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Old March 1st, 2007, 07:27 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC, USA
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My 2 cents...


First, we are talking about ENTERTAINERS... not Doctors, Lawyers, Professors. To be good at anything, you must have been born with that Talent. You can polish a skill you learn, but you can't gain a new Talent if your spirit didn't have it already when you were born.

Professional for KJ/DJ I believe means "Making an income at it", versus being a hobby. It requires one thing to be respected as a "Pro" (versus just called pro)... a God given Talent. If you have an entertainment Talent, people wll come and pay to watch you. It can be a VOICE Talent, or an EAR Talent to make others sound good, or a people Motivation Talent to encourage others to do their best. It also takes the right mix of ego and respect to be a "Pro". Personally, I find DJ's to be ego laden and rude-fully loud, while Karaoke Hosts are respectful of their singers and audience.

I have seen many home users discover they have a Talent to entertain and help others by Hosting karaoke "sings" at home. Then, they get asked to do a Birthday party, or the Elks Lodge banquet. Then, someone with a Bar or Restaurant asks them what they would charge to do a show at their venue... their Talent has been discovered... and the hobbist turns "pro", earning an income.

In 1999, after talking to thousands of "KJs" and singers, it became obvious to me there are two classes of persons running karaoke shows:

1. Most KJs are basically disc shufflers. They don't have a console, they skimp on equipment, they don't have the "ear" to mix good sound so they crank up the volume to overwhelm you, they are more likely to have bootleg songs, and some work for close to nothing just to be the "big cheese". Their ego is inflated, but their shows are deflating.

2. HOSTs... have heart... and use a mix console to make their singers sound good, AND entertain the audience. Many are recording studio engineers, or singers turned Host because they have a TALENT to mix the audio live, AND... entertain and motivate the audience to get up and "risk it all". It takes real heart to be a Host... a true desire to help someone find the type of music that best fits their voice, and a song they can sing. Sometimes it takes joining them to keep them on stage versus bolting and never attempting karaoke again. It takes sincere encouragement to turn a meek spirit into an Entertainer on stage. To me, that defines a Professional Host.

Singing karaoke on stage is TOTALLY different from listening or dancing to music... be it a Juke, a Band, or a DJ. You are up there alone. You must overcome the fear of going on stage. You WILL experience an Adrenalin rush - the "fight or flight" hormone - to either bask in the applause or head for the door. You will do the best you can... if the Host has built you and others up over the evening. Humans know respect and love, and our spirit responds to it.

Karaoke, in my humble opinion, has the power to change the human spirit. It can lift a common person... who may be too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, pure ugly or just plain... and give them a chance in the spotlight to show their Talent. As we all know, there are those with Talent, and those with NONE, and their physical appearance has nothing to do with their Talent. If they are rich they may dress well. If they are poor, they don't. But a Talented voice... even in a drab garb... can bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

When you attend a Karaoke show where your spirit is lifted, you know you are in the presence of a Talented Host. It is an evening to remember, and you want to come again. To me, this is a "Professional" entertainer.

I have never been in any situation where a DJ did anything but strut their ego as they try to "bring the house down". In fact, I used to go away emotionally drained, versus my spirit lifted up. My ears hurt after a DJ'd show.

Sometimes my heart hurts after a Karaoke show, but I respect those who got up the nerve to try, even if their talent was still a bit raw. Over time with more practice, you have the joy to see their spirit shine... the glint in their eyes comes alive, even after a draining day at work.

My wife and I visited Alanross' show in Nags Head, NC. There was a rather gangly fellow who got up several times and sang British songs. Every song he entertained us. Alan explained that this fellow, who clearly was shy to go on stage, months ago didn't know what to sing. Alan encourage him, listened to him, and guided him into British songs. What I saw was a PERFORMER on stage, who earned his applause. Then, I watched him return to his meek self afterwards... but his spirit was glowing. The evening was a success, and one we will never forget. I observed the best of Karaoke... a HOST who cared for and worked his audience, and a common man who truly ENTERTAINED us with "his" songs.

Professionally hosted karaoke shows feed the spirit...
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