Karaoke Forums

This is kind of a minor problem that I'm having.....I've been intensely rehearsing a song that I'll be singing at a karaoke event where my family will be present. Actually, I picked this song specifically because the lyrics seem to apply to our current family situation. One night while rehearsing it and picturing my daughters in the audience, my emotions got the best of me and I lost it mid-song. I cannot let this happen on stage. Since this happened, I've been able to rehearse the song with my girls actually watching me and I can hold it together. But I'm still concerned about getting 'caught up in the moment' when the moment really comes.

Any advice?

_________________
I sing, therefore I am.

I have had several songs do this to me.I couldn't get through Queen-Who Wants To Live Forever without tears from quite a while. Eventually, it got to the point where I could. I know everyone is different, but maybe what worked for me will work for you. I just kept singing it until I got used to it(for lack of a better way to say it).Eventually you just get to a point where you are able to sing the song without losing control of the vocal. JUst accept the feelings, keep practicing, and hopefully you will reach the point where you can transfer the emotion into your vocal .I'd say keep picturing the situation you feel may trigger you to have the reaction, because if you get used to that, you will be likely to handle it and carry through the song. Dont worry if you end up still losing it a little, if it is genuine emotion, I am sure no one will fault it, in fact, probably the opposite .
Good luck!

Don't know what to tell you except keep practicing.

I too had this experience while out one night I was singing "The Baby" by Blake Shelton and when it got to the part about the mother dying and him not being there I broke down completely as I had just lost my own mother a few years earlier and was not there.

Lone Wolf

P.S. I still can't sing that song without tearing up.

This is something that happens with a few songs for me, as well....and sometimes it comes and goes depending on what is happening in my life at that moment. I've learned how to use those emotions to my advantage. How to put them into what I'm singing without completely losing it. I can't tell you how to do this - it just comes with experience. Just practice it as much as you can. And should you start to lose it, try and transfer that emotion into the song. That may mean you have to "speak-sing" a few words or a phrase while you get things back under control.

_________________

"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

Thanx to everyone for the useful replies. I'm glad I'm not the only one that has experienced this.
I sang the song for my girls twice this weekend with no problems at all. They even gave me a "thumbs up" for the effort. So, I'm going to continue rehearsing this week a finally try it out on an audience(without the girls) next weekend. I think I'm already beginning to feel more comfortable with it.

Once again, Thank You for your input!

_________________
I sing, therefore I am.

grab some "rescue remedy" I dunno what else its called but its a bach flower remedy that destresses.
Hardest thing I ever had to do was come home after watching my father get starved and dehydrated to death and record a song for his funeral service. rescue remedy has been around for ages and I am sure its available there too...it may just be called something different

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

I've had this problem too. It's just like sex... practice, practice, practice.
When you sing the song, don't think of yourself as Dad, just imagine you're a professional singer and you don't get paid to cry. The goal here is to make your audience feel your emotions through your voice. Once you get it right, there won't be a dry eye in the house...

The two songs that have always hit home for me:
"How Do you Fall In Love" by Alabama because my Mom loves the song and stayed married to my StepDad for 20 years before they split. She hasn't been the same since and if I had to sing it in front of her, I don't think I could do it.

"When You Love a Woman" by Journey I first heard in a Record Bar in Wilmington, NC when I was a teenager. I knew, at that very moment, that I wanted to sing that to my Wife someday (whomever she may be). On January 17th, 1998, I got that chance to sing this to my date. She didn't know it at the time, but the song was for her. I won the karaoke contest that night and got $50 which was enough to pay for our date that night. And I married her 9 months later. We;ve been married over 10 years. Been though Hell and back, but it's only made our bonds stronger. Just like annealing a piece of steel.

_________________
"Anything worth doing, is worth OVERDOING"... - Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Well, I've just returned from my test run @ the local KB. The "song" went off without a hitch and seemed to go over well. I did get those feelings for a brief moment during one of the verses, but I put that energy into my voice and made it through ok. I think I'm going to be fine when the BIG night comes, next Sunday night.

Once again, Thank You everyone!

_________________
I sing, therefore I am.

That's great, Twochords! Glad the test run went well

Years ago I watched Roberta Flack in a city park sing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. It blew me away. If you can imagine an old man that sings Hank Snow singing this and with the grace and emotions that it deserves then it hits home. This is one of those songs that is more for me than the crowd and those that hear for the first time are shocked and pleasantly surprised. Diversify..

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

Add me to the bandwagon. There are several songs that do this to me as well. I say use that emotion for maximum impact with the performance.

Hell, I'm tearing up now just thinking about, because I've seen this happen with other singers, and they channelled it to make their song some of the best karaoke I've ever seen. For me, this is why karaoke is such a wonderful and beautiful "art form."

Let me recomment that if that keeps happening to you, you learn the song verbatim... so you don't need the text guide at all! That way you can just concentrate on you performance... you can look out into the audience and connect with them.

I know that when its going good, and the audience is giving back, I can feel the energy there and that give me strength in my performance.

All great art comes from suffering!

Good luck!

_________________
Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I've had the same feeling when I once sung "At a Medium Pace" by Adam Sandler
sniff I miss that ex-girlfriend

Music does that. It can be a powerful tool that (in my case) can take me back years to specific times, places ressurecting feelings I forgot I even had/experienced over the course of 40 years. If a song purges too much you have several options (yet depending on certain individuals some might not believe dampening, or dulling your CNS is a reasonable alternative since it represses emotion and performance aspects of the artwork). I usually took tranqs during tough solo performances regardless as a really young kid performing on a stringed instrument, or Piano, when I got older alcohol.. You can always just stop anticipating, wait for the moment and have a backup song and depending on how you are feeling at THAT time, just go with it.. You have the option of not singing a song that is too nostalgic.. Why ruminate over it ? If it's tough, don't do it.. Wear tinted glasses too.. I never liked it when anybody could see my eyes as a performer, it felt as though it stripped me of a certain amount of control... If your eyes water the glasses can help.

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I agree with you Kappy that music is very powerful and can be easily associated with certain events over ones life. It sure can call up some strong feelings within you too!

Edit..

Sorry, decided to retract my statement:)

_________________
♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I've learned when singing it is good to be able to identify with the song. It makes performance of the song come across that much stronger. If you don't mind me asking, what song are you rehearsing? If the feelings get too intense for me while im singing i just go with it, but I am not a a cryer to begin with. Try thinking of happy time swhen you're singing.

I've learned when singing it is good to be able to identify with the song. It makes performance of the song come across that much stronger. If you don't mind me asking, what song are you rehearsing? If the feelings get too intense for me while im singing i just go with it, but I am not a a cryer to begin with. Try thinking of happy time swhen you're singing.

to start out with this is just my opinion everybodys got one but i think that it would mean so much more to MY family if when I got on stage & started singing & emotion overtook my singing I went with it & not fought it. Then they "feel" you singing as well as hearing you..JMO I would go with it & they would understand that that is what makes you YOU ..Hope it went well

_________________
Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

Joe Cocker You are so Beautiful usually can bring tears if sung right