Though they secretly desire to sing in public, some people never actually get a chance because they simply cannot get up the guts to do so. Social media users were recently asked about their musical motivation and the
majority of the replies were variations of the following:
- Tequila
- Love for singing and music/get the performance bug
- Pushed up there by friends
- Partnering with someone
- For a bet or on a dare
There are primarily four different types of singers in conjunction with their karaoke convictions: 1) Those who can sing well and know it. These confident crooners will happily sing in front of anyone and are generally frequent karaoke customers who have no problem stealing the stage. These puffed up performers can tend to ham it up as well but they are easy on the ears so it’s worth it. 2) Those who can sing and don’t know it. These shy songsters may sing in private but just can’t seem to muster the moxie to perform for a crowd. Usually they are generally introverted and insecure but may eventually respond to gentle, consistent nudging. Looking at the lyrics and not the audience can help. 3) Those who seriously consider themselves to have pitch perfect pipes but are in fact, probably tone deaf. These eager yet ignorant ear splitters also come to karaoke nights and if anything, they provide let’s say….a different type of entertainment. 4) Those that are neither notably talented nor terrible. The people in this category may sing in the shower, the car or perhaps a home karaoke machine but have a somewhat difficult time sharing their voice in public. These singers can be diamonds in the rough, adequate entertainment (and some should just stick to their acoustic soapy walls). I believe I fall into the latter level. I don’t think my vocals are velvet but I also don’t think they peel the paint off the walls either. I used to have a tough time getting up to sing in front of people, so I tried these useful tips: 1) Practice, practice, practice! Singing in the car is a productive use of traffic time! 2)
Try singing in front of a friend or a small crowd first. 3) Choose short songs that
are easy to sing (or that most people haven’t heard of) 4) Just go for it – the nerves tend to go away once you let yourself get lost in the rhythm of the song. And number 5: Sure, I have imbibed for inspiration before – a little liquid courage goes a long way. I do think that you have to believe in yourself and find the bravery outside of inhibition-losing libations as well. No matter how hard it is to get up there, remember what Bob Marley said: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”