rate of pay around the country.

[bryant]

Out of curiosity, what seems to make Alan Rosses show a whole lot different than the others who may be simply call up singers one at a time like everyone else.

What else does he do?

[alanross]

First I want to thank muzicman144 for the very kind words. Next time you're in the neighborhood, please identify yourself to me so I can thank you personally.

Please understand, although I may not feel completely worthy of your praise, it would be disingenuous of me to disagree with your assessment.

But seriously, to answer Bryant's question, "...what seems to make Alan Rosses show a whole lot different than the others..."

Bryant, I wish I knew exactly what it was that draws people to our show, but the truth is, I think it's one of those intangible things that defies description.

When I knock on doors to sell our shows to new venues, I tell them about our format and the manner in which we approach the shows, but in the end, I invariably have to tell them that to really understand, they have to come out and see the show. Once they see it, we get booked.

When people ask me what they can do to make their shows better, I tell them this:
First, it's not a matter of being better. It's a different approach that works for our area. What works for us, may not work in other areas and vise versa. I went to a show on Bourbon Street in New Orleans (pre-Katrina) and found a show that works perfectly for that street, but would fail miserably in our area. So the first thing you have to do is understand your client base and the flow of traffic in and out of your venue.

Second, we have to have rules. People like structure. They like to be treated fairly and they like to be able to enjoy themselves in a safe environment. You will always have some who dislike the rules, but the majority of people appreciate them. Some of the rules include, no swearing on the mic; no drinking or smoking on the stage; no one is allowed to jump up and start singing with someone unless they are invited and are not already in the rotation; the rotation is the bible and we don't deviate from it; everyone gets one turn on stage in each rotation - period; new vocalists wanting to sing after the first rotation are added into the rotation every other song so there isn't a two hour wait to sing their first song. Detailing why these work would take a whole volume so I'll try to move on.

This all leads up to the third, but most important point which is to respect the vocalists. Karaoke is all about the audience and when someone steps up onto that stage, it is the hosts' responsibility to help them shine.
We work hard to give them the best quality sound for their voice, which means adjusting each person and each song constantly throughout the night.

We also police the stage to prevent unwanted distractions. Anyone messing with the vocalist is messing with the show and that's unacceptable. Good singers don't want to sing with crappy sound and drunken idiots jumping up to "help" them sing.

You don't have to have the most expensive system, you just need to know how to tweak it. I've tried to train all our employees to adjust the sound for each vocalist to make the room sound like it is a concert hall.

We also never compete with our vocalists. I've seen shows where the host is so insecure that when a good vocalist comes in and gets a huge response from the crowd, the host will try singing their big song to show that they can sing too. This is childish. Embrace great vocalists. Give them their props. The audience will appreciate you much more if you are secure enough in yourself to let others shine. There have been many many people that sing way, Way, WAY better than I do, and I love it! It makes for a great show that people want to come watch. This is all part of creating an environment in which great vocalists want to be. You get better singers, you get more audience. You get more audience and the bar gets more patrons - more patrons, more revenue = job security.


Finally, Give your show a more professional look. There are several ways to do this.
1) Dress appropriately. Even If you're doing a show in a local bar, dress one step up from the majority of the patrons. If everyone else is in t-shirts and shorts, wear a button down shirt and jeans. If you're in a Country Club, wear a suit. Always look your best for the environment.
2) Have good looking song books and request slips. Use a graphic designer if design isn't your strong suit. Make your books and slips look like they were made by a professional. Then, keep your books clean. This can be a nightmare, but no one likes to open a song book that's been abused, had drinks spilled on it, has unsolicited comments written on the pages, or is unorganized. Make your books user friendly by thinking about it this way... Think about the one person you respect the most. Whether it's a family member, a friend or a celebrity, think about how proud you would be for the person you most respect to see your song book. If you can see them being impressed with your song books and requests slips, then you've got it right.
3) Don't drink while working. If you stay sharp, people will respect that you know what you're doing.
4) Find someone in your area who has solid, reliable sound design experience. Ask them to help you find the best way to set up your system to get the best quality sound while being as inobtrusive as possible. You want the audience to hear the sound without necessarily being aware of the equipment it takes to produce it. This means tucking cords in so they're not seen, getting a road case that keeps your equipment neat and positioning things so the vocalists can really take the spotlight. I've seen shows where the host puts a table on the floor, puts their equipment together on it and has wires hanging all over the place and it looks really unprofessional.
5) Be professional and respectful in your delivery. As you introduce people up to sing, leave no dead air. Ad lib, improvise, repeat their name, ask people to tip the bartender, whatever, just don't leave any dead air hanging while you wait for the next vocalist to begin. Some KJs fill this time in with music, but my feeling is, if you are letting people take that much time to get up to the stage, your show is dragging. Keep things moving. Pick on people who are taking their time to get up to the mic., but do it in a nice way. Never be outright insulting.

