Karaoke Madness

I came from a family who loves to sing. Though, not every one of us is as skilled as the others, but that doesn’t stop us from doing what we love, which is singing. Coming from a close knit family, we always have gatherings. We love reunions; always present on birthdays, weddings, baptismal, thanksgiving, holidays or merely weekend get-togethers of drinking and dining out. And in those parties, we always find ways to include karaoke singing.

We take turns in having these parties at different abodes every time. And the funny thing is, every one of us has its own karaoke machines! Not letting ourselves to be outdone, I may say. That is how our family is, obsessed in karaoke’s. So obsessed that some of my cousins took crash courses in singing. Singing at karaoke bars or simply inside our home is a pleasurable way of eliminating stress and pressure from work or by our daily lives. We can temporarily set aside our problems by engaging ourselves in this hobby. Some of us use this as an escape from the burden life is giving us. A therapy and cure to anxiety to some.

Also, singing karaoke is a good vocal exercise to aspiring singers. A practicing ground for people who wanted to get discovered. And to some, to showcase a hidden talent that wants to get out. Whatever the reason we have why we enjoy singing karaoke, a common denominator exists to all of us; we love music and we love to sing.

So many years of experience in singing karaoke had taught me lots of techniques that I want to share to my fellow karaoke singing enthusiasts.
First, select a song that you know. Don’t pick songs just because it sounds good to you. You can have songs that you already knew and within your voice range. You can try other songs but be sure that you are familiar with the tune and you have practiced singing it before singing it in front of others.

Second tip is being familiar with your voice strength. That is why choosing the songs that you might sing is very important.

Third is to feel relax and comfortable with yourself while singing in front of everyone. Others hesitates singing in karaoke bars in front of strangers. Don’t let this hinders you from enjoying the night. Remember, almost everyone is drinking that is why you have bigger chances that they won’t remember you once they woke up from their hangovers.

Fourth is having a boundary. Knowing your boundaries and staying within it can help you achieve your desired performance. Identifying your limitations is making you aware of your execution of a particular song.

Fifth, do not drink too much alcoholic beverages. It would only ruin your singing. You don’t want to sound slur while singing and also, resort to shouting when alcohol gets the better of you.

And lastly, don’t forget to practice, lots and lots of it. You want to be prepared and not be left behind, right?



October 28, 2009
By Jessica Norman
Jessica Norman enjoys going to karaoke bars. You can find more singing success stories, and other singing tips and techniques at http://www.learntosing123.com . Also please also go read the article http://www.learntosing123.com/vocal-training.php

Karaoke Club

8 Secret Tips to Be Excellent in Karaoke Singing - What You Must Know

No matter where you are around the world, whenever you are in a karaoke bar there are a select group of people that get up and wow the crowd.

So what are the secret tips you need to become the star of the show?

1. Choose your song wisely

Many people choose a karaoke track that is very popular or one that will win over the crowd however is that the best way to choose your karaoke track? Choosing a track which you love rather than what you think the audience will enjoy will produce vastly different results.

2. Discover your "banquet song"

In Hong Kong it's known as your "banquet song", in Japan it's your Juhachiban, but it all means one thing; your signature karaoke track. Having one karaoke track that you know well, and fits your vocal range is the perfect way to truly shine on stage.

3. Know your boundaries

Whether it you are just beginning out in karaoke, or have spent a number of years at your favorite club, the best tip is know and understand your boundaries. By knowing your boundaries on karaoke tracks and originally staying within your scope will give you the confidence to achieve perfection.

4. Be aware of a possible "bad night"

Everyone who has jumped on stage can remember the one time they felt they failed in their karaoke track choice. Even the professionals you train for years have bad nights on stage, so do not take it to heart. The best advice is to think what you can do to avoid it in the future.

5. Sing like nobody is listening

The biggest reason why people don't want to get up on stage is the fear of singing out loud in public. The best way of overcoming your fear is to close your eyes and imagine that you are singing at home. That way you will sing from your heart and you'll see the audience get into it.

6. Practice makes perfect

To make the jump from just a beginner at the karaoke bar to someone who thrills the crowd is practice. By doing so, not only will you be more confident in knowing the lyrics and tones of your song, but you will have a lot more confidence in singing it in front of people.

7. A little investment can go a long way

Practicing at home is a great way to perfect your singing technique, but the best way to develop your voice is to purchase your own karaoke machine. Purchasing your own machine along with a number of karaoke CDG's will mean you will feel comfortable around one, and will teach you how to perform your best.

8. Smile, relax... and above all have fun!

The key to great karaoke singing is that most of the singers up there simply because they love being on stage.

