Karaoke Forums

Hi guys,
It's me, the nubie, again.
I am learning from you guys.
Some tech, mostly culture. karaoke culture that is.

Question is...

Is there life after karaoke ???

On a very serious note I have to tell you that at one point in my life I didnt think there was. After a night of karaoke I had a horrible car crash which resulted in alot of peoples lives being changed forever including mine. I lived & breathed karaoke before that night. After that night I didnt want to ever pick up a mic again or sing karaoke ever again...But I have since learned that karaoke NEEDS to have a place in my life but CANT be my life. ( hope that makes sense to all of you)  I think with everything in life there has to be moderation. Priorities if you will. My priorities were very messed up. Id go out & sing karaoke before I would go to a movie with my kids before the crash. NOW I will put my kids over karaoke any day. Ya come soo close to losing it ALL & yes there IS life after karaoke.

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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]

Boy did I ask that question many times myself.  My ex (being the operative word) lived and breathed Karaoke.  So much we could not even have a family function without having to leave to do Karaoke.  We owned the system, actually a few, but even the guys working for us needed a break now and then.  So we had to do it even on the important events, and holidays ourselves.  7 days a week for many years.  Needless to say, it ruined our marriage.  Not only ours but many other couples who were doing the same thing.  At last count 5 other couples have divorced that we knew personally.  
Now, is there life after Karaoke?  Most certainly.  Sure it was a job for both of us, but somewhere along the line you do have to stop and smell the roses.  
I still love Karaoke and go often.  But it does not take over my life anymore.  I enjoy the grandkids, family and friends functions now, without having to bid an early farewell.

It certainley can cause an OBSSESION. Contests and American Idol fuel the competitive and obsseive "perfection" of it. Working as a kj/dj makes even more opportunities to exclude "normal" living at the expense of family members.  Kept in its proper perspective as just an ocaisional enertainment or pasttime, it has a fun and useful purpose. When it becomes allo-encompasing and the only outlet then it causes a loss of perspective. Just like anything eles done in modration is a desirable thing--taken to extremes, then it can be destructive, disruptive and non-productive.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

As the old saying goes ... "Moderation in all things; including moderation."  There is a time and place for everything; even 'binges'.  The best way is to pace oneself and to know that whenever you overload one area you take from the others (see previous posts).  I believe karaoke is just one type of entertainment which is a necessary facet of our overall well-being.  And, in order for it to be best enjoyed, it must be enjoyed in balance with all else.  '8 hours for work, 8 hours for self & family and 8 hours for rest and refreshment.'  I have forgotten or been made to ignore this in the past to my own detriment.

For me karaoke is a hobby.   I sing more at home than I do anywhere else.
(Anyone remember John Whitsett on Sisters in his bathroom every morning, singing ... that's me!!)

I used to sing in a band 100 years ago (when Moby Dick was a tadpole).  Two of my former band mates went on to be studio musicians in Nashville.  They have done this for 30 years and still depend on their day jobs to pay the bills.  (and they are good)  Both on are Artimus Pyle's last album.  (bass and keyboard)  Both have had songs published and toured with different country singers.  But the bottom line is as good as they were...they still had to keep their :day job:.

I am to old for all that now...so karaoke is a wonderful way to do what I love.
Personally, my only complaint is that I prefer to sing harmony instead of lead.

We cruise several times a year and we stick with Carnival because they have karaoke every night  and a piano bar that I close down when karaoke is over to get my harmony fix!!

Life is good!!!  And getting better now that I have met wonderful folks like yourselves!!!

My point exactly.  I am glad there are so many people that understand that.
If it is a full time job that is one thing.  But to have full time jobs and then Karaoke 24-7 as it seemed, that is another.

