Cello Beatboxing

Les Baxter once stated that "any new music must be an innovation." The most interesting music always includes subtle changes in style, genre, or sound. Classical scores derive hundreds of variations from one, often very simple, melody. Contemporary artists do the same: They take melodies and add Melisma (also known as runs) or the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes of text in succession, to make their songs more interesting and unique. Creative musicians truly reinvent their music and their genres constantly; reinvention is what makes them so successful.

But what happens when an entirely new genre is created? Often, these innovations are met with hesitancy or rejection. Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Kevin Olusola, whose originality was met with success and popularity. Olusola has fused Classical, Jazz, and Hip-Hop influences to create Celloboxing. Olusola says that Celloboxing combines the "cello, which people see as a pristine instrument, and Hip-Hop, which is kind of dirty and gritty and has that element of edge to it, and fusing them together into something that is ... really inventive and creative." One thing is for certain: It is a style and genre all his own.

Olusola was born with his gifts. At 12, he was the principal Saxophonist and the youngest musician ever in the United States Wind Band. By 15, he was the principal cellist of the Kentucky All-State Orchestra. That year he was accepted into the Kentucky Governor's School of the Arts and to this day is the only young musician to be accepted in two subjects: Cello and Saxophone. He has performed at Carnegie hall - twice - on two different instruments. In 2009, he was the runner up in the "Celebrate and Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma" International competition at 20, where 90% of his competitors were professional musicians.

Where does celloboxing stem from? According to Olusola, it just makes sense to him. Though it seems natural to Olusola, one doesn't often hear sharp, gritty beatboxing combined with soulful cello music. He discovered his talent for beatboxing while singing with an A' Capella group in boarding school. But it was during a his travel abroad in China did he discover the combination.

Recently, he was featured on NBC's "The Sing Off" as part of the A' Capella quintet, the Pentatonix. His beatboxing helped carry them to 1st place and a $200,000 recording contract.

Keep your eyes out for Olusola. He plans to turn his musical passions into a career in music and production. He plans to produce a series of mixtapes featuring contemporary radio artists and his talents as a musician and Hip-Hop artist. And at only 24, this multitalented individual is sure to make a real impression on the music industry in the near future.