Twenty‐year‐old Kaila Mullady arrived for her first‐ever beatboxing competition feeling positive. Outside, groups of men warmed up in “ciphers”—small circles of people where beatboxers jam. Hearing them spit out rapid‐fire sounds at impossible speeds, Kaila felt her confidence depart.
Was this a big mistake? What if she opened her mouth and nothing came out . . . again?
The best 16 beatboxers in the United States were competing, and she was the only female. If she didn’t do well, it would reflect poorly on other women and girls trying to break into the male‐dominated world of beatboxing.
She wanted to run. Instead, Kaila Mullady took the stage....
So begins our chapter about two-time world champion beatboxer, educator, public speaker, and Broadway performer Kaila Mullady.
(What happened in Kaila's first beatbox battle? What obstacles did she overcome to elevate a little-known art form into an extraordinary career? You'll find the answers in chapter 10 of Music Mavens.)