The Contest Quandary

To do it or not to do it and how to do it

Years ago, at the very beginning of karaoke in the Northwest, it never occurred to anyone who enjoyed this tension-releasing pastime that it would turn a competitive activity. It was a leisure activity that the average shower or car singer could participate in and have a really good time - nobody took it too seriously. Everyone was on even ground when they stepped up to that microphone. Sometimes the singer would have had too much to drink and would put on a real show for the audience. Others would be just trying karaoke for the very first time and would stand in front of the monitor with knees almost visibly shaking. Others who'd had a head start would step up confidently and do a decent job on a song they'd probably sung 20 times already. The point I'm making here is that karaoke was something that everyone could do.

The northwest corner of Washington is probably one of the busiest areas for karaoke in the country. It has developed into a special kind of entertainment here. Many hosting establishments have become "karaoke home" to singers who look forward to one or more nights a week of getting together with their singing buddies and sharing a great evening together, appreciating each other's talents. It is an inclusive activity where everyone can feel good about their 3-4 minutes of fame.

However since the birth of American Idol, and all the offshoots of AI, including Seattle's own "Gimme the Mic" and others of that ilk, karaoke has taken a turn that I would never have expected.

The plain and simple fact is, NOT EVERYONE IS A STAR. The odds just aren't in our favor! The majority of singers would never consider turning this fun activity into a competition. And it's probably a good thing because here's another hard truth: Most people are not the kind of singer that it takes to compete and win, even occasionally. I do say kudos to those who persist, however, for having the abundant self-esteem and confidence to believe that they even have a ghost of a chance.

I've had the opportunity to listen to many, extremely talented singers at my own show as well as at the various competitions around. And based on that, I can pretty well determine, without hearing a note, who will win a contest. I recently attended the finals for a "big money" competition and I guessed two of the top three because, like Mark Evans says, we all know who the stars are.

I truly believe that money contests are going to run their course. Without establishing ground rules for these contests, the results (finishers) will be the same every single time. That will ultimately mean the demise of these "open" contests, and I say it will be a timely death. Amateur singers will stop auditioning because it is a given that they don't have a chance. Why not take the pressure off and just go somewhere and sing where their talent will be appreciated?

For those establishments that insist on doing contest after contest, do your homework - establish your ground rules early on and stick to them. It is an easy enough thing to do at an audition or elimination round to place a singer in a category. Provide qualified judges who at least have a basic understanding of the music business, and who will not be awed by the mere mention of a competitor's name. Provide judging sheets that break down all the components of competition into small increments, allowing for extra points for things like costuming, choreography, singing style and degree of difficulty, etc. And please, reward singers for trying difficult and/or new songs, and penalize those who sing tired 20-year-old songs that everyone has heard a gazillion times already. Create divisions; Professional, Semi-professional and Amateur. Anyone who has earned more than $50 singing in the last year should be in the semi-professional division, anyone who has spent any time on stage as a performer in the past (including fronting a band) should be in the professional division. Those who spend the weekend nights in a bar entertaining everyone with their talent should be in the amateur division. Level the playing field, for goodness sakes. Make it a REAL contest.

Perpetual money contests indicate to me a lack of imagination on the part of the hosting company and the hosting establishment - there are other ways to attract people to your show if you work at it hard enough. Reward everyone who comes to your show, and not only the singers who stand out. Don't forget those who aren't extraordinary singers. Create activities wherein everyone can get up and have a good laugh at themselves. Take the competition out of it unless you are willing and capable of doing the work that is required to set up a real contest.

Philosophically speaking, I truly believe that karaoke should and eventually will revert back to what it was in the beginning - an inclusionary activity for the populous. Let's stop eliminating and start propagating!