Karaoke Forums

I just wish to say how impressed I could be sometime listening to talented people here! Please, don't ever be a shame if someone tells you that you had a bit of problems singing on a song or you just had a bit of problems with the low or high notes, you see, the difference between us & the Stars is call PITCH CORRECTOR!!

If you go in a real Pro Studio it will always sound good only because they have the tools, you can't hit the high notes? No problem, they'll fix it for you!! It's call a pitch corrector so no wonder it's always on the correct key!

Be PROUD!! Some of you are already PRO'S!

Regards

I'll tell you one little lady on here that doesn't need any pitch correctors! LULY!! That little lady is just flat amazingly good! Mezmerizing! Another one is "A New Day", Kass. She just sings her little heart out!

I have heard a great many singers on this website that are every bit as good as the "stars" we listen to on the radio every day. I don't want to start listing names, I know I'd forget to include some of the names that would belong on the list. Definitely not mine! ! I just do this for funsies, but they know who they are. I hope.

The number of extremely talented singers that I've listened to here at the Singers Showcase, is staggering! It's amazing to me how much "undiscovered" talent is really out there! It's a shame that the vast majority of the people will probably never hear them sing. It's heart breaking really.

Stars? There's plenty of them, right here on this website! We have the pleasure of hearing them sing, daily.


Steve

I agree Steven. There is an incredible pool of wonderfully talented singers. Luly is but one of many I've listened to and thought that it should have been put on a CD and released. R_N_B_Luva is another - she's young but my GOD that voice! There are plenty of others here as well - Bethel Vermin does wonderful comedy in her songs - she never fails to make me smile when I'm listening. I'm new to SS so I'm still trying to remember others and I know I've left many talented ppl out - I'm sorry for that.

But to become a top notch professional, you don't need just a set of pipes and/or a great voice - you need to be able to entertain. I've seen top notch bands do lousy performances, and hacks do awesome shows. The difference is the entertainment offered beyond just watching someone sing a couple songs.

Yes, the professionals use key correction and many many other 'tricks' to make a studio recording perfect or near perfect. Some of them actually admit that they 'tweaked' the recording. Don't believe me? Read the liner notes on Don Dorsey's 'Beethoven or Bust' and 'Bachbusters'. On one of them he admits that he played all instruments, used a drum machine because he was lazy and didn't want to play them (the drums) himself, and even modified the note length/pitch to create what he felt was a 'perfect' performance. Don't know who Don Dorsey is? He wrote the music for the big fireworks/laser light show every night at Disney's Epcot Center among other things.

It's more than just the mix/tricks that makes a performance/recording though. I saw Joel Sonei (probably spelt wrong but he did a Zydego song called 'Tear Stained Letter' on the country charts about 10-15 years ago), Charlie Daniel's Band, and Alabama perform in Huntsville, Alabama. Joel Sonei opened up, and his mix was so bad I couldn't hear the vocals until he did his 'hit' (last song) at the end of his set. It was terrible. I almost felt sorry for him - especially when he had a lackluster response from the crowd. Charlie Daniel's came out next and put the crowd into a FRENZY. He was fiddling like a mad man, came off the stage, walked through the crowd and brought you into the music. It was an incredible performance that if I ever perform publicly I can only dream of. Alabama came out next and they were lackluster at best. Nothing was wrong other than everyone in the band seemed almost like they didn't want to be there. It was like watching someone 'go through the motions'. They sounded fine, they performed well, but they didn't entertain. Will I ever go see Alabama again? Proabably not, but I'd fight for tickets to Charlie Daniels; Crosby, Stills, & Nash; The Cult; Beach Boys; Bonham; Concrete Blonde and a number of other groups (ok, some of them aren't around anymore but I think I'm trying to make a point somewhere). All of them were more than watching a band play some music when I saw them - it was entertainment.

The groups that last are the ones that provide quality entertainment night after night and not just 'singing'. I can go to my local karaoke bar, the singer's showcase and some of the local churches to see people sing as good as - if not better than - many of the 'stars' on far cheaper equipment. I listen to some of them and they can make me feel almost any emotion with the voice... but many stand and sing. Not many entertain. It's the entertainers that seem to last forever - Rolling Stones, Charlie Daniels, Phil Collins, Prince, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Jimmy Buffett, Metallica, Garth Brooks (yes, he retired - but he was an entertainer), and so many others. These are people that may or may not be great musicians... but they do entertain.

