Karaoke Forums

MAO!!! I could almost see some Diva doin' that.

There are really too definitions for me. One is the person who thinks they might be the next "American Idol", and the one who just like karaoke. Both can be a pain, but they can also help your show if they sing well and are fun.

The "American Idol" will begin with telling you how they like their mic set, and what the monitor level should be, and how they like thier mix.

At this point I hit the GO button, point to the monitor and say, "You handle the singing, and I'll handle your mix, thanks." If they actually know what is what, they are usually happy... It is a bar, and you're not in a studio. There is a limit to how good it can get. I've already sang at leat once, so I know the monitor is set correctly. I usually have my girlfriend sing second, so I can walk the floor and hear the mix.

Last night I had some "serious karaoke singers" at my show. They came in together, had their own disks, and one guy even was dressed nice in jacket, and had a fedora.

They were awesome and fun, and they love karaoke... going on the "adventure" to find a hot KJ. They were together, but their song selections were diverse... from rap to grunge... it was cool.

They bought me drinks all night... and I usually only have two or three. I was feeling pretty good towards the end of the night....

I loved it when the black guy (with the fedora) in the group came up and asked me if it was ok to sing "Chocolate Salty Balls." "I've been banned from singing that at the other bars".

I just smiled and said, "go for it!" He did a great job, it was hilarious, and played to big applause. I know my peeps.

Then the one girl, whose voice was a powerhouse, took the time to come up and thank me for running a good show. "Its nice to see a KJ who cares how his singers sound. Your like right on the mix!"

Turns out, she sings in a band and plays guitar.

Those are the folks you appreciate. They come in, have a good time, are courteous, BUY LOTS OF DRINKS, sing great songs, and have an appreciation for the hard work you put in so they can have fun. And, others in the bar have fun too. Kudos to those serious karaoke types.

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There is Eric, but he was an accountant... very bad juju!! !

Knight hate to say it but you're wrong. Saint matthew was (gasp) a tax collector. Back to Sunday School for you.

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LASTLY, Johnny you worded your post in such a way as to make it sound like the term "serious singer" denotes something terrible. It doesn't! Furthermore, "serious" is in the mind of the singer more so than in the "eye of the beholder"! IMHO[/quote]

The singer is the beholder when it comes to being serious or not(your observation is only an opinion), and yes to me, many of your posts seem to indicate that you think serious singers are hazardous to a karaoke show.......guess I'm just crazy....there's a good topic for you, singers that are just plain nutso..... .....

Isn't the the terms "Serious Singer" and "karaoke" used in the same sentence and/or context make it an oxymoron?

NO! There are many karaoke singers in the world who take their singing very seriously and some of them eventually wind up using their karaoke tracks to make a living singing in bars and restaurants.

Clay Aiken was at one time just some kid in North Carolina who sang at karaoke bars for fun.

A lot of the people who try out for American Idol, start out in karaoke bars or in their basements with their karaoke machines. Some of them are terrible singers but they usually find the cream and it rises to the top.

The terrible karaoke singers out there are the ones that make the vast majority of people look down their noses at karaoke as an art form. People love to laugh at people making fools of themselves. That's why the first few weeks of every American Idol season are dedicated to showing some of the worst singers that try out for the show. People still know who William Hung is and what song he sang on American Idol but they have no idea what songs some of the people who made it to the final 12 sang.

Maybe chip just doesn't have any quality singers at his shows?

I knew that I was making a joke and seeing who was going to respond! !

My mom named me for St. Matthew.

BruceFan4Life said:

Yeah, that would be it.... All the "serious singers" are in bands or recording studios...

Yes.. If a singer attends one or more shows a week then that is serious. They are our bread and butter and have their fans. Luckily most of the youngsters now grew up with home karaoke players and are very good. They seem to be the ones with no ego problems or attitudes and contribute to family type shows. They will make very good hosts and the trends will change for the better again.

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I assume that is tongue in cheek, since it is of course utter bullhockey.

There are plenty of karaoke singers that could, from a voice standpoint, be recording stars. A great voice does not a star make.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

You don't know Chip... when he says "yeah", he's joking!

That's the Weed I know.. Miss ya buddy- more posts!