The bottom line is, I've seen many good shows, but the best are the ones that are polished and sharp. The host has a great personality and from song to song there is a really good tempo to the hosts' delivery. Remain upbeat and enthusiastic and that energy will transfer over to the audience. The host must set the tone and be fully aware of the energy in the room. A good host can read the crowd and adjust their own energy to accommodate.

This is what I do and it works for us. As I said, it may not work for your area, but don't be afraid to try something different. We are also blessed by having what I like to call, drunken Karaoke shows to the North and South of us. Most of the really wild, drunken people hang out in those places and allow us to shine. Not that we don't get our share of drunks who get up and try to slur out a song, but by having a number of good vocalists, the drunks are more comic relief for the audince rather than being the obnoxious frontrunners. When the drunks outnumber the rest of the audience, they set the tone for the show rather than the host. This is a disaster.

Well, I don't know if I've answered your question, but to the best of my knowledge, that's what separates our shows from the rest. I'll let muzicman144 give you his take on it and see if anything I said makes sense to him or if he has other reasons for his opinion.

- Alan Ross

[alanross]

To muzicman144:
While I certainly appreciate that you think I deserve to be a One Man Show, and I cannot thank you enough for the huge compliment, I am very comfortable in my skin as I am. When I was younger, I wanted all the fame and fortune and tried to pursue that career, but as I started getting more and more recognition, I realized that I value my personal life and privacy too much to really make it big.

I have also discovered the joy that comes from helping others realize their dreams. As a KJ, I have the honor and priviledge to give other people the opportunity to expose a side of themselves they may not have been able to in any other venue. I've seen people with huge insecurities, find a home with Karaoke and develop a sense of self-worth - even if it's just in one area of their lives. There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction that comes with helping someone find something that makes them a more complete person. To watch someone blossom because of something you encouraged them to try is the greatest reward I get from this career.

My dirty little secret is that I am actually very shy and when I pull on the cloak of Alan Ross (my stage name, not my birth name), I become the performer people expect. My dear friends have some idea of who I really am, but only my wife has any idea what really makes me tick and how I feel about myself.

Crowds make me neverous and uncomfortable, which is why I need the mask of my stage personae to do what I do. I am very insecure about my abilities, but the Alan Ross character slips on and off the stage with ease. At home, my wife will tell you what a clutz I am and how silly I can be.

I say all this to let other people know that they can do what I do if they have a desire. I have always wanted to be a showman, but with limited talent, I had to develop skills. I was not blessed as some people are with natural talent. I've worked hard to grow and develop the skills necessary for a performance artist. It did help to be a big ham as a child, but that was to try to get attention as the "middle" child in a large family.

I spent years listening and disecting great vocalists and trying to duplicate in my voice what they do with theirs. I studied hard and learned how to use my voice to maintain proper pitch, tone and power. I've never had any professional vocal training, but I highly recommend it. I have sought the wisdom of great vocalists I've been fortunate enough to meet over the years and those with the best voices have learned the same skills I try to use. It's a learning process and every year, I try to improve. It is a lifelong commitment and it requires consistant training. You can never stop learning how to improve.

