An introduction to beatboxing

This tool was developed as part of Cultural Cwtsh, which was an online creative wellbeing hub for the health and care workforce in Wales, created by the Arts Council of Wales in collaboration with artists across the country.

In partnership with the Arts Council of Wales, we’re excited to share this mental wellbeing tool, alongside with many other creative resources, with everyone in Wales!

We are all beatboxers if you can make a sound and sequence it. It’s not everyone’s passion is to be a beatboxer – I fully understand that.

Beatboxing is about stepping out of the comfort zone and doing something that (let’s be honest with each other) is not normal behaviour.

The act of trying something or switching off and getting immersed in learning a new skill is beneficial. It has been for me. Beatboxing has helped me channel my energy in a positive way.

Since primary school, I’ve had the urge to make sounds, fidget and move. I developed physical and vocal tics at the age of 10. Something popped inside me, and I could no longer suppress these urges. I was embarrassed and would do my upmost to disguise my tics.

At the age of 13 and after buying some DJ decks, I got into dance music in a big way.

One of my tics at the time was a throat gulp. A week into having this particular tic, I had this crazy moment. Disengaged and day dreaming in a French lesson, I turned these repetitive gulps into a 4/4 kick drum beat. That was the start for me.

I could spend the next three days writing about my crazy life and experiences – that’s for another time.

Enjoy the videos. I had a ball producing them with one of my closest friends, Alex. Shout out to him, BoomHouse & Palm Studios.

Love to you all. Always follow the good vibes 🙂

Dean Yhnell