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Singers & Hosts Wisdom Post how to be a great karaoke singer or host.

View Poll Results: Are KJ's professional?
Yes 15 27.78%
No 2 3.70%
Some are and some are not 37 68.52%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old February 28th, 2007, 10:27 PM
goonie227 goonie227 is offline
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a Professional ?????

I Guess I aman amature because i do karaoke part time but my show is as good as any in my area, better than most.
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  #2  
Old March 1st, 2007, 12:12 AM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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"professional" rate of pay

I would like to make one last comment on this "professional" thing. I don't think the kj talking about the "obnoxious professional singers" that he is so tired of coming to his shows, really understands. This is not a "professional
singer" you are talking about, but just another second rate karaoke singer with a big head and big mouth, and they don't just appear on karaoke night.These are the same types that give the good singers a bad name just as do the bad kj/dj. I don't run a karaoke show, but do one man shows at clubs on the east coast. When i have the chance to catch a friend's karaoke show, or have time on the road, i like to drop by and see what other people are doing. If i have the free time to do a song on someone's karaoke show, i put my slip in, wait my turn, sing my song, thank the audience and the host. i do not say anything else. Most other "professional" (since that is the term chosen to use here) singers i know do the same. Seems to me that most people in this business have forgotten that "It Is About The Music And Song, not us". We are simply messengers that deliver the song, and, fortunately, some deliver the song much better than others. If not, not one single dj/kj would have a job, "professional" or not.

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  #3  
Old March 1st, 2007, 12:22 AM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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"professional"

I forgot to mention, We can call ourselves whatever we choose, regardless of the "profession", have numerous pieces of paper that tell us we are or are not "professional", trained or untrained, but the moment we start doing our "profession", you can no longer hide behind the descriptive words, the truth emerges for all watching to see. This is all one needs to remember.


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  #4  
Old March 1st, 2007, 08:18 AM
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bryant bryant is offline
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That's correct in the DJ/KJ world. But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent. Sometimes, even with all the necessary credentials, because of lack of competence, a license can be taken away and the "allowance to practice" becomes disallowed by law.
Here's the big difference, in the DJ/KJ world, regardless of competence, those less competent can sill
be considered qualified and continue to practice. We've all seen it, the "Sh-t" DJ comes in at half-price, already been kicked out of two bars in town, gets the gig and packs the house.
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Old March 1st, 2007, 03:19 PM
kilith kilith is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bryant View Post
That's correct in the DJ/KJ world. But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent. Sometimes, even with all the necessary credentials, because of lack of competence, a license can be taken away and the "allowance to practice" becomes disallowed by law.
Here's the big difference, in the DJ/KJ world, regardless of competence, those less competent can sill
be considered qualified and continue to practice. We've all seen it, the "Sh-t" DJ comes in at half-price, already been kicked out of two bars in town, gets the gig and packs the house.
Well I hate to say this but I have seen that with police officers as well. They have degrees (depending on state) and they are to serve and protect. Yet one from around the Twin Cities Metro area was caught hiding drugs, got fired, got hired in another town where he was caught doing the same thing, got fired, and got hired in a nother town, where he got fired for something that I am not sure of, and is now a sheriff for one of the counties in the Metro area.

Now days a DJ/KJ must carry liability insurance. Almost everyone in this area are starting to require it. So thoes who can not afford it are starting not to recieve jobs and I am happy for that. Another thing I have found in this area of the mid-west is that your reputation gets around very fast.

For Doctors, Lawyers, computer techs, and other jobs that require schooling there is a reason for that but it does not make you a professional. You could have a degree in anything but still be a horrible employee. The only difference here is that in that certin profession you are required schooling to make you creditable in that field. Some kid sitting in high school right now could be better then half of the professional web designers out there. He could maybe end up getting a job with no degree if his work is better then most with a degree. It happens all the time.

So really no matter if you have a degree in a field of work that still does not make you a professional. Just because you have a karaoke getup or a DJ get up that does not make you a professional. In the end it is going to be your work ethics, your job proformance, and your reputation. To me in any job whether it be flipping burgers or brain surgery it is going to take them 3 factors at a high standard to make you a professional.

I have a degree in network support but I am not a professional Network Support Technician. I however am a professional KJ/DJ. It is my job, and my profession. Just because I have never gone to school to make me a DJ/KJ I do have 12 years of experience which in most of your so called "professional jobs" more then 5 years experience makes you a professional there.

Yes in this world like you said
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryant View Post
But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent.
Even in the world of entertainment you are going to need proof of insurance, a great reputation, and much more before you are ever considered a professional DJ or KJ. On the Knot a forum for Brides to be... There are MANY DJ companies on there that are ripped apart and if you go to their websites you see they have very little work. The ones that are highly recomended can be filled up for the next 2 years already.

So really no when people come and say they are professional DJ/KJ's they do have the credentials to back it up. It is just not int he form of a piece of paper. It to me is at a higher standard then a small piece of paper can give you. If you have 10 weddings a year that is like 10,000 plus people rating you every single year. If you are good one of them 10,000 plus people are going to tell their friends and so on. If you are sitting in an office behind a desk and you have a degree in computer repair... yeah one personyou might help a day but they are not going to go home and tell their friends how great of a computer repair person you are.

So I am in no way using the word professional in a loose mannor. If a DJ does not pay their dues, does not buy all their music (gets music the illegal way), does not have liability insurance to cover them in case of accident, so on and so on could also go to jail like your unregistered engineer could.
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  #6  
Old March 1st, 2007, 05:02 PM
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You're right, but you've been missing the entire point all along.
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  #7  
Old March 1st, 2007, 07:27 PM
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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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