PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 18, 2016
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Celt beatboxer has freestyle fl ow
and a growing legion of fans
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Tyrell Kennedy can make a
beat you feel in your chest using
only his mouth.
The McNary High School
senior and beatboxer is a regu-
lar standout in area talent shows
with a regular gig mimicking the
drum beats using his mouth, lips,
tongue and voice every Sunday
at Salem’s Barrel and Keg. But
his journey from promising
novice to budding star began at
Houck Middle School.
“The summer after fi fth
grade, my brother was really
pumped up to show me this stuff
a guy named Rahzel was putting
out. He was making this Mortal
Kombat beat and launched into
Iron Man (by Black Sabbath),”
said Kennedy.
The performances inspired
him to give it a shot and he
spent the next nine months lis-
tening to mp3s, doing his best to
mimic the sounds and then add
in his own takes. Then he heard
about a talent show being held
the last day of his sixth grade
year at Houck.
“I was all pumped up and I
had my beats perfect, and then
they told me there was audi-
tions. After I heard that, I was
freaking out because I had only
ever performed for my family,”
Kennedy said.
He made it through with
ease, and he spent three hours
watching videos and trying to
fi gure out how to hone his act
the night before he was sched-
uled to take the stage. On his
way out the door the next
morning, he grabbed a large jug
of water. The sounds he makes
can take a toll on his vocal cords,
and water provides lubrication.
“You have to have water that
you drink before the show and
during the show because you’re
sucking up a lot of air and dub-
step actually hurts your throat
because it’s almost like holding a
long growl,” Kennedy said.
Throughout his day at school,
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
McNary High School senior Tyrell Kennedy drops a dubstep beat on an enthusiastic crowd at the
McNary Talent Show in February.
people kept asking him what the
water was for and, when he told
them it was for beatboxing, few
of his schoolmates believed him.
“They would tell me to per-
form and I wouldn’t. Instead, I
was practicing in the bathrooms
all day long. Any free chance
to practice, I took it,” Kennedy
said.
As his debut neared, Kenne-
dy had a realization: he’d never
actually been to an all-school
assembly. He had no idea what
one looked like or the number
of people on-hand. When he
took a peek inside the gym, his
hands started shaking.
It wasn’t until he saw the re-
sponse students were having to
McNary class of ‘66:
It’s reunion time
the other acts that he began to
worry.
“I thought, ‘What if that
doesn’t happen for me?’” Ken-
nedy said.
When it was fi nally his turn,
Kennedy was handed the mic
and had another epiphany: he’d
never performed with a mic. Af-
ter some false starts, he pulled it
up close to his lips.
“While I was doing it I put
my fi nger on the side of my
nose. Now I realize everyone
thinks I’m picking my nose
when I do this,” Kennedy said.
He was more than nervous,
he was putting himself on the
line in front of his entire school,
and all the girls he had crushes
The 50th year reunion of McNary
High School’s fi rst graduating class has
been set for July 15 to 17. The class num-
bered about 250 and were comprised of
students who moved from North Salem
High School and Keizer students.
on, in particular. His legs started
shaking, but he closed his eyes
and launched into his fi rst beat.
“As soon as I started, every-
one was cheering me on and
wilding up and, when I stopped,
I opened my eyes and everyone
was still cheering. I’m blush-
ing, there’s girls screaming and
I walk over to my spot and I
get high fi ves and that’s when
I got over being scared. I was
like, ‘This is it. This is the start of
me,’” Kennedy said.
After the talent show was
over, kids were passing around
yearbooks and Kennedy didn’t
have one to pass around for sig-
natures. As he was quickly learn-
ing, he was good at improvisa-
The deadline for registering for the re-
union of McNary’s fi rst graduating class is
June 1. Visit www.mcnaryhs66.com for a
full list of events for the three-day sched-
ule and registration information.
tion. He pulled out a notebook contingent of the Celtic Val-o-
and started having friends sign it. gram ensemble that he ended
When the day was over, he had up in an impromptu battle with
numerous notes encouraging his cross-town rival, Charlie
him to keep going.
“Robotic” Torres.
Since that fi rst performance,
Kennedy visited the same
Kennedy has gone on to stand room where Torres was in class
out in the local beatboxing and the two battled on the spot.
scene with wins in talent shows,
“He does his beat and I do
music competitions and on-the- mine and suddenly everyone is
spot battling with other beat- freaking out. They wanted me
boxers.
to come to their school so they
After sixth grade, he and his could see battles all the time,”
family moved to Keizer and he Kennedy said.
transferred to Claggett Creek
Kennedy ended up winning
Middle School where he as- on Torres’ home turf.
sumed he would know no one.
His most memorable battle
As it turned out, a few of his thus far was with a local named
friends had also made the switch Greg Williams. Williams was
unbeknownst to him.
serving as a security guard at
“That’s when I started meet- McNary and was showing off
ing new people because my his skills to students when he
friends were telling everybody challenged Kennedy to a duel.
else I could beatbox. I was
Kennedy lost that fi rst round,
friends with the AVID kids and but the two ended up perform-
they had connections to the ing together last December at
teachers and I
Barrel and Keg.
started perform-
“I did my
ing for them, “I was like,
thing, closed my
too,” Kennedy
eyes and I did
‘This is it. This the beats he did
said.
It was only a
then
reversed
matter of time is the start of
them. I was
before he was me.’”
making
some
performing at
of the craziest
school dances,
— Tyrell Kennedy noises I’d ever
talent
shows,
made,”
Ken-
assemblies and
nedy said. “He
more.
was amazed at how much I’d
“I was like, ‘I’m going to love learned.”
this school.’ I had a lot more
Kennedy has hopes of work-
chances to get out there than I ing in music production at some
would have at Houck,” Kennedy point after high school with
said.
hopes of going to community
Since making the leap to college then transferring to a
McNary, he’s performed with four-year school. He’s even en-
the school’s a capella group, tertaining the idea of becoming
Danger Tones, gone back to lo- a teacher.
cal elementary schools to per-
One of the things he enjoys
form for other students and has most about beatboxing is shar-
plans to work with a local jazz ing it with audiences and trad-
group and tap dancing studio.
ing tips with other beatboxers.
“It’s crazy when little kids Even he and Torres share feed-
are looking at me out in the back on each other’s work.
community or parents even
He still closes his eyes when
recognize me from perform- he performs, but he’s always lis-
ing at the schools or in coffee tening for the crowd and their
shops. It kind of freaks me out, I response.
don’t know them, but I’m really
“Once I start, everyone is go-
thankful. It gets me pumped up ing crazy and it gets better and
that people around Keizer and better, and that’s why I love it to
Salem know who I am,” Ken- this day,” Kennedy said.
nedy said.
For videos of Kennedy perform-
It was while traveling to ing, check out the Keizertimes on
McKay High School with a Facebook)
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These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit.
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John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
452 Cummings Lane North 393-0404
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Celebration
Services
Saturday Evening
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 9:15 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org
Jason Lee UMC
820 Jeff erson St. NE
Salem OR 97301
9:00 am
Dr. Jon F. Langenwalter, Pastor
The church with the purple doors
10:45 am
Worship at 9:30 am • Child Care Available
6:00 pm
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
Sunday Morning
and
503-364-2844
Faith Lutheran Church
4505 River Rd N • 393-4507
Sunday Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Children’s Church
9:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Children’s Activities
Pastor
Virginia Eggert 10:30 a.m. Worship with Communion