On April 22, the Loft at the University of California, San Diego will host “Songs for Voice, Loops and Toys,” a performance from Grammy-nominated vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Part of the venue’s Future Sounds series, Beckmann performs a solo voice program, using sound loops and toys of the sort found in a 99-Cent Store. His set mixes original compositions with improvised vocal music, blending in jazz standards such as “Life is Just A Bowl of Cherries,” with tunes from the likes of Meredith Monk. A gifted singer, Bleckmann’s music challenges the listener, showing the beauty and complexity of the human voice. “When people hear ‘avante garde,’ they always think ‘headache.’” Bleckmann said. “They think it’s difficult to digest. I think it’s quite the opposite, actually.” Though he was a soprano as a child, performing in public by the age of eight, Bleckmann’s original goal was to be a visual artist, shifting to music full time after his voice broke. According to Bleckmann, his earliest musical inspirations were “very basic.” “As a kid, I just listened to children’s records or just whatever I could get,” he said. “Actually, one of my first inspirations was Kate Bush. I heard her very early on when I was 14. I was so inspired, not only by her singing, which was kind of odd and high and just different, but also by her songwriting, her music and her sounds. She has a lot of ambience and other sounds which she bring into her [songs].” By the time he debuted in concert debut at age 17, Bleckmann had gravitated towards jazz. “First, I started with instrumental jazz like Coltrane and Miles. Later, I got into singers,” he said. Upcoming projects for Bleckmann include an album of Kate Bush compositions titled “Hello Earth.” Today, Bleckmann tours year-round, particularly in Europe, performing both solo and with groups ranging from the Bauhaus String Quartet to the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, who he will joining for an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 7. Beckmann has released 13 albums since his recording debut in 1992, most recently the 2010 “I Dwell In Possibility.” The scope of his work is most evident in his collaborative discography. He has put out an album a year since 2005, with 39 additional guest or side project appearances to his credit, dating back to 1993. While Bleckmann’s music is considered “avante garde” to some, that quality led to his work being exposed to a large segment of the population when he created a space alien language for the Steven Spielberg film “Men In Black.” Prolific to a fault, he’s also worked on film-related projects such as “Star Trek: Envoy and Kundun” and appeared on CBS-TV’s “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Though Bleckmann primarily performs solo, he said he enjoys most is collaboration, not only between musicians on select dates and recordings, but also the give-and-take between performers and their audience. “The reason why I didn’t become a visual artist was mainly because I envisioned myself being alone for the rest of my life. And that I couldn’t deal with,” he said. “Just drawing from myself every day, having only myself as inspiration was just not my life [plan]. I love what happens when you’re working with other people. That’s why I’m in music.” WHO: Theo Bleckmann QUÉ: “avante garde” jazz music CUANDO: Friday, April 22 at 8 p.m. DONDE: The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East HOW MUCH: $15 to $20 ($10 UCSD students) INFO AT: www.artpwr.com/events/721