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Here's a LOOONNNG one from my archives. Explains it pretty much like it is... without the added "garnish." I will begin handing this to everyone that comes up to me and say; "I wanna be a host!
Dear New Host:
The first piece of advice I always give is to take a quick look at your motives for becoming a KJ before making such a big investment....and it is a BIG investment, if you do it right.
Forgive my bluntness, but I like to give you the cold hard facts about the job and how important your motives are, since most people won't. I am NOT trying to discourage you...just giving you all the info to consider before you open your wallet, so take it with a grain (or boxcar) of salt.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself....
# 1. DO YOU WANT TO BE A "STAR"?
If you want to be a "legitimate musician", be a star, make records, work on Broadway, or be a "big shot" of any kind in the entertainment industry, please don't host karaoke.
If you want to "be a star", you owe it to yourself to go chase after that dream, because karaoke will never be able to fill that void for you, and it's not fair to expect it to.
If you don’t follow your dream, then chances are you’ll eventually get a bad attitude, make everybody's lives miserable in the process (including yours) and end up selling your stuff for half of what you paid for it. Think about this question CAREFULLY, because if you're “settling” for karaoke because you don't think you can make it anywhere else, you will be horribly disappointed.
# 2. DO YOU EXPECT TO SING ALL THE TIME?
If you want to sing all night, walk away now. One of the surest ways to kill a show is for the host to hog the mic. It's rare that I sing more than two songs all night....the opening song, and the closing song. If there's more than four (4) singers, I drop out of the rotation. The show is for the singers, not the host. If you plan to try making a show into your own private showcase, don't bother becoming a KJ because you won't succeed. You need to be good enough to carry the show by yourself, but only if there are no other options.
Regardless of what they say to puff up your ego, the bottom line is that the singers came to sing, not to hear you sing. If you can't handle this concept, you're in trouble before you even start.
If you need to “scratch the itch” to sing, it’s best to go to somewhere else to scratch it so you’re not inclined to use your own show. Karaoke can be a drug, and what was that old drug dealer's saying they used in Scarface? "Don't get high on your own supply." Good advice.
# 3. ARE YOU COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER SINGERS?
If you compete with your own singers, you're dead. If you are threatened by singers who are better than you (and there WILL be some, no matter how good you are) you're dead. I have actually known KJs who will deliberately mal-adjust the sound to make a good singer sound bad because they were jealous.
If you feel this way, please don't host.
If you are an excellent singer, you will learn that it can be in your best interest to tone it down a bit at your own show. If you're percieved as trying to "show up" the singers, they will abandon you. Not only that, but if you go out there and blast one right off the bat, those poor new people who might have tried karaoke could be scared off, thinking they have to be as good as you.
# 4. DO YOU NEED A LOT OF VALIDATION?
Some people think that becoming a KJ will raise them up a few notches on the social strata, and that everybody will automatically be even more supportive of them when they sing. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
You will be criticized more than regular singers, people will sometimes snicker at your job, and your talent will often be taken for granted. Even when you give an outrageous performance on a song, you will recieve much less applause than you did when you were "just a singer", since you are expected to give a good performance because you're now a host.
# 5. ARE YOU A SELF-APPOINTED VOCAL COACH OR MUSIC CRITIC?
One of the hardest things to do as a host is to resist the urge to tell others how to sing and what they're doing wrong. It is imperative that hosts never criticize or offer unwanted advice.
People are very vulnerable when they step up on stage, and the LAST thing they need to hear about afterward is what they did wrong.
If they ask for advice, if you agree to give it at all (which I generally don't) it needs to be very gentle and encouraging. Your singers trust you to protect them so don't betray their trust.
If you criticize your singers, especially within earshot of them, you're dead. If you think it's funny to put others down, this job is not for you.... you can only do damage.
I look at it this way; anybody who gets up there deserves respect and support just by virtue of their courage alone. Whether they can sing or not is irrelevant.
# 6. DO YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN BARROOM GOSSIP?
One of the hardest things about this job is to stay out of the gossip arena, and separate yourself from the soap opera that is the bar scene. If you decide to do this job, you may find that it's healthier to distance yourself a bit from the "customers" and their personal dramas.
You'll develop your own method of coping, but mine is that the job is the job, and my private life is my private life, and I keep the two separate. I don't "hang out" with regulars outside the show.
You can work in the scene, but if you really want to succeed, be careful not to let it work into you.
Realistically, this job can drive you crazy sometimes. That's why it's important to cultivate good relationships with other KJs so that you can have someone to safely "vent" your frustrations to.
If you need to bitch about stuff that happens at a show, or singers who grind your butt, "vent" to another KJ you trust. Never gripe to a customer about another customer, or allow customers to criticize each other.... It’ll kill your show FAST.
# 7. DO YOU EXPECT TO MAKE BIG MONEY?
Here's a biggie. This is a labor of love. Even if you're great at this job, it ain't never gonna make you a million bucks.
I make very good money compared to the industry standard, and still barely break even, because so much of it goes right back into the business. Bottom line, it'll nickel and dime you to death....and the outlay doesn't stop with the initial investment.
If you want to stay current, expect to lay out at least $200-300 minimum for music and expenses PER MONTH. If you don't spend it all that particular month, I'd advise you throw it into an emergency fund for equipment replacements.... you’ll need it eventually....trust me.
Okay...let's pause and step back for a second. If it seems like I'm painting a grim picture of hosting, it's mostly because, going in, so many people think it's all wine and roses.... but nobody tells you the downside, so I do. If you said yes to any of the above questions, you need to think carefully before you take on this job.
I just believe in going in with your eyes open. It's give-and-take, just like anything else. KJing can be one of the best jobs you'll ever have.... if you have the right attitude. If you do this right, you can work where you want, when you want, for the amount of money you want (more or less), you make the rules and you have a lot of freedom.... it’s great.
Plus, if you are careful and considerate of other KJs (which is in your best interest to do), you have the peace of mind that comes from doing a job that doesn't hurt anyone else and brings a little magic into people's lives at the same time.
The bottom line is that hosting karaoke is really good stuff, as long as you don't expect it to be something it isn't.
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