photo credit: Mia Harrington
The curtains pull away, bright, warm lights hit his face. His mind is racing thinking about his upcoming track meet but he must stay focused on keeping time for his choir group. Junior Alex Fomba is the school’s Above the Noise beat boxer and a sprinter for the track team.
Fomba’s role as the beatboxer is to act as a vocal percussion instrument, helping the choir keep tempo and rhythm within the music’s correct timing.
”My importance as the beatboxer is to make our songs enjoyable and a lot more fun. I play a pivotal role in our group, not only when it comes to keeping ourselves in tempo, but also uplift everyone’s spirits so we perform at our best,” Fomba said.
Last year at ICHSA semifinals, Fomba won the competition’s award for “Outstanding Vocal Percussion”.
“I was never expecting me to win such an award at the most prestigious high school competition, especially since it was my first year ever as a beatboxer. So, I’m proud on how far I came up and making history with Above the Noise when we made it past quarterfinals,” Fomba said.
Fomba is also a track sprinter on the school’s team, running the solo 100m, 200m, 400m, and group sprint relays regularly.
“The coaches always compliment the way I get out of the blocks with speed and how good my form is in doing so,” Fomba said.
Amongst his coaches and superiors, Fomba’s peers also speak highly of his talent and character.
”He’s super nice and responsible as a classmate. He gives me good feedback and helps all of us as a group stay balanced and together musically while also making us all smile when we’re just hanging out,” junior Emilee Ludwig said.
Fomba doesn’t view track and choir in similar ways, instead opting to use the two vastly different talents of his to channel different parts of his personality.
“For me, I view track and choir as two different worlds. When I’m on the track, I have a different mindset and I’m always pushing myself to get faster times. In choir, or music in general, it’s the best way for me to express my art and show my creativity in captivating ways,” Fomba said.
Black Empowerment Club held its annual black history month assembly on Feb. 9 in the auditorium. Fomba took time to create an originally composed score for the showcase.
“Making a composition for the Black Empowerment Club meant a lot for me because it was not only my first time doing such a thing, but because I found a way to blend classical elements of music with jazz and blues. I loved my sense of chord usage from the classic style transitioning to a more jazzy feel and it was a great way to showcase African-American art,” Fomba said.
Fomba has always been interested in learning and trying new things and his parents have worked hard to facilitate his curiosities.
“Alex was always a curious and adventurous child. He had the interest to learn new things. All we did was encourage his curiosity and teach him the lessons of success. Alex has the mind and discipline to learn anything that captures his attention or imagination,” Stephen Fomba, Alex’s father said.
Fomba’s parents worked hard to teach him important life lessons that would cater to his ambitions.
“We taught him love for what he does. We taught Alex to dedicate time and be very committed to anything that he wants to do. It is imperative to love whatever he does. For without love, one could not firmly commit to anything. Alex has come to love music, track, education, and people,” Stephen Fomba said.
The final song in the set wraps up and the crowd erupts into clapping and cheering. The curtains close as he rushes off stage to change for his track meet.