I've been in the entertainment field for the past 28 years and I am just now starting to feel like I can sing. I am better than I ever was, but I still have so much to learn and there is tremendous room for improvement. I used to say, if it takes until I'm 93 and I have to become the oldest New Recording Artist at the Grammy's, I'll keep trying. But truly, my focus has shifted from being very ego-centric to wanting to be a catalyst for other people to shine. It's much more rewarding.

But you have to have a tough skin. Not everyone is going to like you. There are certainly people who do not like me, but they respect what I do and they do not cause trouble. I've learned to accept those people that don't like me, so long as they don't disrupt the shows. Take me out back and kick my butt if you want, but don't do anything to make the audience uncomfortable or you will see another side. When I'm at work, I am all about the show. The audience doesn't care if I've got the flu, or if I'm in a bad mood. They are there to be entertained and forget their troubles. It's my job to give them that escape. This is what drives me.

Everyone has troubles and I consider my self blessed. I have a good job, a good home and a wife that loves me. Who am I to bring my troubles out to a show with me in front of people who may be in far more distress than I can imagine. We've had the priviledge to meet and perform for people with Cancer, MS, paralysis, heart disease, strokes, family problems, and even missing limbs. It is humbling to have these people make a special trip to our venue because they are made to feel appreciated and special. With our schedule, we don't usually do shows at Nursing Homes or Special Care facilities, these people come out to see us. What an honor.

My greatest honor is to perform for members of the military. I have the greatest respect for them and I'm not afraid to show it. I was fortunate to be living here, near where the Wright Brothers took their first historic flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. In 2003, we celebrated the Centennial Of Flight and celebrities of all kinds came to the celebration. One of the original surviving Tuskegee Airmen came out to one of my shows and I became very emotional when, after singing "God Bless The USA" in his honor, he came over and shook my hand. What a moment! Later that evening, one of the officials of the Centennial celebration, who'd been watching the show, invited me to perform during the ceremonies - on the main stage, where people like Chuck Yager, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Travolta and President Bush all made their presentations. I will never forget that feeling!!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate the very kind things you have said about me, and for others to know that they can do it too. I don't often get the kind of positive feedback you would think. It's become expected and most KJs have learned that they don't get nearly the kind of audience response when they're working as they do when they visit a new area and sing. People grow used to you and eventually expect you to be good, so you don't often get the high praise. It's always appreciated and it's not going to my head, so keep it coming!! (just kidding)

- Alan Ross

Sorry I'm so long winded!! I'll bet Bryant's sorry he ever opened the door.

[muzicman144]

To answer the question of the difference in a Alan Ross show and others is not simple. I mainly mentioned his show, and i have seen karaoke shows up and down the east coast for years, because of the very things he just mentioned. He takes care of the little details that semi and non professionals ignore. Neat stage, stage presence, quality sound and the knowledge to adapt that sound to make the less talented singer sound better, and the good singer sound even better. So many times i have seen the kj set his sound and never change it except for the volumne knob. Lastly, there is very little dead time (ten silent seconds is an eternity of emptiness on stage), and he is a professional entertainer. Now, i don't Personally know Alan, but used him simply as the professional kj who runs the type of show that will always get the top dollar in any area he chooses to play in, as would anyone else who runs this caliber of show.
The reason for this thread is to discuss the rate of pay across the country. One kj show in Miami, Fl. may get $150 and another may get $400. at the same place. Pretty easy to see why this is so. Bottom line is, if you aren't the one getting top dollar in your area, chances are you don't have to look very far to find out the reason. No one deserves more money simply because someone else is getting more than they do.
I don't intend to step on anyone's toes and these are my opinions only.

May your show always be appauded
muzicman144

[kilith]

I also run my shows like Alan does. Only difference I have is if a new singer comes up I just add them right into the end of the current rotation. It works pretty well and some singers are exceited to get up right away.

I am from Minnesota orginally. Now live in Iowa. One of my best bookings is in Wisconsin where I make from $300-$600 depending on if it is a holiday or not. Yes they have local KJ's... but I have seen their shows and there is much to be desired from them to be nice. Not to mention but there seem to be a ton of fights that go on when the local KJ's play. So I get asked to drive 241 miles one way just to do a show in a VERY small town of only 200 or so and make $300+. The best night in Wisconsin is New Years Eve... The bars do not close!! So that means I can make up to $600 in one night. (stupid Packers played this last NYE and I had to start 2 hours late kind of sucked lol) but still made $500 on the night so not a total loss.

