- Hey, what's up?

I'm D-Wayne and I'm a vocal entrepreneur.

So, I'm a host/master of ceremonies, a public speaking coach, I'm a radio host, TV host, a freelance commercial host, a voiceover artist and...

It's an arts event like no other.

I'm pretty sure I'm missing something.

- That's when you know you're busy, when you can't list all the things you do, right?

- (laughs) Yeah.

Red 94.5, "D-Wayne in The AM," this past Friday... - [Narrator] D-Wayne is a busy guy.

(D-Wayne chatting) A few hours a day he's on air at a local radio station, also its program director.

The rest of the time he's doing a wide range of things for the business he's built for more than a decade.

As D-Wayne with a hyphen, by the way.

- [D-Wayne] I decided to throw the hyphen in there because everyone had a performer name, and so I didn't want to be like DJ Etch-a-Sketch -or anything, -(Mike chuckling) so I just decided to use my regular name, but make it easier to pronounce.

- [Mike] So when did this all start?

- [D-Wayne] I would say this started in high school.

I was hosting pep rallies.

I was probably a junior, like 11th grade.

And I really saw the people responding well, and I never felt good about being in front of an audience.

That wasn't my favorite part.

It was the fact that the audience responded.

(D-Wayne beatboxing) - [Narrator] Before that there was beatboxing.

Something the high school freshmen on the marching band drumline with an ear for percussion and rhythm discovered and fell in love with.

(D-Wayne beatboxing) - [D-Wayne] When I first started, it was the thing.

Like I was D-Wayne Beatbox.

(D-Wayne beatboxing) - What is beatboxing?

- Beatboxing is the art of producing sounds using your nasal cavities, your lips, your tongue, your teeth, your vocal cords.

It's anything in your body that you're doing to produce percussive sounds.

(D-Wayne beatboxing) (D-Wayne beatboxing) (D-Wayne beatboxing) ♪ Hello, hello ♪ ♪ What's up TEDX Lincoln ♪ - [Narrator] Back when he was just D-Wayne Beatbox, TEDX Lincoln invited him to talk about the evolution of the art form.

- So emotion's actually a huge part of it, and I'll actually want a little crowd interaction here.

- [Narrator] What happened afterwards was an a-ha moment for the entrepreneur.

- Thank you.

(crowd cheering and clapping) - The emails I got said nothing about my noises.

"Great presentation, would you mind coming and introducing blank, blank, blank, blank, blank."

I said, "Whoa, all those skills that I had built were the ones that got their attention, not me making all this noise."

That was my a-ha.

♪ Now let me see you cha-cha ♪ (D-Wayne beatboxing) - [Narrator] He still beatboxes, but after UNL's Engler Entrepreneurship Program helped him hone his plan, D-Wayne grew his business.

- Class of 2027!

Welcome to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Welcome to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

- [Narrator] His alma mater is a frequent client.

He's hosted a welcome event for new students several times.

(crowd cheering) D-Wayne's been the face and voice for some memorable things during in his career.

Big things like Husker basketball and the College World Series.

Powerful things like an event helping vets transition to civilian life.

But nothing like this...

But nothing like this... (energetic music) - Fans, welcome to the gorgeous Memorial Stadium - Fans, welcome to the gorgeous Memorial Stadium for a volleyball game in Nebraska!

for a volleyball game in Nebraska!

(crowd cheering and clapping) How are we feeling?

(crowd cheering and clapping) And this one right here gives me goosebumps, Nebraska is now a world record holder Nebraska is now a world record holder for attendance at a women's sporting event.

(crowd cheering) Go big red!

This is awesome.

(laughing) To feel the energy and know that everyone is happy.

Everyone's on the same page, and I just get to add to it and push it a little bit.

(D-Wayne clapping) - [Narrator] D-Wayne's had offers to take an easier road, a steady job doing similar work for someone else.

He's resisted that temptation.

- [D-Wayne] Like, this is my life's work.

I think over the past probably year and a half, I have made that realization, which I've been doing it for awhile, so it's wild to think that being a master of ceremonies is actually my life's work and it feels like it.

(upbeat music)