Beatboxer Tom Thum has a symphony in his throat, but how does he make those sounds? Armed with a microphone and camera, get up close and personal as we peer down the back of Tom Thum's throat. In this eye opening, somewhat stomach turning and frequently hilarious talk and performance, Tom Thum is joined on stage by Ear Nose & Throat Surgeon, Dr Matthew Broadhurst as they reveal what happens behind the scenes. It's wet, it's gooey, it's strange, it's amazing and possibly the first time anything like this has been attempted on stage. Beat Boxer Tom Thum appears to have not only a symphony orchestra but also a jazz band, techno DJ, 80’s synth-pop group and collection of exotic world instruments residing somewhere in his throat. Recognised worldwide for his obscure talent to manipulate his vocal chords, Tom confirms to his audience that there is no sound he can’t mimic. Propelled to Internet stardom with his 2013 TEDxSydney performance, which quickly became the highest viewed TEDx video of all time, Tom can now be seen alongside composer Gordon Hamilton, performing his own world's first, original beatbox symphony, 'Thum Prints’.
Dr Matthew Broadhurst is an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon based in Brisbane, Australia with a special interest in caring for the professional voice patient. He completed an additional two years of specialty training and advanced techniques in laryngeal surgery and voice restoration at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA under the guidance of world renowned and innovative laryngeal surgeon Professor Steven Zeitels. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx