Adam has a bachelor’s of arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota, with a focus on trumpet. Gustavus Adolphus College is an art school that is ranked among the top 100 liberal art schools in USA today. The school is firmly rooted in Swedish heritage and is actually named after the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf.
When Home Free was founded, in 2000, Adam was singing with the others, until they discovered vocal percussion. Adam was chosen to learn how to make drum sounds using only his mouth. He spent hours listening to other vocal percussionists, to begin with Jeff Thatcher and Rockapella, analysing every sound and nuance, practising to make them himself. After 2 years he was able to percuss along with Jeff, while listening to the album Rockapella; In Concert. Being a trumpet major helped him a lot with the mechanicals and the muscular use of the art form.
Later he went on to learn from other percussionists and also discovered beatboxing (a more contemporary form of vocal percussion where other sounds than drums are also used).
Today he is very likely one of the best vocal percussionists/beatboxers in the world.
This first video is filmed live at one of Home Free’s most recent concerts, on March 7. This is Adam’s solo. This is craziness, in my opinion. This is brilliance. Enjoy!
Thank you Heidi Rancour for catching it on film, and for letting me use it! You can check out all the songs from this concert on her YouTube channel!
The second video is an official Home Free video where you can listen to Adam using his skills in a song. Every time you hear a song by Home Free, and you hear a drum sound, stop your thoughts and remember that that sound is made by a man and his mouth. This is one of my favourites. A cover of Kenny Chesney's American Kids.
So, what do you think? Isn't he amazing? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Love//
Carina
Sources: homefreemusic.com
wikipedia, and YouTube
