Luke “Skippy” Harbur is a performer, producer, and educator whose project, musicbyskippy, creates arts experiences for multigenerational audiences. Through beatboxing and other artistic skills, his work celebrates authenticity and combats social isolation.

He is a Librettist Fellow of Lyric Opera of Kansas City & No Divide KC, a Heartland Arts Fellow of Starlight Theatre & Heartland Arts KC, and a cohort member of Music To Life, a training program for musicians focused on social change. Commissions include Boulevardia, the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and Cornell University.

The Overland Park, Kansas native started his full-time freelance journey in November 2021. Based out of Kansas City, Missouri, he’s written, produced, and published over 70 songs and sold over 1,100 tickets to his original productions.

As an educator he’s hosted workshops and classes focused on beatboxing, personal branding, marketing strategy, empowerment through non-verbal movement, and how to market and produce original shows.

Surviving four near-death experiences motivates him daily, making performances, productions, and educational opportunities testaments to how he’s living his fifth chance at life to the fullest.

My name is Luke “Skippy” Harbur, and musicbyskippy lives among music, spoken word, and theater for multigenerational audiences. Maybe you want to combine counting and diction lessons with me to learn how to beatbox. Or maybe you want to enter a circus-like dance party with endless audience participation opportunities.

I’m a performer, producer, and educator based out of Kansas City, Missouri who serves audiences predominately made up of queer folks and allies, gig and performance workers, and families. Since February 2022 I’ve sold over 1,100 tickets to 11 original shows based on a catalog of over 70 original compositions. Influenced by hip hop, EDM, Broadway, and folk music, lyrics are autobiographical, and song-making processes include beatboxing rhythms to myself, replicating them through loop machines, keyboards, and beat-making softwares, and pairing lyrics with melodies based on personal stories. I create different arts experiences filled with adventure, intelligence, and engagement, made possible through journalism-focused education and over 10 years of professional performance and production experience. Influences come from comedian Bo Burnham, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and musician Jon Bellion, prioritizing theatrical experiences celebrating identity and combating isolation culture.

My drive comes from identifying as a 29-year-old liver transplant recipient. Each moment is a second chance to share songs embodying universal anecdotes of life and near-death experiences. My hand is open to anyone ready to witness authenticity, diverse narratives, and wish to be part of life’s bigger, more critical conversations.

Total 2024 paid performances: 46

Total 2023 paid performances: 56

Total 2022 paid performances: 43

The following are select artists/organizations who have contracted musicbyskippy repeatedly or a multi-month basis

Starlight Theatre (2023 & 2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Mid-America Arts Alliance (2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

ProX Summer for Ewing Kauffman Foundation (2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Fellowship, No Divide KC + Lyric Opera of Kansas City (2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Fellowship, Heartland Arts KC + Starlight Theatre (2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Boulevardia Music Festival (2022 & 2023) | Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Art Institute (2023 & 2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

KC Fringe (2023 & 2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Quixotic (2019 to 2022) | Kansas City, Missouri

No Divide KC (2021 to 2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

Brookridge Day School (2022 to 2024) | Overland Park, Kansas

Missie B’s (2021 to 2024) | Kansas City, Missouri

The Black Box KC (2021 & 2022) | Kansas City, Missouri

"One of my favorite things coming out of Kansas City music in the past few years is the joy and excitement from the musician musicbyskippy . . . and I don’t know that many people break down the life, the struggle, the hustle of a musician the way that musicbyskippy does. If you’re a young musician or an old musician, and just want to see some more insight into the world of how to put out a record, how to fill a room, how to book a show, how to get people to a show, go follow musicbyskippy.”

Chris Hagharian, host of Kansas City's "Eight One Sixty" on 90.9 The Bridge

“Singer, beatboxer, actor, and the best question-asker for sure, Skippy is one Kansas City should rally behind now as I can see him definitely earning national recognition for his work. Especially if he were to dive deeper into producing one-person shows.”

Logan Stacer, Artistic Director of Heartland Arts KC

“Skippy brings a powerful energy as a musician and performer that is distinctly unique in its velocity and focus. He is ferocious in his commitment to sincere storytelling and channels his musicality into high octane performances that are gripping and palpable. Skippy is the truest form of showman- matching his athletic approach to performance with a warmth of character that makes every audience member feel seen. As the Executive Director of an organization rooted in inclusivity, Skippy is at the top of the list when planning our events."

Stacy Busch, Executive Director of No Divide KC

“Skippy’s authentic energy and charming personality shines thru when he steps on stage and he brings the audience along into his world. His beatboxing skills are insane! I’m always very impressed and love what he does during his performances as well as off stage.“

Shane Borth, Music Director at Quixotic

“Skippy brought so much joy and excitement to Brookridge Day School! He performed for our 2.5 year olds all the way up to 3rd grade and was able to meet every age group at their level for such FUN performances. If you’re looking for someone to teach, inspire, and entertain your youth, look no further! His energy, talent, and passion made for an amazing experience!”

Lindsay Shupe, Activities Director of Brookridge Day School

“Skippy is an absolute joy to work with, both onstage and backstage. He is not only a talented musician, but also knows how to get the crowd hyped, and up and on their feet! One of my absolute faves to book in my productions!”

Annie Cherry, Show Producer at Missie B’s

Luke “Skippy” Harbur is a performer, producer, and educator whose project, musicbyskippy, creates arts experiences for multigenerational audiences. Through beatboxing and other artistic skills, his work celebrates authenticity and combats social isolation.

