Zack Freeman, dressed in a Samoan wrap called a "lava lava," plays to the crowd at the Southwest Learning Centers in Albuquerque. The beat-boxer records his voice on an electronic device, creating drum, bass and harmony tracks. He then sings live over the sounds. Freeman, a married father of two, prefers elementary schools to the club circuit, spreading a message of peace, community and social justice. And what's up with the lava lava? "My mother is Samoan, so I wear it to remind myself of who I am and where I am from, and it tends to spark lively conversations about diversity and gender roles," he says.