Karaoke Forums

well after really believing that most singers out there know more then there given credit for, I may have to change my mind on that one..
I went to a karaoke contest where 2 of my friends entered, 1 friend a female sang Blue Bayou, I have heard her sing this many times and she never even comes close to hitting the high notes, but they were just singing for fun not expecting to win..
well she sang that song and did as expected JMO but I would rate her at best a 5, well after the contest was over a judge came over to her and told her that after her first song...they sing 2 songs... she was tied for first...that blew my mind..judges were an elderly lady and a guy in his 30s, she is in her 50's...there was a table that had about 10 people in it and were talking about who they thought should have won and I asked what they thought of the lady singing Blue Bayou, and most thought she did really really good..they weren't just being nice they really thought that...so that leaves me to wonder if MY judgement is THAT far off are is it that THEY just can't hear it...
I have been defending singers giving them more credit but i'm not so sure anymore, ARE is it ME? really confused here...I know that everyone hears things differently but all 10 agreed plus 1 judge...how can I be THAT far off?
I was thinking of building another P. A. spending around 500.00 a speaker. wanting everyone to sound as good as they could BUT after this i'm not so sure it matters..

That reminds me of an old expression my dad used to use....."you got a banana in your ear?"....... ....better check in the mirror, my friend.......

It's the human element of karaoke contests. It's not what is best according to a laundry list of criteria often debated here, it's what is best according to the taste of the judges.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

I agree with both of you..i don't want to but i guess I have to...

Just another reason to NOT do/have karaoke contests, because most people can't hear that someone is singing the wrong notes. Best example is American Idol, or is it just me or my tv, but a lot of the people that go to Hollywood are singing sharp or flat.

well last night it was pretty clear who would win...the table had maybe 8 girls very pretty and 2 r 3 guys...most everyone else had 2 r 3 people at there table. just the fact that they would be coming back to watch there friend in the finals was enough to me. plus the 1 judge after it was over and they had picked the winner from that table, was out dancing with her...and she wasn't that good but then again that's jmo...which I don't trust lately...so heck if I know

I am assuming that the title you gave this topic is in direct relationship to your posts made in the KJ Pet Peeves topic. Well, I don't know about whether you should be eating crow or not, because what you described here has nothing to do with what you were complaining about there. You were complaining about KJs not making adjustments to your satisfaction so that you could be satisfied with the way you sound on stage. That has nothing to do with what you described here (regarding comments such as, "she never even comes close to hitting the high notes" and, "I would rate her at best a 5" and, "she was tied for first...that blew my mind.").

Now, as for your judgement being that far off, maybe it is. Maybe your friend is a better singer than you describe, and you just can't hear it for one reason or another. Maybe your singing is not all that you believe it to be, and because of that, you feel your friend can't sing as good as you. There are many people out there who feel they are great singers, and nothing anyone else may say would convince them otherwise (just look at the beginning of each new season of "American Idol", and see how many of those really horrible singers can't accept the fact that hey suck).

Just a little something for you to think about.

(Maybe your singing is not all that you believe it to be, and because of that, you feel your friend can't sing as good as you.)

wanting to hear oneself while singing has zero to do with how well I can or can't sing...I have never once brought up how well are how bad I believe my singing is 1 way r the other, and the fact that she was tied for first again has zero to do with how well I sing...it has more to do with how well I believe she can sing, in that i'm questioning myself...again what has my singing have to do with her singing? I wasn't compareing her singing to mine I was just giving my opinion on HER singing. the point I was trying to make was that maybe just maybe I am giving some singers more credit then I should be, which brings us back to the statement being made by a lot on here and i'm not sure if you agree are not that most singers don't have a clue as to what's going on...I was completely disagreeing with that but not so sure anymore, I still want to believe it...

(You were complaining about KJs not making adjustments to your satisfaction so that you could be satisfied with the way you sound on stage)
do you feel that's to much to ask?

What I feel about that has nothing to do with this current topic thread. That question is for the other topic. Re-read my post, and you will understand why I even brought it up.

cueball I see you joined this site in 2001? is that right? guessing you were here when there was no showcase? i'm not even sure I have been on here that long...but I do think I still have the longest running thread but maybe not..