This is a great question for me. Not so much karaoke, but music in general.  I teach school during the day then pick up a guitar and stand at a mic by night...at least 3 nights a week on stage.  The other nights I end up in rehearsals with the band learning new tunes and keeping the old ones the way they need to be.  I am getting married again in June, I have a 17 year old daughter that I have been raising since she was 9 and there have been a few times that I have really been torn as to whether I should be playing so often.  I know my daughter has preferred to go to a movie instead of listening to the band play many times.  At times I think I have let some real important years slip by me. My daughter is very important to me and she knows that even though I am on a stage a lot, I really love her with all my heart. We have a great relationship.  I did not sign with a Nashville label when I had the chance to because I wanted to be in control of my life not a label telling me when and where I would sing. They wanted me on the road 356 days out of the year. I said no way! I signed on with a small Texas label and kept my life my own, but I have found it hard to turn down a lot of shows.  It's not for the money, but for the crowds that come to the shows. I have felt obligated to the people who buy my cd's and always come to hear me sing. I am not a famous artist, I never will be, but I get some local air play on several country stations in the area and I have a real good following of good people who love to hear me sing as well as the band play.  There is something about he approval of the crowd that keeps me going back to the stage over and over again.  In spite of it all, I can see a real need to back off some and give some of my time to a wonderful family! Some decisions seem hard to make but not when you think about it in light of the love of your kids!--Mike

You are a wise man.  Fame fades....but your family is who will be there holding your hand,   when your music comes to an end!!

I seriously dont believe this.
I mean I posted the topic... Didnt know what to expect.

I have just read the posts.
I have tears rolling down my face.
Dont even know why.

Finally home from a rehearsal for Saturday's show! See, it seems to just never end. Sometimes my daughter has to call my cell phone just to talk to me. I am real tired of that! She deserves much better. I dont think I even really realized it until I wrote earlier today in this thread.  I have commitments that I feel obligated to meet this month, but starting next month, I am going to back off quite a bit on my stage and rehearsal time.  I started doing this just for fun anyway.  I dont want to let my daughter slip away from me, and I dont want an unhappy wife once I get married, even though we met when she caught me leaving the stage and introduced herself to me. I can still perform. I can still keep just as busy as I want to be.  The guys and I talked it over tonight and they agree. We are all feeling really tired. My fiddle player is 78 years old. He started out playing drums with Elvis years ago. He toured with Elvis for 2 years, then played fiddle for Ray Price for a number of years. When we met, he said he really liked my sound and my stage presence and thought it would be fun to work with me. I think I am the lucky one. He admits that after so many years playing night after night, he is ready to spend some time at home "watching his grass grow" and "kissing mamma!" He is quite a guy! The other guys feel much the same way! They are all retired professional musicians that I just got lucky enough to work with. They are such great friends and wonderful mentors in music to me. I care enough about those guys that I want them to enjoy what we do and not feel like it is hard work anymore. It is time to ease back some! Thanks for getting this thread going! I really needed it! --Mike

yep you are so right, I too felt worked into the ground holding a full time job and gigging as well...guess I have to learn to say no, but I love it so much

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

I think so.  Just not as we know it.

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

Yes, There is life after AND before karaoke.  A different life, maybe less exciting, possibly more fulfilling. It would depend on what you already have made of your non-karaoke life.....

To injecto some more into this.  One of the local bands that has been around for years had the BAs guitaris/founder of the band just up and quit (after fulfilling his already booked gigs).  HE to said it was getting to be too much work, lugging around a trailer full of equipment, peanuts for pay, and having his wife and kid become mad at him for practicing/giging too much.

It's a fine line betwen too much preforming (karaoke or in bands), and doing it to have fun.
For the wife and I, if we didn't have another couple working/hosting for us, Karaoke would become a chore and not fun anymore.  We are currently not going after any more bar gigs, the ones we have are enought.  The main reason is that the Wedding DJ part is becoming more and more, and it makes us a LOT MORE $$$$$.  SOme day we will give up KJing bars and just focus on wedding gigs.  But We will never let Karaoke or DJing take over our family life.  The day that happens, I put all my stuff up for sale.

Life is about balance........
Too much of anything is ...TOO MUCH
YING / YANG  LMAO

KARAOKE ---

HOBBY?
CAREER?
SPORT?
SELFISH GRATIFICATION?  LMAO

Sefish Gratification-----------Gotta be the #1 reason!!

Cant get past the I I I....ME ME ME factor!! EGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

You CERTAINLEY arent up there singing with someone else's benefit in mind. And while singing ONLY YOU are up on stage, no ones helping you, no ones up there backing you. ONLY YOU are the CENTER OF ATTENTION. Not anyone else in the crowd.

As to KJ's/Hosts..... well that's all about being in charge, being in control, having POWER over the crowd!!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT