Karaoke as a KJ

By Cynthia Jesseen

queen jesseen paintingI remember just going to karaoke on a Tuesday night at Baker Street with a group of friends to sing.

I know from personal experience how much fun I had.  Some of us drank and some of us didn’t. It didn’t matter. It was a good time and we got to be on the stage that so many of the entertainers in Tulsa have showcased their talents on.  We could kind of pretend that we were maybe famous for a moment.  My kids got to listen to me with my headphones on at home trying to learn my next karaoke song every week.  They would say “Mom! Please STOP!!!”  Oh, the love of children. And then there was the figuring out what I was going to wear. That was another big deal!  I mean I’m going to be on that stage and not just on that stage but SINGING on that stage. I better look the part!  It was kind of like playing dress up when your a kid and playing pretend…pretending your famous!  HaHa…I guess I’m a little bit of a nerd. But instead of wanting to be a superhero I want to be a ROCKSTAR!!!

Why am I a KJ?

  1. I love to sing so why not work in a field that I love and can enjoy?  
  2. It’s like going to a new show every night.  It might be the same place and you might hear a few of the same songs but there is something new every night.
  3. I’m super duper social and just love people in general so it fulfills that part of me.  
  4. I can sing to my Man publicly and make him feel like he’s VIP to all my shows…;)
  5. Last but not least. I work for myself, leaving me with endless possibilities to create a show to personally meet the needs, wants and desires of other fellow karaoke lovers like myself.  

So Who Comes To A Karaoke Show?

  • The passionate singer.  They love to sing and they love to sing from the bottom of their heart.  They hear a song that hits them to their very core and because they can sing (or not) they want to share that feeling with everyone. The world would be nice but really if they don’t get it out of their system they just might explode with emotion! They sing at home and quite often cry because of the passion that music holds whether listening to the song or singing it. And if they are really really good, believe me, they have cried.
  • The dreamer… .My favorites! These are the ones that you know sing fabulous privately but the stage scares the professional right out of them and you can hear the nervousness in their voice as they sing. And even though they have a star buried deep down inside of them and they have so many times imagined themselves on a stage entertaining the masses they can be the hardest to get up onto the stage. The most rewarding thing about the people like this is you get to see them overcome their stage fright as time goes on and then they thank you for helping them to achieve and overcome something they had deep inside of them because you told them a few times that you can see that they are really good and will learn to love the stage over time. And guess what! They do! And they are always the most excited to see you.  It’s like being a karaoke mommy.
  • The drunk singer. They don’t sing unless they are drunk.  This can be for many reasons. They don’t sing at all but they are drunk and it is after all karaoke so may as well join the party. Or they love to sing but singing in front of crowd scares them while sober, however, after two hours and several drinks and a couple shots they are ready to face the crowd!  Sometimes they are surprisingly good and you can’t help but feel discouraged that all this talent is being wasted on the fear of possible criticism. Or you can’t really make out what they are saying because they …well …are drunk …lol. And then there’s the drunk that want’s to sing along with everyone because they know they can make the song better. They didn’t even know there was going to be karaoke but since there is they want to help everyone by being a great backup singer for them.  This can be irritating at times but mildly entertaining.
  • The hard core Karaoke Singer!  They came to sing and they came to sing with singers.  They are pretty darn good and can’t understand why anyone who can’t sing would put a mic in their hand and punish everyone else!  I love these people for their dedication and true love for music.  They are part of the faithful regulars that really in their heart of hearts want to entertain and offer their talent free of charge or share a song from deep in their soul. Sometimes they come in groups. But let us all remember. Karaoke is like a party where everyone gets a chance to feel the power of the stage and being a star even if they have zero talent.  Why not!  Nobody else is going to let them except maybe their mother.  So be easy on ‘em guys.

What does it boil down to?cjnew

Karaoke isn’t just for anybody…it’s for EVERYBODY!  Whether you can sing or can’t sing, whether you love the stage or hide in a corner, whether you are alone or with a crowd,  whether you are looking for
something to do on a weekly basis or just one night of fun. And even if the only one in the whole world who ever asked you to sing a song for them is named MOM… You are welcome here.