The Overland Park, Kansas native started his full-time freelance journey in November 2021. He is a Librettist Fellow of Lyric Opera of Kansas City & No Divide KC, a Heartland Arts Fellow of Starlight Theatre & Heartland Arts KC, and a cohort member of Music To Life, a training program for musicians focused on social change. Commissions include Boulevardia, the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and Cornell University, KC Fringe, Quixotic, Cornell University, Kansas City Art Institute, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and NATS Mid-Atlantic Region.

Harbur grew up around performers. His grandfather and grandmother on his dad's side were semi-professional musicians; his father played rock covers in a high school garage band and was a collegiate level cheerleader; his mother owned and taught in her own dance studio for 25 years; his brother took part in choirs and musicals in high school, eventually singing bass in a collegiate a cappella group in North Carolina and in the Kansas City Symphony. Since age 5, Harbur took part in music programs. By the end of his junior year of high school artistic expressions was his addiction, with extra curricular activities including voice lessons, choir, plays, musicals, and beatboxing in a high school a cappella group. 

His senior year of high school he moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to finish his GED at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ High School with an emphasis in studying Drama. He was offered scholarships for acting to SUNY at Purchase College in Purchase, New York and Webster University in St, Louis, Missouri. However he decided to get a communication-based education at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. He graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Outside collegiate academics he created multimedia projects for the student newspaper, The Ithacan, fueling his interest in how videography enriches storytelling. A couple projects created with other students gained notable online popularity: Jokers, a short fan-fiction film capitalizing on the marketing of DC’s Suicide Squad, earned 10,000 video views in less than 3 weeks; the other included Driving Dirty: The Spirit of Dirt Racing, a short documentary about dirt racing in upstate New York, earned 18,000 video views in a couple months. Harbur’s strategic marketing experiments walked alongside his continued performance interests as he served as a vocal percussionist, ensemble member, and soloist for Ithacappella, the college’s all-male identifying a cappella group. Twice per year the group traveled across America’s northeastern coast for a singing tour, creating opportunities such as collaborating with the PS 22 Chorus in Staten Island, New York and singing the national anthem for NHL’s New York Rangers and the NBA’s New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. 

Eventually Harbur wanted to try his hand at solo performance. While traveling abroad in Spring 2017 he released his first professional song “By The Way” on YouTube, gaining over 1,000 video views overnight and beginning the musicbyskippy journey. After graduating from college and moving near home to Kansas City, Missouri in 2019, he found an audience through family, friends, late night clubs, theater goers, and arts-centered organizations. From 2019 to November 2021, he produced digital and print communications for the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. After working there for almost three years (2 years and 10 months, but who’s counting?), he left to pursue freelance performance and production for one year. Today through learned, experience-based successes and failures he continues this freelance journey thanks to family, friends, and countless new and long-time collaborators.

On February 18, 2022, he self-published his 12-song debut album, my dying wish. The release show was co-produced and hosted by multimedia arts company Quixotic, selling around 120 tickets over 2 showings from April 7 to April 8, 2022. In between music releases he produced Ope! A Play & Cabaret, a dinner theater experience with three dear friends, selling 92 tickets over 4 showings from May 20 to May 22, 2022. His second album, we press play, was self-published June 17, 2022. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s music venue recordBar, selling 76 tickets for 1 showing and featured dancers, drag performers, and even a Charlie Chaplin impersonator on July 30, 2022. His first EP, you can sing, was self-published November 20, 2022. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s music venue Westport Coffeehouse, selling 57 tickets for 1 showing on December 4, 2022. His second EP, These Songs Are Emotions, was self-published April 23, 2023. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s theater The Ruby Room at Music Theater Heritage, selling 89 tickets over 2 showings from June 24 to June 25, 2023. His third EP, Poems, was self-published October 20, 2023. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s venue Westport Coffeehouse Theater, selling 85 tickets for 1 showing on December 3, 2023. His third album, We Press Play Release 2, was self-published May 10, 2024. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s venue Westport Bowery, selling 58 tickets for 1 showing on July 12, 2024. His fourth EP, Situationships, was self-published July 13, 2024. Although a release show wasn’t held, the EP was named “Best New Local Album” by The Pitch Kansas City’s “Best Of” competition, recording 517,861 votes among 488 categories! His fifth EP, 800 Years Young, was self-published November 3, 2024. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s venue The Bird Comedy Theater selling 49 tickets for 1 showing on Sept, 8 2024. His sixth EP, Cozy, was self-published January 26, 2025. The release show was hosted by Kansas City’s venue Westport Bowery selling 62 tickets for 1 showing on Dec, 8 2024.

As shows continue development and growth in what’s featured in a given program, they culminate to an annual show schedule similar to how theater companies curate a season of shows. This creates different live experiences for musicbyskippy supporters to choose from depending on their storytelling preferences.

Each opportunity to perform is rooted in a deeper story. Surviving four near-death experiences motivates him daily, making performances, productions, and educational opportunities testaments to how he’s living his fifth chance at life to the fullest. 

At 5 months he was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare liver disease. His parents were told he wouldn’t make it past the age of 2 years. 6 months later he received a life-saving liver transplant from an 8-year-old boy named Aaron Drake, who passed away while on a camping trip at The Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Around a month later, Harbur survived Code Blue, with doctors sparing his collapsed lung. Around the same time as his liver transplant he was also diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic heart valve, which he was predicted to need to replace around age 30. At 29 years old he received an aortic root replacement and mechanical valve. According to the surgeon, he had a week or two to live. Three days later he survived Code Blue again, with doctors and nurses resuscitating him from 20-second cardiac arrest.

Patience, optimism, and hope somehow always seemed to shine through his tragedies, giving Harbur his fifth chance to inspire others with his authentic approach to entertainment. Through his growing discography and show schedule, he hopes you find music and a live experience that you love.