If you are trying too hard, or finding it frustrating that you are not developing faster than you thought, simply go back to the first karaoke track and notice the difference in your style.

Just remember, nine times out of ten the audience are not looking for singing perfection. But if you are smiling and enjoying yourself, then the audience will definitely pick up your excitement and get into the song.

(ArticlesBase ID #534338)



September 14, 2009
By Rachel Patterson
Rachel is the founder of KaraokeStarDVD Studios. - Distributing the #1 Karaoke DVD set in the industry. KaraokeStarDVD was founded to provide a collection of affordable karaoke songs for music lovers As seen on MTV, The KaraokeStarDVD offers over 800 songs on 4 karaoke discs. Visit her site to find out about the ultimate set of karaoke dvds today
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/8-secret-tips-to-be-excellent-in-karaoke-singing-what-you-must-know-534338.html

How to pick the right musicians for a band

Ready to start your own band? There are plenty of musicians out there willing to pursue a career in music with you, but how do you choose the right musician? Different musicians contribute different sounds to a band depending on their technical skills, innovations, and music diversity. For example, Metallica would not sound the way they do without James Hetfield, or Dream Theater would definitely not sound the same without the drumming talents of Mike Portnoy.

Here are some tips on how to narrow down your list of potential band members.

1. Determine their level of commitment. You want a musician that is in the same commitment level as the rest of the band. Is the band a full-time thing or are you just jamming on occasions for fun on weekends? Musicians with a high level of commitment are always good but they can discouraged if the rest of the band is lazy and only wants to play at minimal times. Figure out how often the band should get together to play and then find musicians that can commit to that schedule.

2. Technical abilities versus diversity. While technical abilities are important, there should be a good balance between music diversification as well. Anyone can pick up a guitar and shred like Yngwie Malmsteen with proper amount of practice picking the same notes over and over, but not everyone can play with such feel as Jimmi Hendrix.

3. The right musician should enjoy playing the same music style as the rest of the band members.

4. Compatibility with personality. Playing in a band is about having fun and you should be able to get along with all your band members off-stage. Generally speaking, you might get along with people within your age group better, so that might be something to consider when choosing musicians.

5. Open-minded to other music genres. While this may not apply to every band, it might be good to consider if your band ever decides to change its musical direction.

6. Band playing experience. Typically, the more band playing experience the better. There is a difference between self-taught musicians that practice at home by themselves and musicians that learn through others by playing in bands. Musicians with no band experience might have trouble with following songs since they are used to playing at home to album CD's. In addition, if your band ever plans on performing live gigs, inexperienced musicians might have stage freight.

7. Enthusiasm. Does the musician take the band seriously enough to prioritize it? Does the musician contribute to the band musically? Enthusiasm is shown if the they contribute a lot of ideas into the songs and take some extra to practice at home as well. If the musician is always running late to practices, does not contribute and only plays what they're told to play, then chances are he/she is not very committed to the band.

(ArticlesBase ID #39582)

September 2, 2009
By Kenny Auyoung
Kenny Auyoung: Webmaster @ http://www.getmeaband.com Looking for a band? Search through our directory of musicians to find band members in your local area.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/how-to-pick-the-right-musicians-for-a-band-39582.html

Music for Corporate Entertainment

For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi, The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. Treasury. Because of this experience I felt it would be relevant in putting down some pointers in helping clients choose the right kind of music for their particular corporate entertainment.

Interestingly enough, most corporate hospitality entertainment work tends to require music as an ingredient to a larger recipe. What I mean by this is a great deal of corporate events are offering a multi service package. Typically an organization may be putting on an evenings entertainment to thank its workforce for a particularly successful year. They may be offering music, food, comedy, a close up magician, a casino and a caricaturist. The corporate client organizing needs to decide what part the music has to play in the days/evenings entertainment.

Questions he or she needs to ask are:

Is the music specifically for entertainment or is the music for background listening?

Do we need one style of music early on in the proceedings and then a change of style later in the days/ evenings entertainment?

Do you expect the corporate clients to be networking and discussing business or are they just there for a good time?

What overall atmosphere do you want to project with the event?

Is there going to be a change of location for the music as the entertainment event unfolds?

Different styles of music bands lend themselves to different corporate hospitality situations. Below are a number of typical corporate hospitality events with music suggestions for suitable music entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 1.
Evening reception with dinner and speeches.
In a situation such as this you will typically need music entertainment from the outset as part of the meet and greet of the corporate evening. A four-piece swing or Latin group is ideal with a larger ensemble for particularly large gatherings. A professional outfit can pitch the music at just the right decibel level so your guests can talk and enjoy the entertainment without it encroaching on conversations. The musicians would typically be dressed in Lounge Suits or Tuxedos (or the female equivalent) to mirror what the guests are wearing themselves. The music portrays an atmosphere of sophistication, which again hopefully reflects the evenings overall ambience.