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Here are some of the things I have learned about singers since joining the forum:

Some will not do a song originated by the opposite sex

Some will not do a song other than in the original key

Some will not do a song that they have not thoroughly practiced

Some will not do a song if they are not familiar with the exact version that the KJ has

Some will not do a song if the mic is not up to their liking

I would have to guess that any individual that has established all of those criteria before they will sing might be considered a "serious singer"

As a singer I get serious about conducting myself as a gentleman. When I speak to someone my word is good as gold. When I sing I am free and can ham it up and have no boundaries. When I sing there are no limits or rules. It is a time when I can let down all the inner walls and present myself to the world as I really am. It is a time to rejoice and let souls fly. Music in it's truest form does not know seriousness or even perfection. I still do not understand what a serious singer is.

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Ollie

I relate to your post 100%, what was said and what was unsaid!

Can you imagine if young children were taught to have inhibitions that prevented them from singing in pre-school?

Singing is a way to let out spirits free... to soar... to unleash our joy... to overcome our sadness

I can't imagine getting too serious about anything that is as human as singing and dancing. Yet, when I taught dance, I ran into adults who yearned to dance but indicated that they were embarrassed to try!

Meanwhile, I never ran into a youngster who didn't enthusiastically join me on the dance floor!

For too many, aging kills dreams, imagination, self-expression, and the freedom to be oneself. And then, when someone gets so old they just don't care any more about what others might think, they give themselves permission to do many of the things they avoided in the past!

Meanwhile, a lifetime has been wasted in between! Just MHO

Eric one thing I love about private parties are the kids that migrate to the dance floor and dance and play. I am jealous of their energy. When I or others sing they watch with sugar plums in their eyes and I encourage them to sing. They learn to express themselves and dance with no crutches like booze or drugs.

I hate it when people want to charge or get rich for people singing. It is pure unadulterated GREED and taken over by u know hu. The coin operators and even the AMOA will agree with this.. Im surprised they are not lobbying congress for their bailout money. It is totally out of control and our children need music more than ever and as long as I live I will supply it.

Let my children sing and be as free as the birds that fly in the sky...

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I would say that a serious singer is one that practices and looks to perfect each time they come out. A non-serious singer is the group that gets up to the mic and laughs through the majority of the song.

There are those "serious singers" who in their own mind are ready for idol but the rest of the population looks at them as "non-serious" singer's. Hummm....

Not all serious singer necessarily strive to be pro, play in bands or record. I know plenty that are content on just being good & nothing more.

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Perhaps a serious singer is one who wants the crowd to like what they are singing. The minute you want that, then you are adapting your performance to please the crowd. This might be by your song selection, by just trying to sing well, or maybe trying to get some reaction out of the crowd. I think most karaoke singers are "serious" to some degree. If you've sung karaoke more than once or twice, then you are probably a serious singer. If you only sang karaoke once to just try it , and then hung up the mic for good, then you a...non-serious-has-been-karaoke-ist. And if you are even slightly serious, you will probably improve as a singer over time, whether you start out great or not.

Even the very casual and relaxed singer is serious about wanting the crowd to enjoy what they are singing.

Jay Leno is a funny guy, but there is a lot of thought that goes into his performance, and there is an art to making the crowd feel at ease.

I consider myself to be a 'serious' singer - I sing only songs that 'do something' for me. If they touch me somehow and I learn them, they're usually songs that do my voice justice and I do justice to them, and that usually translates to the rest of the room. On the other hand, if someone asks me to sing a certain song, I'll do that instead. Because most women don't sing a lot of Heart, and only one other female I know does Iron Maiden and Pantera, it's a novelty deal. I'm serious about singing the stuff that people ask me to sing for obvious reasons.

I sang on stage for years and I sometimes miss it but certainly don't miss the hours of rehearsals and the same show night after night after night - so to get up and sing at karaoke is like a holiday sometimes.

There are times when I've tipped a few too many and want to strangle myself when the song is over because I KNOW it sounded sloppy and that just isn't me. I guess one of the reasons is there is always the possibility that there might be a manager or bartender or owner from another establishment in the room seeing what kind of show we do.

There are nights when it is a joy to host when you have a room full of singers who are GOOD singers but who don't take themselves too seriously. One guy I know, older dude, just can't believe that he isn't the BEST singer in the county. He constantly compares himself to other singers, goes on and on about how he sings better than so-and-so ... he's a decent singer but apparently is a legend in his own mind. I've gotten to the point where when he's done singing and I KNOW he's going to come down and give me his assessment of his song, that he's going to ask me too...and I have to put on my best "Why yes, Mrs. Cleaver, that's a lovely dress" face.