NOW Performance: Shodekeh "The Corcoran College of Art and Design (500 17th St. NW) will be hosting Shodekeh at 7 p.m. in collaboration with dancer and choreographer Krysia Bock. He'll also be holding workshops with students all weekend to conceptualize his performance. The performance is part of the weekly Corcoran Uncorked, which is free for members and students." - The Washington Examiner. Photograph by Philip Edward Laubner. 

Department of Dance "The Towson University Department of Dance's Mission advocates Dancing for a Lifetime by challenging students to examine and refine their approaches to the arts of dancing, choreography, and dance education. Towson offers professional dance training within the context of a comprehensive liberal arts education. Majors experience rigorous preparation to dance and create dance at all ages and stages of life—in professional companies, as educators and as arts advocates." - The Towson University Department of Dance.

2010 ADF School Catalog by American Dance Festival "Heralded as “One of the nation’s most important institutions” by the New York Times and as “The world’s greatest dance festival” by the New York Post, the American Dance Festival’s sustained record of creative achievement is indivisible from the history of modern dance. Since 1934, ADF has remained committed to serving the needs of dance, dancers, choreographers, and professionals in dance-related fields." - The American Dance Festival.

American Dance Festival: Home Friday Guest Artist Classes with Quilan Arnold "ADF is fortunate to have some of the finest dance musicians in the country on its roster. The American Dance Festival has been a magnet drawing together diverse artists, styles, theories, and dance training methods; from this creative mix the ADF has emerged as the sponsor of performances by some of the greatest choreographers and dance companies of our time. Jack Anderson traces the development of ADF from its beginnings in New England to its seasons at Duke University. He displays the ADF for the multidimensional creature it is—a center for performances, a school for the best young dancers in the country, and a provider of community and professional services." - The American Dance Festival @ Duke University. 

Corps de Ballet Winner of the 2024 Women Empowerment Award at the Rome Film Festival & the 2023 International Music Video Underground Award. 

"The wispy quality of professional ballerinas sets a precedent for aspiring dancers that is often unachievable through healthy practices. As a result, young dancers are typically tempted to change their bodies by overexercising or under-eating. Director Katherine Hutchinson visually expresses how ballet shaped her body image using aerial dance and an original score. The film demonstrates the restriction of body shame and the freedom of relinquishing that shame." - The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. 

About | AirKatherine Official selection at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, the San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival, the Toronto Indie Filmmaker's Festival & the Aerial Arts Film Festival, 2024.

Senga Nengudi "In this most recent academic year I was awarded the National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professorship here at Colorado College for 2024 - 2025, & one of my main projects in this fellowship as the very first "Breath Artist-in-Residence" was to reimagine Senga Nengudi's multimedia + fabric art piece "Warp Trance" directly with the legendary "process artist" herself." - Dominic Shodekeh Talifero. 

"Senga Nengudi has been working in sculpture and performance for over 50 years, and finally the global art world is catching up. Her signature pieces in nylon mesh and sand are suggestive yet insist on an expansiveness of signification.  Her early performances in Los Angeles in the 1970s were integral to the development of the art scene there, and engaged African and Asian performative modalities." - The American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Senga Nengudi: Warp Trance - Fine Arts Center "The video art of this work is now available for viewing on You Tube, & I'm so very inspired by Senga's holistic brilliance & neverending curatorial process, as she has found a way to subtly edit, stitch, collage & essentially "fabricize" my creative breath techniques + embodied movements & the collaborative choreography of CC dance major Ella Boyd Brocker into the very artwork itself." - Dominic Shodekeh Talifero.

Nederlands Dans Theater "Hello Mr. Talifero, I hope this message finds you well. My name is Kele Roberson, I am dancer currently with Netherlands Dans Theater, a contemporary dance company located in Den Haag, Netherlands. I recently stumbled upon “25x25” and upon listening felt incredibly compelled by your two incredible tracks in the album, Vodalities I & II, that draw on the breath and voice /vocal percussion...I have been searching for music for months now and these two tracks felt like an absolute gift to stumble upon - I feel they somehow link exactly to what I feel and imagine for the piece I’d like to make. I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I were to create something to these two tracks for this year's edition of Switch?" - Kele Roberson of the Nederlands Dans Theater.

