NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)–The young musicians of the Roots of Music program received a visit form a notable and unique musician recently. Mark Martin is a professional beatboxer and a vocal arts specialist.

“The voice is the most essential unit of communication that we have and the way we connect with each other. One of the most powerful things about beatboxing is, you don’t need any instruments because, you are the instrument. You are enough. You have all the tools you need to make any creative choice you want.”

Beatboxing began in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as a way to back up the hip hop lyricist. It’s origins are directly out of the spirit of jazz. In the 1920’s, vocal aerobatics and musicality rose to new heights in 1926, when Louis Armstrong recorded “Heebie Jeebies.” In the that recording, a new era of music creativity, by way of the vocal technique of scatting, was introduced. Since then, the human voice has reached even greater heights.

Mark Martin is a world renown beatboxer, actor and musician. As a child, he wanted to play percussion. His parents had other plans and he ended up playing the bass, before New York’s hip hop scene and Dougie Fresh inspired him. He became the American Beatbox Champion in 2016.

Martin believes passionately in music therapy and is over the Academy of Noise, which leads him to visit children around the country for beatboxing workshops.

The Roots of Music is a non-profit and groundbreaking music program in the city of New Orleans. The Roots of music kids were blown away by meeting Martin and his vocal acrobatics.

Derrick Tabb, has been a long-standing percussionist of Rebirth Brass Band and is the Executive Director and Founder of the Roots of Music. “The kids need to know that music is inspired in all types of different ways. I remember when I was younger, I used to want to beatbox. I used to be in the yard, making all the noise with my mouth. Seeing these kids interact the same way I did, makes me feel happy they are learning this,” says Tabb.

While the Roots of Music musicians make magic with their horns on a regular basis, all over the world, they are unfortunately a sobering exception in the country. There is a large amount of data, as well as various studies, showing music programs disappearing in schools, as they struggle for funding sources. There is also overwhelming data and studies that show music is of great benefit to learning minds in various ways.

Mark Martin believes beatboxing can be a way to keep music in schools, saying “I believe that beatboxing can change our access to music. If you can’t afford an instrument and you don’t have access, you can still learn the trumpet and trombone or the drums, by making the sounds with your mouth and learning about those instruments. The kids are incredible and the teachers are receptive. They see the potential and power that beatboxing has. We see the impact that hip hop culture has had on the world. We see impact that jazz has had on the world. We will see that the new styles that are being created with youth of today, are also going to have a huge impact on the world!”

The Roots of Music will perform during the last Sunday of Jazz Fest.