Weddings are becoming very big in karaoke now days... Already been booked for 4 or 5 weddings for this year already. (this is with DJ services as well) It is very nice as of being a KJ before I added on DJ so I can blow any regular DJ out of the water in song selection. Wold you believe that on top of most DJ who charge from 700-800 for 4 hours they have karaoke add on for $375 on top of their $700-800!!! That is very insane and this is after looking at the DJ's 500-1000 song selection book. Pretty sad how much they rip off the public lol. I am sorry I have been DJing for about 5 or 6 years now and been a KJ for around 10... DJing is 100 times easier then being a KJ... DJ there is very little to do but keep the crowd in it where KJ... you gotta GET the crowd into it in the first place set up more equipment (cause I do use full lighting in my karaoke shows just like I do for DJ or DJ/KJ shows gives a more spiced up mood) but incluse the TV and cables mics other tvs in the bars and then slips, books, rotations, fairness to every singer.... I am sorry but a KJ's job is 10 times harder and a DJ does not get crowd interaction as much as karaoke does... karaoke means the crowd is the show. However it is the people going out and buying CAVS and illegal hard drives off ebay and craig's list that can charge $100 a night and make it off it because they didnt spend anything in the first place to start like all us OLD CDG people.

Lol anyways that was long winded

[SteveWalker]

I think the top DJ's and top KJ's can provide the same quality of entertainment but they are at the top of the pyrimid. In general the public expects DJ's to entertain at a much higher level and quality compared to KJ's. A professional DJ makes much more money and would not switch over to be a full time KJ. This is just my unbiased opinion as I'm am not a DJ. I am musician and professional singer.

[kilith]

Yes that is right. The public thinks there is more to being a DJ then a KJ. However it is the other way around. a KJ puts a lot more time into their business. Making books is a long and tiresom project and are changed almost weekly if not monthly. Most DJ's do not even have books it is go up ask and pray they have the music you want.

A DJ plays music to get people up and dance... I have had nights where I sang for the first 2 hours out of 5 hours before people were brave enough to come up and sing but once you get them up there then they do not want to stop but that is what you have to do to keep your show going... I have never seen a DJ come out from behind his computer or CD tray to get a group dancing by dancing by him/herself out on a floor.

That is the problem out in the world is everyone knows how much a DJ is paid and that it is anywhere from $600-$1500 a night and bars are happy to pay that price but they are not happy to pay a KJ $200.00. Yes I know that a lot of troll KJ's have taken down the respectability of the karaoke industry. Once of my friends who used to even be my baby-sitter lol is now starting up her own karaoke system and I am sorry she is a horrible KJ when it comes to running a system. As a MC she is great! but she does not know how to adjust her music and vocals which is what makes a quality show. For me it would be rude to go up and tell her how to run her system even if it was to help her quality. I do have 9 years experience on her but I just do not know how she would take constructive critisizm from me knowing I am a KJ.... Any comments on how I could maybe go about helping her out? She does give a good show but she could give a heck of a lot better show.

[horseshoe]

Originally Posted by SteveWalker

I think the top DJ's and top KJ's can provide the same quality of entertainment but they are at the top of the pyrimid. In general the public expects DJ's to entertain at a much higher level and quality compared to KJ's. A professional DJ makes much more money and would not switch over to be a full time KJ. This is just my unbiased opinion as I'm am not a DJ. I am musician and professional singer.

Boy do we all get weary of hearing, "I'm a professional singer". If one in five 'professional singers' can sing the karaoke version, I'm surprised. Almost every night I have at least one 'professional singer' who also is 'in a band', so they are so snobbish they don't like any version of a song. Invariably, they will say, "it's too fast', or "too slow". "That's not the way my band plays it, so it must be wrong".

The people come to my shows to sing, not listen to records. They can do that at home. Most of them don't even like live bands, since they can't participate.

Lord save me from the so-called "professional singers and musicians" of the world.