I believe the first time I heard the word karaoke was while watching a Doogie Howser, M.D. episode. An orderly named Raymond mentions to Doogie that he and some other staff members had gone to a karaoke bar the evening before after working the late shift. Doogie, being a precocious young man, informs Raymond he is pronouncing karaoke incorrectly and tells him karaoke means "empty voice" in Japanese.
I think the first time I ever saw people perform karaoke was during my first hospitalization for anorexia nervosa. The activities therapy staff thought an afternoon of karaoke in the hospital gymnasium would be fun for all of the patients on the psychiatric units including the eating disorder patients. I remember one young man doing a splendid rendition of "After the Lovin'" made famous by Engelbert Humperdinck. I think I joined some other patients in singing "Bust a Move" made famous by Young MC. But, the tempo was too fast and the rapping lyrics too tricky for us to keep up with so we gave a pitiful performance.
During another hospitalization years later I would encounter karaoke again. I refused to get up and sing and resigned myself to simply watching other patients perform. I was impressed when one male patient performed "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin. I'm not suggesting it was a great performance. I imagine it had a few people laughing and rolling their eyes. But, it was an ambitious song choice and he really gave it his all. After he performed I even said, "Good job. I really liked it."
After that hospitalization I ended up living in a residential care facility (RCF) for a while. It was kind of a cross between a nursing home and an asylum. Once again I encountered karaoke. One day, perhaps during a holiday or celebration, a karaoke machine and microphones were set up in the basement. I joined in singing that time. I think I sang with a trio performing "Ring of Fire" popularized by Johnny Cash. I also sang a duet with another guy. I think it was rock song from the 1980s. We ad-libbed some parts we knew from the radio version of the song even though those words didn't appear on the lyrics shown on the karaoke screen. I had a lot of fun and one of the nursing aides told me I had a nice singing voice.
Why is it that I've only encountered karaoke when in a hospital or living in an institution? I guess karaoke has become a standard activity in those types of places just like playing bingo. When I've been healthier and feeling better I still don't have much of a social life. So, I guess taking part in karaoke just never happened out in the real world. I had a co-worker at Wal-Mart whose girlfriend was very good at karaoke and I believe she even won a karaoke contest. So, karaoke is around. I've just never had the courage to step out and join in the fun.
Did you know that some establishments allow you to book a private karaoke room? I thought part of the fun was supposed to be singing in front of a group. But, some people enjoy having drinks and singing with an exclusive group. Sometimes couples book a room and sing duets together. Probably not something one would do on a first date I imagine. And, I'm sure you know that people can purchase their own karaoke machines for home use. The karaoke business continues to grow.
A time existed, however, when essentially no one had heard of karaoke in the U.S. Sure, we sang along to the songs on the radio or records perhaps using a hairbrush or other prop as a microphone. Sometimes we butchered the lyrics because we didn't really know the words. But, nothing like karaoke existed.
What we did have though were air band contests. Air band contests involve groups of people performing in sync with recorded music. Except there's no instruments involved. Individuals are pretending to play instruments. They are miming the playing of instruments while lip-syncing to the vocals. For instance, you pretend to play a guitar while strumming the air. Hence, the term air band. Some competitions involve playing exclusively air guitar or just lip-syncing.
One man reminiscing about his experiences growing up in the 1980s writes, "In high school the performances were legendary as groups of cliquey friends would take the stage to perform their favorite bands’ greatest hit. Homages to ZZ Top replete with long beards and fuzzy guitars were popular. Tributes to giants of cheese like Journey or Foreigner often brought the house down. And risqué songs were especially appreciated with the oldest kids striving to push the envelope of decorum with the teachers. This line was notably crossed when a group of hockey jocks performed “Big Balls" by AC/DC complete with softballs stuffed down black nylons hung around their necks."
When I was in college a local bar held an air band competition one evening. I didn't take part but it was fun watching. The only performance I seem to recall is a group of guys performing an amazing rendition of "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. The vocalist lip-syncing to Brian Johnson's lyrics did very well. And, I was quite familiar with the song so I knew when the guitar solo was going to happen. I have to admit I didn't have much faith in the young man to pull it off but he did an amazing air guitar solo.
