Karaoke Forums

I thought I'd open a discussion on what, if any, training, regulation or certification should be available to KJs. In the mobile DJ industry, there are a variety of books, seminars, educational symposiums, courses and training materials available on learning new skills, marketing, gear and more.

What subjects might a KJ training course cover? If there were a national KJ association, what benefits and resources would you like to see them offer? And what skills do you think are most important for a KJ to learn?

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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

Regulated? What's next -- regulating children's playtime? "No playing cowboys and indians, boys -- that's insensitive and against the law."

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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.

This has been discussed before a few times. Problems that have been discussed have been:

Who will pay to have an organization regulate KJs or DJS? It would be very expensive to have someone try to police every venue. Will this come out of our pockets. A yearly fee etc...

Who decides what these rules are? I don't want to have to be told how I run my show. There are so many different types of venues and crowds. How do you make it the same for all.

Certification: How do you do this? A training course and a test? I don't think that guarantees you'll be good at your job. Do I want to pay money for this when I don't need it to do what I'm already doing?

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

besides, aren't most of us in this field "NON-Regulars"? We buck the system!! We are REBELS! NYAHHHH!!!!

[schild=17 fontcolor=FFA500 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]Badges, We don't need no STINKIN' Badges![/schild]

You haven't heard of zero tolerence in school yards and human rights boards? Kids can't be kids anymore.

As for training and regulations, I don't think a school could make a go of it. Further, bad hosts will be weeded out quickly through supply and demand. A lot of hosts come and go but the best will be around for a long time. In my area (350,000) there are only about 5 who have been around for 10 years and only 2 who have been doing it for almost 20 years. And of these only one (us) who is working 6 nights a week, the others do about 3 maybe 4.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Something like this only seems to give the KJ/DJ companies that can do multiple shows an advantage as they would most likely be the ones who will initiate it, develop rules to follow. Plus the fees for said organization would be very expensive as only the companies with many employees will be able to afford it, and they will make the rules so restrictive as to push out the independents. Myself and a couple of DJs here who only do car shows and charity events are having this same problem with two HUGE DJ companies who are trying to push us out. I do think that a program to learn the basic tricks of the trade would be a great idea. The only way I can think of to implement that would be to get something organized through a music store where we buy our equipment, kind of a local seminar set-up. That would work in large metropolitan areas, but not in the rurals where the KJ buys his or her equipment on line or through a catalog.

I don't know what you could teach a new KJ outside of the usual equipment operation, computer skills, et cetera. The big difference between the DJ and the KJ is the KJ must interact more with the public. He or she cannot just plug in a bunch of discs and let fly. The KJ needs a personality that endears him or her to their public. Yes, a DJ should have a cool personality, but they don't have to deal with people one to one as much. It's easier to just take the odd request or to get the joint jumping, but the KJ has to keep everyone happy by tailoring sound equipment to each individual singer and keep tabs on rotation and do all this smoothly and seamlessly. That kind of skill only comes from experience gained and how the person's people skills are.

there is a set of course for KJ's and dj's aalthough it is dated.
http://dju.prodj.com/category/colleges/karaoke-college/

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

OH Pleeezzz not more regs and rules to follow.
This country is getting so bad you can't even take a dump without someone telling you where, when and what kind of paper to use.

What ever happened to fly by the seat of you pants.

If every one did exactly what everyone else did this would be a real boring world, and I for one am getting pretty sick of it.

I realize there must be some rules and regs but for God's sake let us have a little fun here and there with out someone standing in the corner telling you, "Hey your mike gain is to high", or "Your music is to loud and we can't hear the singer"

No No No when the day comes that KJ's have to follow Union rules then this one QUITS!!!

Whew
Lone Wolf

Self regulation is all that could ever really be imposed, since it can be a very ad-hoc industry.

And part of it's charm is the free, easy nature.

It's been discussed over and over again..