"An annual favourite of ours is Switch: an evening entirely curated, produced, and choreographed by the dancers of NDT 1 and NDT 2. Switch began over 40 years ago, born from the need of the dancers to be creative and experimental, and to explore other aspects of their artistic identity. Over the years it has developed into a professionally produced and much-loved charity event in our home in The Hague." - The Nederlands Dans Theater. 

Switch '26 "Thank you so much for your response and your permission…!! I so greatly appreciate it. And how fitting that you used to make music for dance - you can absolutely feel it when you listen!! I will make sure to send through things / info as it comes along. I would also love to see/ hear any more material related to the music you might have!" - Kele Roberson of the Nederlands Dans Theater.

TEDxBaltimore Shodekeh has been a musical participant at TEDxBaltimore (2011), TEDxMidAtlantic (2012) & TEDxPittsburgh (2017). 

"Alash’s inclusion of master beatboxer and musical adventurer Shodekeh on the album represents a deliberate choice in their vision of the future development of Tuvan music. Since Alash’s formation, the group members have sought to master the roots of their deep musical heritage and yet find ways to participate in the interconnected sound world of the 21st century. Performing with Shodekeh, himself the bearer of a rich but often misunderstood vocal tradition, creates a real-time musical connection between living performers, organically created and deeply rooted, yet futuristic." - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. 

Download Liner Notes IlluminAsia - Alash Ensemble "Achai, the Tuvan word for father, describes a deep paternal participation in the upbringing and growth of a new generation. It is also a fitting title for Alash’s new album to honor Kongar-ool Ondar, who served not only as a musical father for the ensemble, but also for an entire generation of Tuvan musicians. Featuring master beatboxer Shodekeh, alongside time-honored Tuvan throat-singing styles, the album demonstrates how members of Alash have dedicated their lives to performing, preserving, developing, and growing the Tuvan tradition." - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. 

U.S. Embassy in Lithuania: Homepage Shodekeh was been awarded an "American Month of Culture" grant for musical ambassadorship by the U.S. Embassy of Lithuania in 2009. "The Educational and Cultural Sections work with Lithuanian universities, teacher training institutions, and other academic, cultural, governmental and nongovernmental organizations to support English Language Teaching programs development of civic education curricula. In keeping with our objectives to increase understanding about U.S. society and policies, and to broaden dialogue between Americans and U.S. institutions and their Lithuanian counterparts, the U.S. Embassy invites American speakers and specialists, distributes publications in both English and Lithuanian and sponsors programs related to such issues as U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-Lithuanian relations, support for the development of democratic institutions and a democratic society, rule of law, and American culture, history and society." - The U.S. Embassy of Lithuania. 

Celebrity traveler: Shodekeh's musical treks "The U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, together with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has sent more than 1300 Lithuanian academic and professional exchange participants to the U.S., and about 300 Americans have come to Lithuania to study, teach and conduct research. People-to-people exchanges enhance mutual understanding between the U.S. and Lithuania. ECA exchange program alumni encompass over 1 million people around the world. The Department of State is committed to providing resources that allow alumni to expand upon their U.S.

Music by Prudence (2010) "Prudence Mahbena (pictured) thrilled the Maryland Film Festival audience May 9 with her unexpected Mother’s Day performance, after the screening of the Academy Award-winning short documentary about her, “Music by Prudence.” She is an illuminating presence on stage and a versatile vocalist. She performed with percussionist Jason Baker and a beatboxer Shodekeh and it was fabulous. The documentary, which will air on HBO2 May 12 at 8 p.m. (EST), is a cinematic joy, filled with music and breathtaking scenery. The beauty of Zimbabwe glistened. The film gives a rare glimpse into the charming village life in Zimbabwe by visiting Mabhena’s maternal grandmother, who is one of the few family members who accepted her." - Beth Haller.