I have a little fantasy that if I could go back in time I could join the air band competition that evening lip-syncing to "Adducted to Love" by Robert Palmer. But, could I have convinced five young ladies to join me wearing tight black dresses and high voltage red lip gloss with their hair slicked back? The ladies in the iconic video with Palmer weren't playing the instruments anyway not that anyone minded.
And, the character Duckie Dale lip-synced to Otis Redding singing "Try a Little Tenderness" in the movie Pretty in Pink.
We all want to be that talented and cool.
I bet people still pretend to be playing a keyboard when Van Halen's "Jump" comes on the radio and they hear that iconic synthesizer intro.
I recall Ellen DeGeneres talking about lip-syncing in one of her stand up routines. She said something like, "You ever lip-sync to records and pretend you're the singer. You use your hairbrush for a microphone as you lip-sync to the record. And when the song is over you run back to your bedroom and pretend it's your dressing room. And then you start eating some fruit because you pretend that someone sent you a fruit basket. And then you start swigging champagne and snorting cocaine."
Then she looks at the audience and delivers the punch line, "You all do that, right?"
I think people are fairly kind when it comes to judging a karaoke performance. No one expects you to be amazing. No one cares if you make mistakes unless it's an actual contest, of course.
Rob Sheffield, author of Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke, writes, "If you’re someone like me, a fan who loves music but could never hack it as a musician, karaoke changes everything. It unlocks the door to center stage. It’s a safe and welcoming place where anyone can join in the music. So even if you never summoned the courage or skill to cross that line from fan to participant, karaoke is something anybody can do."
Writer Niels Footman expresses something similar in regards to his karaoke experiences in Asia. He writes, "There was an undeniable sense of camaraderie, a feeling that tonight, at least, everyone was as one in the crucible of behaving very foolishly indeed."
Air band competitions also offer a safe haven for people to let loose and have some fun. Air band contests are mainly just a fun form of entertainment though some individuals do take their air guitar skills rather seriously. Yes, there is an Air Guitar World Championships. But, for the most part it's fine to do cheesy, campy performances when performing in an air band.
But, talent shows like American Idol or The X Factor are another matter altogether. Judges like Simon Cowell can be brutal. Perhaps judges believe it's better to be blunt and to the point. They don't have time to play nice. Maybe they think it's better to be honest and let someone know their singing voice stinks. And, let's face it sometimes people do stink.
Evidently some people aren't very good at gauging their own level of singing ability. Sometimes a contestant auditions and the judges are cringing and the viewers like you and I are as well. They can't sing and yet are oblivious to their lack of talent. I know I'm not a great singer. I know that on a good day I can carry a tune but I have a realistic idea of my singing ability.
Some contestants get upset and are genuinely surprised when they're told their performance is subpar. Do you recall William Hung? He was a sweet guy and thought he was really nailing his performance when Simon Cowell told him bluntly that he obviously couldn't dance or sing. Paula had been smiling supportively during William's performance while Randy was laughing so hard he finally covered his face. Yes, William's performance was cringe-worthy. But, who am I to judge? William kind of had the last laugh by becoming a bit famous for a while and actually making some money through his passion for singing.
Maybe we shouldn't be too hard on contestants. Perhaps several times in their lives they've been given the well-intentioned message that they can be and do whatever they want in life. Maybe they've heard stories about Elvis Presley receiving a C in music class and being told by his teacher that he had no aptitude for singing. When Elvis was a little older he auditioned for a group only to be told to stick to truck driving "because you're never going to make it as a singer." We've all heard stories about famous people being told they had no talent.
Still, it concerns me that perhaps I'm not a very good judge of my own abilities when it comes to certain activities. I like to write and I've gotten a lot of positive comments about my ability. But, I've also received some friendly criticism as well. How does one know if they are truly talented at something?
I know it's okay to do an activity regardless. If you like to sing or dance or do whatever just for you that's perfectly fine.
I suppose I wish the world could be as kind and forgiving as a karaoke audience. It's nice when people don't expect you to be perfect and don't mind if you make mistakes. They lift you up and support you and cheer you on.
I guess sometimes in life we do have to be nearly perfect. A doctor can't afford to be merely adequate at his of her job although I'm sure even they make mistakes and could use a bit of compassion, acceptance, support, and encouragement at times.
But, we certainly don't need to be perfect at everything.
Remember what Karen Carpenter sang:
Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud, sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad
Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song