One problem seems to be each KJ has that entrepreneurial spirit, and rejects someone telling him/her what to do.

I tried to define some common issues that could be addressed, and nobody wanted to hear about it.

After a year, I just popped another beer, like everyone else..

Pool leagues were hot until the rule books grew to 2" thick. Dart leagues were hot until they were so much regulated they were no longer any fun.

There will come a day when a National Karaoke Association will be formed and the KJ'S will unite and increase their bargaining power. However this forum in itself with radical opinions about rules shows me the association is perhaps not in my lifetime. When they can leave their ego at the door and sit down and discuss in a rational manner that will be a start.

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Although it sounds like a good idea I guess I'm against it because it doesn't benefit me in any way. I'm afraid it will be an additional cost and more added work to comply with what ever rules. What would be the benefit to us I guess is my question.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Right now each bar can provide as much training and regulation as they wish. I don't think a nation wide system is needed anymore than we need nation wide certification for waiters and waitresses. The astute owner can determine fairly quickly what makes a good or a bad kj. Of course at many bars you don't see the owner all that much....

Years ago, when the local and only karaoke store used to put their own shows into a huge number of bars in the area, they used to run "training classes." I never did go to one because they cost money (... but this guy was great at figuring out ways to make money, and still is). I eventually hosted for them for a year or so and my training consisted of literally, "Here's where you turn it on, here's the volume for the mic, here's the volume for the music. Try not to get feedback." I had no idea at that time what all the knobs and buttons were on the board. All a host had to know how to do was find the disc, put it in and play it.

That was at the very beginning of karaoke popularity and this place had very little in the way of competition. Over the course of 2-3 years after that (this was in 1996/1997 maybe?) they were not the only purveyors, and people with major investments started appearing as competition.

I laugh now, thinking if I was to put a host in a place and told them only that much, what could potentially happen.

I don't really think it is a practical consideration, trying to set up some sort of regulation/training deal. Every show in every town is a little different. Mind you, there are shows I've been to ONE TIME that I'd never frequent again because of the hosting, and I know I'm not the only one here who will admit to that. There are a lot of hosts (especially substitute hosts) who could use some training.

I've recently been to the show of somebody I trained (who then kindly went off and set up their own business ).... Everything they have ever been taught has gone out of the window, short of smile.

KJ's are a strange breed, they all think they know best.

This is a hazard of ANY business. How many kids get out of college to go to work for a company JUST for experience then take that experience to another company or start their own!?!?!? Happens everyday, wouldn't worry about it, just do a better job & keep your following interested in you!

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Sorry haven't quite yet learnt how to quote "This is a hazard of ANY business. How many kids get out of college to go to work for a company JUST for experience then take that experience to another company or start their own!?!?!? Happens everyday, wouldn't worry about it, just do a better job & keep your following interested in you!"

I just found it interesting that out of everything I taught them, they had taken nothing on board, My partner who was with me, spent most of the night shaking his head eventually when he spoke up and said "Instead of saying you're bored over the microphone because you've got no singers but you don't care because you're still getting paid, why don't you call up the ones who have been sat here waiting, tapping their fingers, because they handed in slips 20 minutes ago and still haven't sung."

He then spent the rest of the night, complaining to me, that it was my shoddy training that had created this shameful host.

When i asked if he could do better he replied...
"yes, because you trained me".

The people we leave behind are usually our greatest contribution to life.

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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.

I think "regulate" is a bad choice of words --What the industry needs is some STANDARDS of how to operate a good Karaoke show. Sort of what is discussed HERE on KScene. Standards and Norms are good for all industries to help get started. It's the KJ's who adpat and use some imagination and creativity from those NORMS and STANDARDS who really stand out.

Setting some standards may also keep some HACKS out of the business who lowball your show and eventually get you fired. Only to have them run the bars KARAOKE BUSINESS into the dumper - giving the management a BAD FEELING for future karaoke shows and the inability to hire a GOOD KJ .

just my $.02