Prudence Mabhena "The VSA International Network is an active global community that shares best practices in cultural access, brainstorms solutions to common (and uncommon) issues, and blazes an accessible path towards social justice and inclusion. With members like you, we are creating an international community that fosters the growing field of accessibility and disability in the arts, at cultural institutions and in arts education, while helping define excellence in the field." - The Kennedy Center / VSA International Network.

Silkroad Ensemble "There are many ways of speaking - and we must speak - with every note, every sound, every beat we have within us, as we come beautifully and musically together despite distance, different languages, approaches, trainings and expectations - what Silkroad does is radical and shall remain radical; and art, in its purest sense, rejects the inhumanity of violence and demands that we see each other as we see ourselves. That way, and that way only, is the path to transformative change - and we stand for nothing less.” - Rhiannon Giddens, Artistic Director of the Silkroad Ensemble.

"Yo-Yo Ma conceived Silkroad in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together. Seeking to understand this dynamic, he recognized the historical Silk Road as a model for cultural collaboration – for the exchange of ideas, tradition, and innovation across borders. In a groundbreaking experiment, he brought together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a new artistic idiom: a musical language founded in difference, a metaphor for the benefits of a more connected world." - The Silkroad Ensemble. 

Mark Suter - Silkroad "Percussionist and composer Mark Suter appears as a chamber musician and collaborative artist in both classical and world music arenas. He is associate principal percussionist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and heads the percussion department at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts, Singapore. His passion for hand percussion has led him to study and perform in Costa Rica, Brazil, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. Suter continues his journey under the tutelage of South Indian Master Sri D Rajagopal." - Silkroad Ensemble. 

OneBeat: Home 2019 Annual Report - National Council for the Traditional Arts "Launched in 2012, OneBeat began as an annual U.S-based residency and tour that brings early-career musicians together from around the globe to collaboratively write, produce and perform original music, and develop strategies for arts-based civic and social engagement. Over the past incredible 12+ years, this program has grown from a yearly U.S.-based residency and tour program (OneBeat U.S.) to a constellation of year-round programming, including residencies & tours in countries around the world (OneBeat Abroad), a virtual residency (OneBeat Virtual), a development and training institute (OneBeat Institute), annual microgrant (OneBeat Accelerator) and more. Organized as a public private partnership with the U.S. State Department, OneBeat has inaugurated over 650 Fellows from 78 countries/territories hailing from Africa, Asia, South America, North America and Europe, produced 200+ events in 69 cities around the world for 600,000+ audience members." - One Beat. 

"Rated among the top ranked new age percussionists & indian classical tabla players of this generation, abhishek basu is a bbc award winning internationally acclaimed percussion virtuoso & music director,is a world ranked percussionist,performing all round the globe for past 20yrs,Being a multi talented artist he is giving music directions in bollywood jingles and tollywood bengali films these days,and has won many awards all over he globe." - WFCN.
 

BALTIMORE VOICES "Baltimore beatboxer Shodekeh rehearses Fujiko's Fairy Tale with Music Director Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. This unique collaboration will be featured in the BSO's Music of Frank Zappa and Phillip Glass concert at the Meyerhoff on Friday, July 23, 2010." - The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Photograph by What Weekly.

Jennah Vainio (arr. Viitasaari): Beatbox Concerto for wind ..."Baltimore beatboxer Shodekeh rehearses Fujiko's Fairy Tale with Music Director Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. This unique collaboration will be featured in the BSO's Music of Frank Zappa and Phillip Glass concert at the Meyerhoff on Friday, July 23, 2010." - The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Meredith Monk "It’s darn near impossible to reinterpret material from a musical icon without diluting the original’s vitality or tampering with some key component of the artist’s vision. But local beatboxer Shodekeh effectively re-imagined Meredith Monk’s classic “Dolmen Music” as a hip-hop instrumental by enhancing it with a battery of rhythmic flourishes. Monk’s original displayed plenty of depth but not much drive, while the Shodekeh track, featured on Monk Mix, favored solid beats over the drift of abstraction. It exuded mystery, even as it flexed newfound might, and proved to be the highlight of a collection that also featured Bjork and DJ Spooky." - Baltimore Magazine. Image courtesy of ECM Records.

