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Singing percussion is something I came to out of necessity at first. In order to complete musical ideas in an a cappella context, I realized I would need to use body sounds to simulate percussive instrumentation. At first, I spent a lot of time cleaning off the inside of my windshield, since I practiced vocal percussion while driving my truck. Then I began to string these ideas together and came up with grooves. The groove is so important to me, it just seems natural to want to sing the whole idea at one time using my exhalation and inhalation to make sounds. It's a wonderful balancing act to make all the parts fit and still be able to breathe! I use everything - my tongue, lips, hands, chest, and breath. It's toally-immersion singing really - to the point of hyperventilation - not so much from being out of breath as from just being so focused tonally, rhythmically - so committed. The study of vocal percuussion is great way to experience the many cultures and musical identities of the world. To know their rhythms is to connect wiith the heartbeat of their societies - a celebration of their humanity.