Karaoke Krooner
Karaoke Krooner
A Mystery Writer No More
Upbeat Musings – July 2010
You may have seen the writing on the wall. This article will be my final submittal.
I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you and hopefully, have encouraged at least one person to get up there and start singing. There is something so addictive about holding that microphone in your hand and singing a tune. And as far as addictions go, singing more can only be good. You grow as a singer, as a person, as someone who has lost their fear to face their fears (performing in public) – it’s just the tip of the iceberg in a personal growth experience. The more confidence you have in singing will spread into other areas of your life and the sky is the limit!
As a singer, you know the transformation that took place in your own life since that first karaoke show performance. So you know how your friends would benefit from doing the same thing. If you are out with your friends and they are table or barstool huggers, get them to go up with you a few times and sing together. Before you know it, they’ll be grabbing the songbook so they can pick their own songs. It’s so fun to watch and you can sit back and be proud and know that you played a part in helping them turn out great.
Over the last year, I’ve dropped a few hints that may have made you connect the dots to my identity as your Mystery Writer. The mention of my hometown having 19 karaoke places to sing was a little hint. Right now, here in Renton, we have 23 shows. Do you know all the karaoke shows in your locale? I prefer to stick close to home for the late nights, especially with the alarm clock still waking me up at an ungodly hour.
My honey, Chuck, and I LOVE to sing. My passion for this newfound hobby (okay, since 2006), has taken us down some interesting paths. We submitted a four-minute short movie in the 2009 Renton Film Frenzy, where we had 24 hours to film, edit, and submit a movie. We went to six shows that weekend, filmed over fifty singers, included 42 of them in our film. We didn’t win any prize but it was tons of fun.
I started keeping a list of places locally to go sing because we kept bumping into the same friendly crowd of people over and over again. When a new place opens up, we try to support their show and spread the word so they have a successful start. Of course, we can’t support all the shows. Some make it, some discontinue offering karaoke after a period of time where the incoming revenues just don’t justify the expense.
Chuck and I have created a Web site with a weekly calendar for Renton shows and a list of a few shows outside Renton in the Seattle area that you may enjoy visiting. Check out Karaokerenton.com for a listing of all the shows, addresses, and phone numbers of the places in Renton. If you have suggestions for other shows you’d like to see on the Web site, please send them to the email shown there for posting. Everyone knows that shows come and go, so anytime you head out for a destination, a quick call might keep you from being disappointed.
Of course, I’m going to keep on reading the interesting articles in the Karaoke and Entertainment Guide and checking out their Web site at www.nwkaraokeguide.net. Hope to see you on the cover soon!
Sincerely,
Debra Mikolaizik
Mystery Writer
Karaoke Krooner
Upbeat Musings - June 2010
A Mystery Writer
Since this is my tenth month writing an article for the magazine, I’m starting to feel all talked out. I’ve encouraged you to get up and sing, keep on singing, and get others up there too to enjoy the fun and grow as a person with the new-found confidence that can result from being gutsy enough to emote in front of a crowd.
One thing I haven’t really touched on is what a blessing it is to actually be able to hear music in the first place. This was brought to my attention recently when I observed a man with his ear plastered to the loudspeakers throughout the night. He was obviously moved by hearing the music. I thought he needed a hearing aid and my mind was going a mile a minute thinking, “Wow, wouldn’t it be great if we could make this happen!” Turns out, he just got a hearing aid and that’s why he was intently enjoying the music.
A life without being able to hear would be sooo different and not something I would like to face. So the message here is to take a few steps to protect your ears so they will last through your entire lifetime. Don’t park yourself right in front of the speakers at a show. If the music sounds too loud, ask the host to turn it down for your song when you get up to sing. Most hosts already have hearing issues – an occupational hazard. Carry earplugs or shove part of your napkin in your ear, seriously.
It’s been written that the younger generation is failing hearing tests as they apply for jobs where good hearing is a job requirement – police officers, pilots, librarians. Their years of listening to iPods, earphones blaring away, has damaged their hearing ability for life.
If you enjoy karaoke as much as I do, proceed with caution. Otherwise, you might find yourself at home knitting kayak covers on those nights when you used to be out and about, singing your little heart out.
KARAOKE KROONER A Mystery Writer
Upbeat Musings – May, 2010
One of my friends thinks I may push too hard to get newbies up to the microphone. I confess, I am guilty. But on the flipside, I also have people come up to me months later and say that because I encouraged them, they are now singing. That is really a feel-good moment for me because they are becoming a better, healthier, more confident person just because they sing. I truly believe it.