Baltimore Magazine "Best of Baltimore" Award: Best Homage for Shodekeh's Meredith Monk Remix, 2012. Featuring Dr. Erik Spangler, Max Bent, Kate Porter & Bonnie Lander.

"Composer, vocalist, filmmaker and MacArthur Fellow Meredith Monk has created a unique body of work that uses the voice as an instrument. Now, her songs have been covered and remixed by a wide array of musicians, from Bjork to Caetano Veloso to DJ Spooky. Monk joins us to share her reaction to the surprising results on “Monk Mix.” - WNYC Studios.

Classical Revolution: Taking Classical Music to the Streets "Classical Revolution is built around the idea that performing live classical music can change communities. Founded in 2007 in San Francisco, the idea has spread all around the world. Rafaela Dreisin of the Baltimore chapter of Classical Revolution will lead a combined group of musicians from both DC and Baltimore in a regional collaboration crafted specifically for TEDxMidAtlantic 2012. Both groups perform regularly in and around Baltimore and Washington with performances ranging from impromptu public venues to regularly scheduled evening events." - TEDxMidAtlantic. Photo by TED Talks.

Classical *Revolution "Classical Revolution is a chamber music organization known for holding performances of classical music in unusual spaces. Charith Premawardhana founded the organization in 2006 at San Francisco’s Revolution Café. As of 2013, the organization had 38 chapters in different cities in North America and Europe including London, Berlin, and Paris. The group focuses on accessibility to the audience and creating opportunities for local musicians to perform. Its tagline is "chamber music for the people." - Classical Revolution. 

View Program Notes Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice was co-commissioned by the Caramoor Festival, Sō Percussion’s New Work Development Program, Bard Conservatory Percussion, Baylor University Percussion, the University of Michigan Percussion, and Vanderbilt University Percussion.

"Shodekeh Talifero’s Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice was composed orally and transmitted to Sō Percussion through recordings. He originally sent us the three movements as completed performances and also as individual stems for transcribing each part. We then translated his vocal percussion sounds into physical percussion. The skill, creativity, and range of colors in Shodekeh’s practice is astonishing. The only way to fully grasp this is to hear him perform, which is why it is essential to listen to the accompanying mp3s before building your own interpretation of the piece." - Dr. Adam Sliwinski of Sō Percussion.

Penn State alumnus joins ensemble for Behrend's Music "Vodalities, Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice" composed by Dominic Shodekeh Talifero: Asia premiere @ the University of the Arts Singapore in the National Design Centre of Singapore in 2026.

"When I first composed "Vodalities" for Sō Percussion in 2020, I was ecstatic that it was going be transcribed and arranged by one of the world's very best and most imaginative percussion ensembles, but I hadn't at the time visualized what the ensemble performing it live would look like, even though I do enjoy possessing a degree of synesthesia when I perform or hear music in terms of specific shapes and wild movements." - Dominic Shodekeh Talifero.

Performances of Works by American Composers Group 5 Works "I would love to see how the composer notated this for beat boxer!" - Davey Doodle.

"There are 6 main beats which were created by Shodekeh (1 for each of the chess pieces) and his part in the score is more like a map, showing when to play each of the beats and for how long. The soloist used a chess board on a music stand for his score in some of the performances!" - Ruby Fulton.

"Do it, and see it, and be nobody else..." - Q Tip, "Do It, See It, Be It." 

Shodekeh's first music ed engagement took place at the St. Paul's School in Baltimore, MD in 2006.

"A priceless moment from the youth portion of the evening during the 2018 JHU "World Voice Day" concert and celebration last month. Serving my city as a "musical parent" is a beautiful & irreplaceable gift..." - Dominic Shodekeh Talifero.

