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Thinking outside of the beatbox: Fall concert will be unlike any held at M State before

A woman with long red hair, Kaila Mullady, holds her hands out like a DJ spinning records.
Kaila Mullady, two-time World Beatbox Champion, will be performing at this fall's M State band and choir concert. 

World champion beatboxer Kaila Mullady will be performing in Fergus Falls this November as a featured guest artist at M State’s 2024 fall band and choir concert. 

Beatboxing is the use of the human vocal tract to mimic sounds made by electronic drum machines, turntables and other musical instruments. It’s a skill rarely seen on rural stages, and Mullady is a master at it. 

Infusing rap and song into her unique beatboxing style, Mullady earned the title of World Beatbox Champion in both 2015 and 2018. She’s also the 2014 American Vice Beatbox Champion, a three-time Loop Station Champion and three-time reigning Beatrhyme Champion.

At the M State concert, her talents will be spotlighted in both a solo set and joint performances with the college’s Voice Ensemble, Concert Choir and Chamber Chorale. The groups will cover everything from Bach to Bossa nova jazz. 

“M State has never presented a concert quite like this one before,” says M State Music Faculty Laura Quaintance. “I’m so excited for our students and audience to have this opportunity, to witness another realm of musical performance in Mullady’s work.”

After seeing the beatboxer perform with another choir last spring and being moved by the experience, Quaintance secured a grant through the Fergus Area College Foundation (FACF) to bring her to M State. Mullady travels the world teaching workshops and speaking at schools, inspiring youth to find the power of their voices. As part of the FACF grant, she will spend a week with M State’s music students, working with the choirs and leading a session with the Hip-Hop class. 

“It’s going to be a transformative week,” says Quaintance. “We strive to give our students a vast array of music opportunities and to show them the diverse opportunities music can offer them, either as a career or as a way to enhance their lives.”

The choral show will follow a powerful preceding performance by the M State Concert Band. Under the direction of longtime band director and M State Music Faculty James Iverson, the band will play a diverse setlist featuring the Dallas Brass’s fun arrangement of “Swingtime,” John Williams’ exciting “Midway March,” and Jan Van der Roost’s energetic, “Flashing Winds.” 

A highlight will be the band’s performance of “Ghost Train,” a concert piece by Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre that tells the story of a supernatural train from American folklore. The spooky piece, perfect for Halloween season, will be performed in the dark, with visuals of a mysterious, moonlit train ride projected onto a screen.

The concert will be held Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in Legacy Hall on the M State campus in Fergus Falls. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at the Fergus Falls Campus Store and online at mstate.universitytickets.com. The campus store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and may be reached at 218.736.1556.

For more information about M State Fine Arts programs, visit minnesota.edu/fine-arts.