In the ring “However when I was in my second year at University, I got to know about a singer-songwriter showcase organised on campus and decided to write a proper song and go for it. “Despite being nervous about my debut, I enjoyed performing my original composition and went on to win the competition.
F
or Dana McKeon, 22, it all started with a bout of boredom. “Typically bored at my desk while studying for University exams, I’d sing to myself and tap beats with my fingers. Then I sustained a thumb injury while playing basketball, which made me turn to an alternative means of making beats with my mouth. I discovered that I could imitate the sound of drums by isolating and co-ordinating the movement of my lips, tongue, vocal chords and the muscles around my throat. Following this discovery, I went on to research vocal percussion online and came across the art of beatboxing. After a few weeks of practice, I got the knack of circular breathing and humming or singing while beatboxing. Now I can also beatbox and play the guitar and harmonica simultaneously.” Dana started playing the guitar when she was nine years old. She wrote a couple of songs back then but was too shy to exit the confines of her bedroom. Her interest in music started dwindling as she focused on sports and school.
“I instantly got hooked on performing and developed a passion for music. This inspired me to pack my bags and travel to London last summer to try my luck at performing there. After just four weeks, I had already performed at over 20 gigs, made some great contacts, got scouted a number of times and was offered a few deals. “It then became clear that music was what I wanted to do. I’ve since taken up a guidance and management deal with ANP Media, one of central London’s top media teams, and have also become the first female artist to sign a non-excusive contract with Beatbook, Europe’s top beatbox booking agency.” Dana also managed to meet Bruno Mars “I was on a University exchange in Stockholm in October 2010 and went to a Travie McCoy concert, where Bruno Mars was the support act. After the concert my friends dared me to show the artists my beatbox skills and in jest I put on a bit of an attitude and headed towards the backstage area. Surprisingly, the security guards at the door didn’t stop me so I just walked through and met the bands. I blended in with their groupies and hung out while they filmed me beatboxing, but they said that the main artists wouldn’t want to be disturbed after the show.
DANA’S APRIL WARDROBE “I always try to put together stage outfits which represent my music and my identity as an artist, while adapting them to the specific gig. Looking good and feeling comfortable in what I’m wearing automatically makes me feel good, which then comes across in my performance. I often also seek advice from friends and the media guidance team I work with,” says Dana. “My shopping trips are unpredictable. I can sometimes spend days running around shops looking for specific items, whereas I can then happen to walk by a place with an appealing shop window and raid the store if the style suits my tastes.”
Photo - Paris Arrowsmith
Beatboxer Dana McKeon keeps the beat on music, fashion and shopping.
Photo - Paris Arrowsmith
Photo - Matthew Attard Navarro
Shopping
“Then on our way out of the venue we met Travie McCoy and spotted Bruno Mars making his way towards his tour bus. Somehow his bodyguard recognised me as the girl who was giving the bands a beatbox demo backstage and told Bruno Mars it would be worth his while to listen to my beatboxing. He really enjoyed my impromptu performance and we had a little jam in front of the crowd gathered outside the venue. He had a lot of lovely things to say about my voice and beatboxing, and said he predicted that my talent would take me far, which was very encouraging.” Last March, Dana also participated at the World Beatbox Championships. “Meeting and jamming with so many talented people was amazing and a huge honour. I placed fifth in the competition, granting me the official ranking of the number five female vocal percussionist in the world. “Being the first person to take part in the championships on behalf of Malta, this event officially put our islands on the international beatbox map. While in Berlin, I was asked to do lots of interviews with press from all over the globe. The livestream broadcast of the event reached over 150,000 viewers. “My focus is to keep growing as an artist. I’ll be working with producers and releasing recordings and music videos of my original music in the coming weeks. Some great international shows are in the pipeline, as well as exciting collaborations and projects. I’ll also be organising beatbox workshops in Malta with the aim of uniting Maltese beatboxers and promoting the art of vocal percussion. I’m already in talks about the possibility of organising an official Maltese Beatbox Battle in the near future.”
FM April 2012 - 59