When my partner and I first saw four-time UK beatboxing champion Grace Savage performing incredible feats of vocal acrobatics at LOUD WOMEN Fest (review here), little did I expect that almost a decade on I’d be hearing a germinal form of some of those same beats, buzzes and bass notes emanating from our kitchen. As the weeks went by, the sounds grew in precision, tempo and alacrity, and left their private confines to be shared with the rest of the household.
My partner was one of six women who formed the first cohort of the online Savage Sounds Beatbox School and she has been buzzing about it ever since – not just for the new skills she learned but the supportive, welcoming atmosphere of the class and the community that has started to build around it.
Imagine that – lessons from a four-time UK champion! It’s the equivalent of getting keepy-uppy tips from Rodri or Lucy Bronze, or a bit of help on your cueing technique from Steve Davis.
As Grace prepares to open applications for the second cohort of sessions at her beatboxing school, we caught up with her to find out more about its inception, her ethos as a teacher and the wide range of benefits that beatboxing can bring regardless of whether you ever get up on stage.
1) Where did the idea come from to start up the Savage Sounds Beatbox School?
It was a perfect storm. After years of frustration and exhaustion in the music industry trying to succeed as an independent artist, combined with becoming a mother of two, I had lost my mojo and felt stuck professionally. Although I have always taught workshops and lessons, I never actively promoted that side of my career for fear of overshadowing my work as an artist. However, I needed something to get me out of that slump, and starting the beatbox school was exactly what I needed. I committed to it wholeheartedly, and it has massively paid off. It is incredibly rewarding, and I hope it continues to grow. I have to give a shout out to Harriet J W Consulting who guided me through the process of setting up a school and taught me SO MUCH. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.
2) What is your approach as a teacher, and how might it differ from what might usually come to people’s minds when they think of a music class or the wider world of beatboxing?
I create a fun, relaxed, open and “anti-macho” environment that taps into the therapeutic, confidence building benefits of beatboxing as well as the technical aspects. It is not a pre-recorded course, it is a community of people encouraging and supporting each other and there is direct access to me as the coach. I want it to feel a safe space to learn where people don’t feel intimidated by the often “macho” world of beatboxing that conjures up images of teenage boys and battle culture. Beatbox is music. Beatbox is art. Beatbox is self expression. Beatbox is breath work in disguise. It’s fun it’s silly and anyone can’t do it. Half of it is getting over the fear of using your voice.
3) The first cohort took part earlier this year – were there any similarities that you noticed in the people who signed up and the reasons they joined?
They were all women! Half had babies or very young children and half were in their 40s / 50s. They were all brilliant and open to the experience and at points in their lives where they wanted to reconnect with a part of themselves they felt they may have lost or wanted to build upon – finding confidence in their voices and taking up space.
4) After so many years as a performer, what was the experience of teaching your first course like?
I was actually very very nervous. The marketing side of it and trying to get people to believe in it and actually part with their hard earned cash was scary. I spent months preparing and was worried I wouldn’t have a single student! The teaching of the course material and the zoom lessons have taught me so much in terms of how to get the best out of people. I have really refined my methods and improved so much as a teacher.
5) How did they get on and what was their feedback about the course?
Out of the 6 students I would say we had 3 core student who engaged in all the Zooms and participated in the WhatsApp group regularly – Here are some testimonials….
6) Has the experience of teaching the group had any impact on your own music?
I’ll be honest – I fooled myself into thinking I could be a parent of 2 under 5s, run the school AND still have time for music but I really haven’t. The plan is that it will all get easier and smoother to run and promote as the years go by and I can focus on music again, otherwise I may have to have a hiatus. But I guess… by keeping me away from music it’s made me hungry again to make some?!
7) How did you get into beatboxing yourself? What difference would a class like this have made to you when you were starting out?
I grew up in a small town in Devon where there happened to be a lot of beatboxers around in the early 00s! One of them being one of my good friends from school Bel, aka Bellatrix, who helped me out a lot in the beginning. I just learned from other beatboxers and online tutorials on a website called humanbeatbox.com – these were the days before social media and YouTube! I like that there were no classes available tbh, I was 14/15 and just having fun – it wasn’t formalised and there were no expectations. I just got the beatbox bug and became obsessed with it
8) Who were some of the artists who inspired you as a beatboxer, or helped you on your way to reaching the level you’re at now?
Bellatrix (now known as Rocco), audible 1, and Shlomo are all beatboxers who helped me out on my journey in the early days. Very grateful for their support and encouragement when I was a wee beatboxer starting out!
9) Are there any key skills, attributes or attitudes that help to make a good novice beatboxer?
Listening skills (just as important as the doing), awareness of your anatomy!! i.e. paying attention to the level of air pressure, tongue placement, the space in your mouth and being sensitive to adapting that. Willingness to be a bit cringe, awkward, bad but just go for it anyway. Relaxing. You can’t make music if you are fearful and stiff. Curiosity and playfulness. Also a bit of an obsessive nature – perfectionist mentality. Practice really does make perfect.
10) What words do you have for anyone who’s read this and is thinking “That sounds cool, but I don’t know if I can do it”?
You can !!! Everyone can!!! I promise. If you can speak….you can beatbox!
Join the new cohort of the Savage Sounds Beatbox School here
Grace Savage: Website / Instagram / Facebook
Interview by Paul Maps
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