Photo courtesy of the Johns Hopkins Voice Center/Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

Film and Media Studies "This short documentary explores the art of Dominic “Shodekeh” Talifero — a pioneering beatboxer, vocal percussionist, and breath artist who transforms breath into a powerful medium for expression and healing. Shodekeh investigates the deep connection between vocal percussion and breath arts, showing how they can raise awareness around mental health and highlight hip-hop’s role as a cultural intervention through a creative lens. Through his innovative performances and personal reflections, the film uncovers the therapeutic potential of sound and breath, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of art, mindfulness, and emotional resilience. Official Festival Selections (2025): The Grand Mesa Short Film Festival, the Prescott Film Festival, the Urbanite Arts and Film Festival." - Colorado College.

"Our education offerings provide engaging musical experiences led by our talented HSO musicians. Our programs, including school coaching, masterclasses, and in school performances. work within the classrooms to link music to learning.  This takes place in the orchestra room, band room and classrooms as students gain a deeper connection to how music is integrated into their curriculum." - The Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

"Family Boom Bap for participation by kids and grownups alike, hosted by DJ dubble8 and friends. Featuring special guests J Pope, Chuck the Madd Ox, Dan Samuels and 11-year-old beatmaker, Enterprize." 

"On a journey to anywhere you can draw your own map..." - Ugly Duckling, "Journey To Anywhere."

"The historic town of Bangor, Maine, hosted the National Folk Festival from 2002-2004. Long the economic and cultural hub of eastern Maine, it enjoyed a century of dominance in the world lumber industry, but by the late 19th century, its once-bustling mills had closed and its riverfront had fallen out of use. Recognizing that the National could be the catalyst to propel its revitalization plans into a reality, Bangor applied to host the festival. A partnership with the NCTA was forged that would transform the cultural, economic, and physical landscape of the city." - The National Council for the Traditional Arts.

free workshops with Shodekeh, a Baltimore beatboxer | Hub "No more, no less, that's a magic number..." - De La Soul, "The Magic Number."

"Last Friday, we were at MIT for a day at the Kinderuni. We experienced some amazing experiments, learned about space, and had a professional beat boxer as our tour guide. Thanks to our amazing partners at Wunderbar Together, Goethe-Institut Washington, MIT List Visual Arts Center, MIT Museum, and MIT Comparative Media Studies / Writing, as well as, our professors Christoph Biemann, Dr. Joachim Hecker, Dr. Ana Laura Edelhoff, Dr. Reinhold Ewald, Shodekeh, Camille J. Moore (Emcee), as well as High Stakes, and last but not least all the volunteers who helped make this wonderful KinderUniUsa a success!" - Goethe Institut. 

Program draft-Percussion Studio Recital, Fall 2023 "Since 2011, members of Sō Percussion have conducted an intensive and elite undergraduate double-degree program in percussion performance at the Bard College Conservatory of Music.  Currently, Eric Cha-Beach and Jason Treuting are directors of the program.  Our course of study places emphasis on chamber music as a tool for creating thoughtful, well-rounded musicians. Students will have opportunities to explore music outside of the western tradition, most notably Gamelan, and to work closely with the John Cage Trust. All of this exists within the framework of a 5-year double-degree program at one of the finest liberal arts institutions in the world, where the student chooses another discipline to pair a Bachelor of Arts with the Bachelor of Music degree." - Bard Conservatory. 

International Khöömei Academy "In addition to passing on their musical traditions to their own children, some of whom are already performing in their own ensembles, the members of Alash have brought the music and culture of Tuva to thousands of students and teachers at educational institutions ranging from pre-schools to hightech research facilities. In this way, by dedicating their lives to performing, preserving, developing, and growing the Tuvan tradition, they are worthy bearers of the culture of their fathers and sons." - Smithsonian Folkways.

Animation (Major) Animated Music SEAF2020 "Animation is as old as storytelling—and more relevant than ever. It is a tool to educate, engage, and entertain,  and it has an exceptional ability to convey messages and ideas, playing a crucial role in a variety of industries. As an Animation major at MICA, you will learn the art of creative thinking and flexibility while you master core skills the medium. These abilities will allow you to respond to today's ever-changing landscape, where technology continues to transform animation's potential." - The Maryland Institute College of Art Animation Program.