But what about the music? Watch American Idol? They don't want just a great singer - but entertainers. They can find singers by listening to tapes sent in to record companies every day. They can only find entertainers by putting them in front of an audience and seeing the reaction.

Yes, a multi-million dollar studio and top engineers can make you sound better and use tricks to make your voice 'perfect' or darn close. It might put you on the charts a couple times - but it won't keep you there unless you can entertain as well. Remember the 'one-hit wonder'?

Just to clear things up - I'm not saying that no one here is an entertainer. I'm not saying that no one here could be a star or the next diva. FAR, FAR, from it. I am saying that the key corrector and everything else in the studio isn't what makes someone a star - that's just a tool to create media so you can be heard by people all over the world.

Besides, it's nice to work towards a dream/goal - even if I don't have a key corrector and $1,000,000 in studio equipment. Keep your dreams alive...

(sorry for the length of this post... I tend to ramble sometimes... )

Point well taken!

Steve

yall are right on the money

AHA! Talking about me behind my back!! But, awww, such sweet words!! I am so very, very happy that you guys like my singing.

I will probably not ever make it big time because:

1) I'm too old
2) I don't exactly weigh 100 pounds

They're looking for young, very thin starlets and I don't fill the bill. I may have 20 years ago, but I missed the boat. I now have the confidence (most of the time anyway) I needed 20 years ago, but it's too late.

This site satisfies my need to have people hear me and lets me enjoy you guys as well.

I'm not saying I'm giving up. But I'm now very realistic and don't expect anything to happen. I've been disillusioned about this whole business so I won't put myself in that position again. Besides, I have a very good job and I won't give that up for something that carries no guarantees.

But I am the very persistent type. My husband says, "What Luly wants, Luly gets." I've just gotta be real careful what I'm wanting here. Thoughts float through my mind constantly about if by any chance, someone wanted to invest in me, and thiings started to churn, how drastically it would affect our lifestyle. I don't want to impede on the tranquility of our little family unit. It's very selfish, but I think I'd like to be the kind of recording artist that just makes cds in the comfort of her home and doesn't have to go to interviews or travel too much. Yeah, that's real realistic, Luly!!

So, again I say, I'm very happy just being right here enjoying everything this site has to offer.

Well guess what Luly,

My thoughts are just like yours!! I do this for fun, enjoy listening to others and I can't say I have a good opinion of this industry overall!
It's NOT your talent that matters any more like the old days with Elton, Billy & Tom Jones but how are they going to sell your image!

I'm aware that we don't have any new singers to replace these great artists but they'll replace them with good looking men and they will of course control their images! Not for me, thank you!

When I sing the oldies or songs from these great artists, I know I have my own little crowd in this forum and of course I have my family, so what more do I need?

Let's just have fun & forget about this crazy industry!

Yea! What happened to the butt ugly people with talent? And about the butt ugly people who can't sing either but can sure write the songs? (Think Bob Dylan). Some others who didn't fit the 'magic' appearance requirement?
Run DMC (those were some BIG guys)
Biz Markie ("My nose is big" says it all)
Bob Dylan
Tom Petty
Hank Jr (especially after he fell)
Charlie Daniels

Ahhh... the days of when you just had to be able to sing to make it big....

Well, what happened to those people is that in their heyday talent was what really mattered.

Now, it's the whole package. If you ain't got the right "look", you ain't got a contract!! If you're not a supermodel, forget it!!

But in my hometown, people really appreciate me. I have people of all ages that come up to me on karaoke nights and tell me how much they love my singing. My heart just soars when this happens. All the practicing and expecting perfection of myself makes it worth it. I don't need a record producer to tell me I'm not worth it.

I may not make money singing my songs, but there are much more important things in life. Case in point, I met this kind lady at our Country Club in Miami Springs who knew how much I wanted to be recognized. With her influence, I got to sing at our city's July 4th festivities. When I finished singing the national anthem, she came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me I had sung like an angel. THAT's what I'm after. I want to touch people. It comes back tenfold, man, cuz that feel-good feeling lasts and lasts.

Actually, I don't even think you need the whole package. If you have the look the talent or, appearance of talent can be manufactured. It's all about PR these days. Remember the song that launced MTV "Video Killed The Radio Star. How prophetic.

