Name: Andrew Fitzpatrick
Age: 22
Major: Marketing
Hometown: St. Paul
When did you start beatboxing?
I started beatboxing back in high school with my friends. In choir, we would always freestyle and mess around with new sounds and beats. We were all pretty bad back then. After awhile, I was the only one of my friends who really stuck with it. When I got into the MadHatters, I started practicing all the time and it eventually brought me to where I am today.
What inspired you to learn how to beatbox?
I first heard of beatboxing through some of my friends who introduced me to Rahzel. He’s a legend in the beatbox world and has done some great things for the art. I also remember seeing an a cappella group in high school (I don’t remember their name) with a vocal percussionist, and I was blown away by the sounds he could make. I think it was just something I thought was fun and could easily practice.
How do you learn how to beatbox? Is it something you picked up on your own or did someone teach it to you?
Learning to beatbox has been a very strange process. In the beginning, I literally had no references except for a few recordings on my computer. I would practice for hours, just trying to perfect the basic sounds. When I began to get more serious, I started searching the Internet for beatboxing tips and that helped with learning new techniques. These days, I usually watch YouTube videos of my favorite beatboxers and stay current with the scene that way. I suppose you could say I’m completely self-taught.
How did you get involved with the MadHatters? What was the audition like? Is it a competitive process?
I first got involved with the Hatters as a freshman, and I’ve been in the group for four years. The auditions are pretty intense and competitive – each potential MadHatter has to go through two rounds of auditions. Additionally, we only take around three to four guys out of an average of 60 auditionees each year.
Can you give me a little background about the MadHatters – how long have they been around?
The Hatters have been around since 1997 – so I think that would make us 14 years old if I did the math right. We normally have about 15 members and routinely sell out the Orpheum Theater twice a year during our fall and spring concerts.
Do the members write their own arrangements?
Yep. We have two music majors in the group who do the vocal arrangements and even write some original material.
Where was your favorite concert and why was it your favorite?
The 2010 Spring Concert has been my favorite thus far. It was an unbelievable experience and personally one of my best performances. I received a standing ovation after my beatbox solo.
What song do you enjoy performing the most?
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
Do you want to pursue music as a career after college?
Music is such an important part of my life I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m definitely going to pursue music in some way or another whether that’d be through performing, producing, or working on the business side of the industry. After college, I would like to see how far beatboxing can take me. I’m going to continue to push myself to improve. This winter, I’m auditing for the 2nd annual American Beatbox Championship in New York so wish me luck!
Fun fact?
Along with beatboxing, my other passion in life is producing music. My style is a mix between hip hop, electronic, rock and dance, but I like to experiment with all kinds of sounds. I also love blending styles by remixing tracks. I try to dedicate at least a few hours a day to either practicing beatboxing or producing music. A few of my remixes have gotten some airplay on 91.7 student radio, and all my tracks are available for free download. Here’s the link to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FremixBeatz#p/u