It's easy to find a place a karaoke show close to home - the internet is the first place to start.
Karaoke definitely has some hot spots around the world - the Japanese are famous for loving karaoke, every major city in the US has it (it's a popular bar activity and name a city without numerous bars), and it's a big hit in college/university towns.
Lots of areas have actual karaoke publications. Here in the Seattle area, there's the Karaoke and Entertainment Guide at http://www.nwkaraoke.net/.
With Facebook, it's easy to start a local group, such as I did, with 50 members so far. Viewers can find out where the shows are each and every day, in Renton, where I live and love to go singing, seven days a week. What's so nice about our group, is we all know each other. Check it out at www.facebook/karaokerenton.com. In addition to the postings, there is a document listing all the venues in Renton and a few popular ones outside Renton.
I believe in supporting these local shows because they are closest to me and I want to continue to have great choices close to home where I can have a great time with friends. Yes, sometimes we'll leave our town of about 93,000 and go to a neighboring city (Seattle, Belleveue, Kent) - there are virtually over 100 venues with karaoke within a 50 mile radius here and we've been to lots of them. But in Renton alone, the number of shows varies from about 16 to 23 places.
It's always important to call before you head out to verify a show is on for the night. Shows come and go and you don't want to be waste your time and gas to find out there's nothing happening that night.
You'll also come across some amazing kj hosts that you'll be willing to follow around to where they have their shows because they are so dynamic and entertaining. Sign up to their facebook page and check out their info page because the savvy ones list their shows there so their fans can find them easily.
If you can't find a karaoke show close to home, maybe it's time to think about starting one yourself. Lots of people are upgrading from older systems to newer computerized ones so there some bargains to be found on http://www.craigslist.com/ or on http://www.ebay.com/. If you are serious about doing this, be sure to do the research as to what laws and regulations apply to running a show so you don't get in trouble with copyright laws. One major supplier of karaoke songs is http://www.soundchoice.com/. They spell out what is necessary to use their songs.
There is also information on the internet as what kind of equipment will help you provide the best show - what you need at a minimum, what would be ideal. Since the shows usually run into the night, you should be a night-kind-of-person. If the up front costs are too much for you to handle, maybe you can get a bar/restaurant to buy the equipment and you only host their show.
I'm not the best person to give you the guidance you need to try and get a show up running. But if you can't find a karaoke show, look a little harder.
The love and joy of singing is addictive. It bonds people together in a common interest, even if the songs one person likes is exactly the songs another person doesn't. If you've seen rap done well, you'll be impressed - it takes real talent. If you see a unique version of an old standard, hear a new song that delights you, hear someone sing who sounds like a foghorn, or sounds like an angel, it's entertainment. And it could be you next!
Hi Deb! My Frankfurt coaching class loves your ideas about how great karaoke is for so many people. I assigned them to each come up with a few more ideas for you. As you know, it's our goal to help you earn extra money with this wonderful passion of yours and they hope their ideas will help. They'll be trying to do with their clients in many cases and want to get really good at it.
ReplyDeleteHere are the Wishcraft rules for best brainstorming: Answer each idea by saying two things, in this order:
First, what you genuinely like about the idea.
Second, what doesn't work for you because you either don't enjoy it, or because it doesn't seem possible.
These two came in today:
Ideas for Deb:
- Karaoke Party Presenter
As I wrote in her blog, this is a job where you need the passion for Karaoke and I am sure, she has it. She could also present Karaoke on private parties. In Germany there are people who earn money this way.
- Writing a Karaoke Traveling Guide
I know you find a lot information about the local Karaoke pubs and parties in the internet. But I still don't know if the pub or the party is good, what kind of music they have for singing. I don`t know anything about the atmosphere and the people who go there. (A travel guide could be like a Zagat's, where you'd rate the pub as okay, friendly, professionals, or amateur night is on Wednesday, etc.)
some other ideas: why not combining travelling and karaoke? maybe you can offer karaoke trainings for passengers on cruise ships. you organize a karaoke evening (or let it organize) and offer workshops for the passengers who want to participate. show them how to do it, how fun it is, give opportunities to exercise a bit so they feel safe enough to do it in front of an audience?
ReplyDeletemaybe you get free travel for you and your partner in exchange?
or to make you more famous: maybe you can host a talk show in one of your favourite karaoke locations. talk about the benefits of karaoke (you're definitly an expert here!) choose other guests who love karaoke. invite the local press to report about. maybe invite a karaoke-crazy japanese to talk about the karaoke behaviours in japan. it would be really interesting for others, (me too!)
and then another idea: you love duets? do you? maybe you can start an afternoon workshop for parents and children to sing a duet together. children singing always are appealing for the audience. and it's a great opportunity to create closer relationships for parents and children, when they're trained together singing duets. imagine yourself.
(please don't mind my odd english :-)
loving regards,
claudia