It also helps to be in the right place at the right time. Luck has as much to do with it as anything else. I'm going to continue to use Luly as an example. She is beautiful and talented, but without exposure in the right places very few people will ever know that. You have to get your foot in the door for that and that usually depends on knowing someone who can get you the exposure. Talent has so little to do with stardom anymore. And there is the age factor. It is hard enough for the older stars who have established themselves to compete in a market saturated with youth and perfection let alone for someone totally unknown to compete.

Well that's just my take on this subject and it doesn't mean that someone like Luly can't make it. It just means that she has to work harder and be very lucky.

_________________
Too soon old......too late smart.

Luck has a lot to do with it. I have a friend that plays guitar, was actually sponsored by both amp and guitar manufacturers, and was offered a chance to do the USO tour. He traveled and played colleges all over the eastern seaboard. What's he doing now? He's a semi-profesional weight lifter who plays guitar for himself. He had exposure - lots of it. Just never made the 'cut' and got lucky to make it big time.

I'll never make 'the show' - even with my fiance's former best friend (she lost touch when she moved to Alaska) working as a recruiter for a record company, my soon-to-be-father-in-law living across the street from Stanley Clark (remember the album School Day's? WOW!), my fiance having worked as a professional dancer (she was a Dr. Pepper girl), choreographed try-out routines for fly girls and laker girls (who's names you would probably recognize), and her having done professional makeup work I will NEVER see the 'big time'. To be honest, even with the potential contacts she has - getting to 'the show' won't happen for me because I'm a 36 year old balding guy who's 50 lbs overwight who can sometimes belt out a decent tune. I've always been a ham, and now I have a venue for it in my hosting and singing. And what's best of all? My fiance still loves me after hearing me sing.

Luck is a LOT of it - and moving to Nashville, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, or LA won't do it. Does it increase your chances? Perhaps... but why move across the country to a town where nearly half of them are trying to get noticed by the same couple hundred people? I'll pass...

I'll stick to letting my family and friends listen to my singing... They seem to like it....

Thank you, wannabe for your compliments.

I'm happy where I am in life right now. I know luck matters a lot, as does having the right connections. But mostly, I leave it in the hands of God. He knows whats right for me.

Sorry for my ramblings earlier.... I do that sometimes (as you may have guessed!)...

On a side note... given the low cost to produce good recordings at home and cd duplication (even when sent out for creation w/ 4 colour inserts) it's easy to turn out CD's of yourself and make them available to friends and family. We have one guy at a local show that has a small following of locals. He did this and sells them for just enough to cover the cost of production. Interesting to be driving around listening to someone you heard last night! Selling a couple dozen CD's of myself would be 'big time' in my book!

FYI, if you do this there is a different licensing cost/mechanism to be 100% legal (since I know someone will comment on it).

I heard no ramblings!!

I appreciate your input very much and so glad you're taking time out to give your view.

Well hell, let's just pool our resources and start our own record label. Kenny Rogers did that years ago when he told the majors to shove it!

Hey, can I be put in charge of the marketing for Luly? I'll have some guy's in Atlantic City make the radio stations offers they can't refuse.


Steve

sounds like a plan

Hmmmm..... How much money would it actaually take to build a professional studio? Of course, then you'd need to recruit some top level people to run it. OK, first we need to come up with a name for our new label. Could always use Kass's screen name to send a message to the majors. A New Day!

Great! I'm glad we all agree! "A New Day Record Company"! That's our new label! Do they still call them "Record" Companies?


Steve

PS: To the ladies who believe that you have to be a twiggy to make it in the music biz, Think Wynonna Judd. Love her, but she's no Twiggy.
http://www.wynonna.com/

Oh Steven, you're such a trip. You have all the enthusiasm of a month old puppy!! I LOVE your plan! And I really like that name for the record company. It's our new day to shine and show 'em!!

You DON'T have to look like Twiggy??? That's news to me. That's all I ever hear. Wynonna's one example, for sure, of a woman who does things her way, but she's in the minority, if you haven't noticed.

Don't worry guys, I'm not giving up on my dream just yet. If I decided to pursue this full force, there would probably be little to stop me. That's how I got my hubby!!.

A month old puppy!!? !! Thanks.....I think!

Don't cha know a huge compliment when you hear one?? You're cute, cuddly and a frisky thing just like a puppy!!