It is rare for corporate clients to want dance entertainment especially as clients there relationship is business not pleasure! In most cases it is more important that the band is flexible in when it is needed over the course of the evening i.e. At the top of the night for the reception, a smaller version of the band (The pianist maybe for the dinner), stopping for speeches and then after the speeches to play until other entertainment is put on for the corporate clients. In this situation give the band a clear idea of how you expect the evening to go. What to wear, when they will be needed, when they need to get their instruments in the building and be set up, when breaks will be required, let them know if it is convenient or not to feed them and then finally how they can leave when finished so as not to disrupt the rest of the entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 2.
Company Party.
Still corporate entertainment, still corporate hospitality but a totally different set of requirements for the music. Ask yourself these questions: Are your work force the type of workforce who will want to dance at some point in the proceedings? If they are, then a professional band with flexibility is essential. My experience is that people of all ages will join together to dance to music from the sixties and seventies. Whatever background music you require earlier in the day/evening be it Latin, Swing, Rat Pack or Lounge, if you are hoping to provide entertainment that will get people dancing remember this fact. Sixties and Seventies. For some inexplicable reason this is the music that gets people up on their feet.

When choosing your music ask the band if they can cover this part of the corporate entertainment requirement. Get samples of their music if need be. There is nothing worse than an ill equipped band struggling through alien repertoire. However good the band is, if they do not play the right repertoire, the right style of music then the corporate entertainment will fall on deaf ears.

Let me at this point provide a caveat. Your workforce work together They are not always going to be the best of friends however professional their relationships are at work. Answer truthfully, will they really want to dance together or is it asking too much? I would say that in all the years of providing music for this kind of corporate entertainment / hospitality , as long as the music is right, the workforce tended to dance 30 or 40% of the time. It could be said that a workforce who will enjoy each others company in this way is a reflection on the talent of senior management to create a happy team!

Corporate entertainment model 3.
Company Fun Day.
These come in two types. The type to entertain your own workforce or the type to entertain prospective clients. Both types of corporate entertainment require music that is fun. This means that the music must be perceived as fun and the band must be perceived as fun. In both cases Jolly Dixieland Jazz or the summer sounds of Latin music are most suitable.

Ask yourself these questions: does the band need to be mobile? Meaning do you want the music to move around the site at various points in the proceedings? If so then the jolly jazz route is most suitable. A good professional outfit of four or five players can play acoustically and move around a site as directed.

If the band can be static and close to electrical power then either Jolly Jazz or Latin Music is suitable.

Is the event outdoors or indoors and do you have provision for bad weather? This is England, never trust to luck, assume the worst! Any band that needs power cannot play in the rain for health and safety reasons. At the first hint of inclement weather a band will have to breakdown their equipment. Build this situation into your corporate entertainment music decisions.

How do you want the band to dress? It is a fun day after all! In the past I and my musicians have dressed as Elvis, Cavemen, Circus Clowns, in fact all manner of characters in the name of corporate entertainment and corporate hospitality. Good bands will have suitable outfits for most situations but don`t hesitate in providing something off the wall for a special event. Most professional players have a strange urge to jump into such costumes at the earliest possibility! As someone who has played at a nudist camp and for a toga party, both dressed accordingly, take my word for it!

To draw this article together let me say this. Choose the right kind of music for the event. Brief the band accordingly but make sure you have a professional and flexible outfit, things can change over the course of the event and you want to make sure the band are both co-operative and able to fulfill your needs. Don`t hesitate to ask the band for any special requirements you have. Do it in plenty of time so they have time to prepare.

The corporate entertainment and hospitality you offer to your guests reflects directly onto your company. The music and musicians must be the type who are aware of this. Dont go for second best just to save a small amount of money. You need a well prepared, well dressed band who are both polite and charming to your guests. They need to play the right kind of music for the event in order to help make the day or evenings corporate entertainment a resounding success!

August 20, 2009
By Jeff Williams
Jeff Williams is a London based trombonist and vocalist who has worked all over the world in most areas of the business. He also runs a successful, specialist, live music agency using the best of London musicians, servicing both private and corporate clients playing all over the country. He would be happy to advise you with your own event or party and offers bespoke solutions for the perfect occasion.
Contact him on +

44(0)20 8761 8932 or +44(0)7747 801471 Email him on bonejeff@aol.com Visit the website http://www.jazznotjazz.co.uk
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/music-for-corporate-entertainment-2597.html