40 Trial Lawyer • Spring 2022 OTLA Guardian Ashley Vaughn says she never thought she would like karaoke until trying it at a dive bar down the street from her home. She got over her nervousness because the people there were non-judgmental and everyone was there for one reason: to have fun! Try going to karaoke as a bystander and see what the scene is. If you don’t like it, try another one. My preference is to sing in private rooms with a small group, though I can occasionally be convinced to perform in larger public spaces. Make sure you have a couple of friendly and supportive participants with you, especially in the beginning. Bonus points if you have similar musical taste. Find the right song. I recommend going to karaoke with some idea about what you want to sing beforehand. You can easily spend the whole night searching for the right song and missing out on the actual experience if you aren’t prepared. Find one that you want to try, practice it a lot (use the Spotify “lyrics” option or practice with a Youtube karaoke video), and then take it on the road. Song selection is the key to gaining karaoke confidence, in my opinion. That being said, don’t skip a potential karaoke experience just because you aren’t sure what you want to sing. You will still have fun. Which song is right for you? Give some thought as to how high and low the notes are, how long the song is and whether there are big musical interludes without singing where you will have to fill the time (dancing, anyone?). Google “good karaoke songs for altos” or whatever your requirements might be. I would start out finding a song in the three-minute range without large breaks in the action. Some of us like to dance or otherwise fill the airtime but many of us don’t. I recently sang “ G e t I n t o t h e Groove” by Madonna on a whim and learned it’s over five minutes long and very repetitive when you are up there singing it. My tried and trues are selections by Blondie and No Doubt, which are available at any karaoke venue. Try to pick a song you love and will enjoy practicing. I often find myself drawn to the songs of my teenage years, which studies have shown are bound to our brain more tightly than music we hear for the first time as adults. If you are nervous about your singing ability, pick a song that everyone knows the words to because they will probably start singing along with you! Another strategy is to sing something with really funny lyrics, which can also help take some heat off of the performance. Own it. This one is super important. Karaoke is more about performance and committing than about singing ability. In my opinion, watching a ringer nail a Patsy Cline song with complete fidelity is much less entertaining than seeing friends with unremarkable singing ability sing a favorite song from the 90s, successfully make it through a rap song crammed with a million words a minute or even watch someone take on a vocal giant the best they can. Again, karaoke can and should be fun and funny. The more you mean it, the more fun everyone will have. Don’t create video evidence. Promoting trust and comfort among your karaoke group is important and a key part of having a successful karaoke experience. Moreover, part of the fun of karaoke is feeling like a rock star singing to your adoring fans while you are doing it. This feeling can be diminished by seeing a recording of yourself, even for strong singers. For these reasons, I highly recommend keeping recording devices out of it, or at least making sure you have permission prior to recording another person. Concluding thoughts Many of you reading this maybe don’t know me or at least didn’t know me before I joined the Church of Karaoke. Take my word for it that I never thought karaoke was for me until I found the right setting, the right songs and the right people with whom to participate. I sincerely hope you’ll give it a try. Barb Long represents survivors of sexual abuse and other crimes in civil actions against individuals and institutions. Long contributes to the OTLA Guardians of Civil Justice at the Rising Stars level and is a partner at Vogt & Long PC, 101 SW Main St. Ste. 1900, Portland, OR 97204. She can be reached at barb@vogtlong.com or 503-228-9858. Karaoke Continued from p 39
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