Questions answered

I am having so much fun at karaoke; the 'roake ventures have opened up whole new levels of enjoyment in my life. Friday night's karaoke adventure also helped me answer a few questions that had been plaguing me.
(1) Do I absolutely have to drink beer when I'm out for karaoke? The answer for me is that beer is an essential lubricant for my vocal cords. I didn't drink beer to start the evening, and I froze at the beginning of my first song, Kajagoogoo's "Too Shy," with dry mouth and extreme nerves. 

I got going a bit with the chorus and lasted through the entire song, but that was tough. After switching back to beer, I didn't have dry-mouth again the whole night.
(2) Do I sing new songs, previously attempted songs that went well, or songs that I have practiced on my new Xbox 360 Karaoke Revolution game? For me, the most fun I have had at 'raoke is with songs I have practiced at home by singing along to youtube videos or learned and repeated many times on the K-Revolution game.  I rocked Pink's "So What": see below for pic of my rockin'.

Group-songs are completely different: very fun to try new-to-me songs in a group, and can have hilarious results too; as long as one person in the group swears that she knows the song (even if she really doesn't) to give the group a boost of confidence prior to getting up on stage.
(3) Do I need to be a good singer to 'roake? Again, the answer is definitely NOT. And I don't mean practicing (above) as in I suddenly become a better singer, just practicing so that I can get into the song when the music starts and the lyrics flash on the screen; it really is about getting-into the song, feeling the rock in your soul.
(4) Do I really need to be called up more than twice for solos during an evening of 'raoke? Now, it's fun when the atmosphere is stoked and the crowd is hot, and the variety in tunes chosen is amazing, and so many different people want to serenade us; but I'm selfish. Thank goodness I also got to do a duet with Lady Z at the end of the night. We had fun with The Killers "Human" [and, yes, I'm positive that this song is about zombies].

I want to sing more ... thank the games-developers, I have the 'raoke in my house now. Maybe tonight, a short session (with my D. hiding upstairs; good thing we have two tvs). Sometimes he does hang out when I use the Xbox 'raoke, and he has very helpful thoughts about the singin'. I told him I was going to buy him a 'roake shirt that reads "Karaoke Koach."
Yes, another blog entry about karaoke; I'm addicted, and, as I mentioned before, I don't need any help with that.

Karaoke has the power to save the world

In my 2010, my year of trying new things, I have now participated in karaoke three times. I feel like a kid again when I get up at that mike, even though I can't really sing, but I try, try, try. During my second karaoke adventure, I totally rocked the Bangles, "Manic Monday."

The glory of karaoke resides in the atmosphere of support, encouragement, and conviviality that emanates from the crowd. Everyone there wants to sing their hearts out too, so we all cheer each other on, clap raucously, sing along, enjoy the shared cathartic nature of rocking out to a favourite tune.
All that good will in one room fills me with hope for humanity. The first time I went, when a friend explained the nature of the karaoke experience to me, I said, "Karaoke has the power to change the world."
This week, two friends proffered completely different reactions to my telling them about my karaoke experiences. One laughed at me a bit, groaned, and grew tired of my giddy rants about the wacky and wonderful times that karaoke outings provide; the other said "that is one of the most inspiring things I've heard for a long time" and now wants to try karaoke together the next time we meet. I have to admit that I was the sceptical one initially, hearing stories about fun and frivolity at karaoke, until I tried it; now I'm a convert, I find it inspiring, and cathartic, therapeutic even; and rockin' to a song, like "Manic Monday" fills me with a sense of achievement that bolsters my mood and confidence for days. I will fully admit that I may be a karaoke addict; as I've noted in other forums, though, I don't need any help with that. 
What a gift, to find an activity to truly enjoy again, after my 2009 was so dull that I asked a friend who studies psychology if a person could actually die of boredom. Thanks to my friends who have shared this gift with me, and I hope to continue to ENJOY this world-saving hobby that is karaoke.