How do judges judge ? I've been at many Karaoke contests and won a couple, never first place. I think a good judge, a musician, not just somebody who is picked from the audience to judge because the KJ or the manager of the event knew them as friends or co workers. I'm told (I'm rather new to karaoke, 3 years), that in real karaoke contests, you must know the words and music where timing is most important, they have no screens with the words. But I have played in bands and singing all my life, since 14 years old, now 69, and had my own band for several years in my younger years. But that aside, I was at a contest just recently, 3 weeks ago, I placed 3rd and won $25.00. I never thought of competing at this event I went there to support the folks hosting and never expected to win anything at all. A singer much better than me who sang 2 Josh Turner songs should have won 1st or 2nd, with his voice he remarkably sounded just like Josh. His problem for judging him, and I picked up on it right away, the sun was shining on the screen making it impossible to see the words, he "squatted" down throughout the entire song so he could see the words, both songs and never took his eyes off the screen. Those who won 1st and 2nd including myself with 3rd, never looked at the screen, kept time with our foot tapping, looking at the audience, smiling, using facial expressions to show it was coming from the heart, vocal changes, moving around a little on the stage, but always holding the mic in a proper way, another gig or loss of points, for those that don't know how to use a mic and I do believe is part of judging the singer. Knowing the song from many hours of practice or knowing the song from singing it so many times, and always a song that the audience know's, any popular song, and the audience was a mix of young and old, mostly country music territory here in West Virginia. I did Dire Straits, Walk of Life, and couldn't help but notice the judges writing as I finished my first chorus, with the "woo hoo's" perfectly timed, my second song was "For the Good Times" by Ray Price. I read the crowd before I chose my songs when I arrived and signed up. One other young girl who I thought should have had a spot was very good and never looked at the screen but she sang the song in mono, never raising any high notes or lower notes, it was just flat and she just stood there not keeping time like a statue, I know her better than that and when I saw her at the end and went up to her she was very upset she didn't win something. I knew what she did wrong, her heart wasn't into it. The girl that came in second actually was crying singing the last verse of her song, A Picture of Me Without You, and she sounded just like Lorrie. I also believe the judges take appearance into consideration when judging.

On another sad note and one of concern and not meant to hijack the thread. The KJ knows me but she was telling me how the night before, a real moron, singing on the stage decided to toss a $300 Shure wireless mic in the air and catch it on the way down, he missed, she was PO'd big time. That's why they were using wired cheaper mics at this karaoke event. Now if that were done at a contest, and if I were the judge he would be DQ'd, even if he caught it.

I say have fun but not at somebody else's expense.

$500 per speaker is a minimum for an ok sounding basic powered speaker that won't sound any better than most you have probably heard. You can get a decent unpowered speaker for $500 per, but then you'd need to spend some good money for a nice amp that can push the proper wattage to those speakers.
The secret is in mixing skills. That way you can make even a crappy system sound passable.

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the $500.00 per was for E V speaker's...12" also a sub.. yes i could spend more and more and more but for what i would be doing those speakers will work fine... add in the soundcraft mixer/lexicon reverb plus a RNC. I think for what I need that would sound pretty good.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i- ... 7Aod9nkAzg

those are the speakers but I can get them for $500.00.. again I could buy better but why? these fit my needs...ty Lonman....I agree on the mixing skills..

Just know those would be considered entry level speakers, that's their budget line. Not the greatest but certainly not the worst. EV makes good stuff.

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Most judging panels are never given any criteria before the contest. So, they feel around in the dark until they establish a personal criteria.

When my partner & I recruited judges (without affiliation to any of the singers), we gave them three facets to consider:
1. Vocal quality
2. Performance
3. Over all appeal

While these are somewhat vague, they do help set the judging mind frame.

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Karaoke should be a selfish pleasure.
Check out my Facebook page "Griff's Karaoke Adventures" to see how many tunes I can do without repeating!

that's ok i'll be singing to entry level people....

ty lon

hi Griffon, I believe in this contest they were rated how often they looked at the lyrics. which seems strange to me seeing as it's a KARAOKE contest...also I believe they people/singers that walked around the room verses those standing in 1 place received higher marks...just guessing on that but it seemed like it...no problem with that IF all knew the way they would be judged...I guess it could get complicated...
i'm not 1 to walk around a room while singing, but if I had entered and known it I would have, just to stand a better chance at winning ...ty again

I've won contests when I shouldn't have. And I've lost when I shouldn't have. Welcome to Karaoke.

Just like any contest in any sport or event. I made the best quilt, my pie tasted better, I raised the prettiest flower, I sang a better song, etc.

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