet some brand new Sonic Superheroes too.
