How to Win a Karaoke Contest

Winning at karaoke can be a great rush. To be surrounded by cheering fans amid the white lights of a karaoke stage is thrilling. To be a karaoke winner, though, you have to be good. A good singer can become great, and a fair singer can become a little better, by being conscious of crowd dynamics and vocal qualities. Beyond that, it's all about natural talent and an element of chance.

Instructions

1. Know your lyrics. Just like a politician or a rock star, the karaoke champ has to have a good idea of what she is saying, or singing. Sure, you have the prompter, but that's supposed to be a resource, not a crutch.

2. Hone your voice. Practice at home: try to "renovate" your singing voice into a great, smooth voice with its own elements that make it uniquely yours. Imitating other singers is fine, but add your own personal elements.

3. Don't let emotions (or drink) get in the way. Karaoke is first and foremost about fun, but if you want to really shine at the mic, try mixing that wild, fun feeling with a little common sense, and keep squealing and giggling out of the mix.

4. Do your best material. Find a style of song that you do really well and stick to it. Experimenting on stage is a vital part of karaoke, but you may not sound as good. Save that for the after-hours karaoke.

5. Play to the crowd. Karaoke is judged in the court of public opinion. Playing to the crowd involves a number of different elements: eye contact, charisma, mood, conversation with the audience and so forth. Don't force it, just act natural, and they'll love you for being yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• Karaoke contenders must have thick skins. A lot of heckling can sometimes take place. Feelings can get hurt. It's best to take a devil-may-care approach and have a couple of zingers ready to hand out to hecklers. Don't get stared down on stage; take the fight to the hecklers and beat them at their own game.

Resources

• Karaoke Superstars
• Karaoke contest rules