For some wannabes, it’s quite hard to take that first step. If you have some success your first time up and the crowd claps for you when you are done, you’ll probably continue down that path and become quite proficient at a number of songs.
Making a list of songs that you can sing, and keeping another list of songs you want to learn really helps, since every show has a different book with different offerings. Anyone with the Internet can find versions of the songs to listen to and practice them. YouTube has many renditions of people trying to sing the songs and with the variety of talent levels out there, you’ll see that if they can do it, you can too. We all have experienced the growth of singers as they continue down the road. The more you sing, the better you get.
Eventually, you may be comfortable enough to take on a hosts’ blind suicide, where they pick a song for you and you don’t know what it is until you’re at the mic and it starts to play. Or maybe you’ll be brave enough for a kamikaze suicide, where the host opens a book and points to a spot on the page without looking and sing that song.
You, as the crowd, play an important role in all of this. When a singer is done with their rendition of a song, whether done with true talent or at a level where you were praying it would end soon, let them know you heard their performance. Clapping works, a hoot or a howl is nice, getting a few or a crowd up to dance is especially wonderful. It’s very disheartening to sing your song and sit down and not have one person clap for you or noticed you finished your song. It’s such a small thing and makes a huge difference between a good show and a mediocre show. “They like me, they really like me” feels so good.
I know, I get on my soapbox a lot, but karaoke is one of my very favorite pastimes and if you haven’t tried it yet, you don’t know what you are missing. As a loyal reader of this magazine, I’m probably preaching to the CHOIR, literally. But please, please, please, encourage your friends, families, co-workers, etc., to let it out and vent all their frustrations, feelings and get to that “feel good”, happy place.
With the economic challenges we have been facing, unemployment rampant, where else can you have live entertainment for the price of a drink or two, close to home, surrounded by friends, all sharing a memorable time together? You can go mellow with a soulful country tune, sing the blues if you need to, pick a silly song that has no meaning, dedicate a sappy love song to your honey, share the most profound song you have ever heard, dig way back into songs from the past and trigger memories from long ago – it’s your choice.
Join the CHOIR!! Sing!… Rock-Out!… Dance or Wiggle to the music… Rap (or try singing your normal song in a rap version of your own!)… Let your hair down… Have some fun. “And the world will be a better place…”
Upbeat Musings – April, 2010
Hello again! Did you get out for Valentine’s Day and sing some sappy love songs (my personal favorite)? Definitely no shortage of love songs to pick from – you’ll never work through them all in a lifetime of singing.
HEY GOOD LOOKIN’
Have you ever thought about the songs you choose to sing? If you are a single lady, perhaps selecting one of the “man-hater” type of songs out there really wouldn’t be your best choice; unless maybe you are looking to meet another ultra fem. A lot of the loud “belter” songs have quite a strong message – “me” power, “I’m so strong,” with a “hear me roar’’ kind of message. That’s great if you are a powerhouse to be reckoned with, but is that the kind of image you want to portray? Remember, coming across as an empowered female can be a little off-putting to a sensitive guy trying to build up the courage for his “come-on” line.
What kind of person are you trying to attract? True, some songs really sound best belted out as loud as can be. But if you happen to see someone across the room that you’d love to meet, maybe a little crooning would get her attention more than yelling “Hey, look at ME!”
GIVE IT SOME STYLE
Some of the best singers I’ve heard aren’t 100% polished, with extreme vocal stylings that seem so popular today. They simply take a song, make it their own, put some true feeling into their rendition, and sing louder and quieter as they pay attention to the lyrical message the song is saying. Showing a little sincerity and emotion really make people quiet down and take notice.
MIX IT UP A LITTLE
Karaoke should be fun and variety is always appreciated by the crowd and makes for a better show. So what if you are the only one to sing a Country and Western song, or the only one who goes back 30 years for a great song? Next time you are up there, just for fun, try putting a new spin on an old classic. Like rock out on Moon River, or for you guys, take a high song down out of the rafters and sing it in the ‘Bass’-ment. Switching parts on a song can be either hilarious or sometimes really great.
MY CHERIE AMOUR
If you prefer the comedic approach, foreign accents can be fun, but beware, these can make the crowd laugh. So laugh along. (Just remember, they are laughing with you and not at you.) Some venues even have wigs or toy musical instruments to enhance the experience. Even wrapping a feather boa around your neck can help turn it into SHOWTIME. Next time you are feeling adventurous, go ahead and be brave and create a lasting memory for your audience. Pretend every day is Halloween, with your disguise on, go ahead and have some fun! No one is going to ask for their money back AND they just might LOVE you!
