You pitch your friends the idea of becoming a regular at karaoke: "You know what? I’m gonna start karaoke-ing every week!" In return for your brilliant idea, you wait for the applause, a few tears of joy, maybe even a bouquet of flowers, some fainting and an express-delivery order of T-shirts displaying your face, lauding your splendor.
But instead of encouragement and the well-merited applause, you only get worried looks and phoney smiles. "But can you even sing?”, "You think you are really ready to go on stage in front of lots of others?”, "Do you even know the words?” Or again, "You should think of warming up… We are just looking out for your best!" As if you had announced your ambition to join the IronMan, never before having participated in any sporting competition and with just over a week before the race.
Karaoke is not a singing contest
The shyest of you are afraid of grabbing the microphone, as if it were your first appointment at the dentist who’s only material are a saw and pliers. And yet, 99.99% of karaoke participants will tell you the same thing just after having grabbed the microphone: "In the end, it was awesome!" So have that in mind before attacking letting fear take over: all that’s at risk is having too much fun.
In summary: a chair with a famous singer isn’t going to spin around (or not) at the end of your performance and nobody is ready and waiting to press the "X" button.
The secret: self-deprecation
A karaoke public is, in the majority of cases, the perfect audience. The karaoke public is looking for a good time alongside other participants but not dependant on them. Make sense? An on-stage appearance will never be more warmly received than in the presence of participants who themselves manage to overcome their discomfort by showing a good dose of self-deprecating. Even if you butcher "I Will Always Love You," don’t do things halfway, complete the song by giving your all with the assurance of an operatic singer.
Imagine Michael Jordan, lacing up skates and jumping in the ice rink. Would it attract nasty mockery for his incompetence as a skater or rather public sympathy for the fact that he is trying? You already know the answer.
In summary: the public has a more sensitive zygomatic bone (the bone that allows you to smile) than eardrums.
No need for antidepressants!
Go out, find your friends and make others, laugh, let go, have fun in choosing a song that you like, and singing with all you’ve got... With this one simple activity, in just one evening, you reinforce and create social bonds, and any self-sabotaging and negative thoughts are expelled. It's been proven that singing can even make mental tensions disappear.
Have you been dumped? Go on, belt out "All By Myself" (we highly recommended that you switch songs after your third time though!). Your boss makes your life impossible, choose Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me!"
In summary: karaoke is a real catharsis.
Karaoke is not a competition...
So, yes, singing at a professional level requires technical knowledge, lots of preparation, etc., but it has never been said that karaoke was reserved for the pros!
Back to the Michael Jordan reference…. it's not because Jordan played solely for the Chicago Bulls that non-Chicagoan basketballers of varying expertise should be deprived of playing with him. Karaoke is first and foremost an entertainment, a shared activity, which is to be practiced in a good mood and good will, without any judgment.
In summary: singing is not reserved for those who do it well, but for those who want to do good!
... But karaoke can be a sport
Do you know how many muscles are solicited when you sing? No less than 300, which accounts for a majority of facial muscles! Who needs Botox?! In addition, the impact on health is equally beneficial. Take breathing for example. Singing can be very beneficial in the case of those with sleeping disorders. A study conducted by in Wales has even shown that singing reduced stress and strengthened the immune system through the production of cytokine which helps cell production and the immune system.
In short: karaoke is good for your health!
