Mark Bosnian's
10 TIPS FOR BETTER KARAOKE SINGING

1. Choose a song you have an emotional connection to, not necessarily one you think you ought to sing. If you like the song and it has meaning for you, this will come across and you will make a better connection with your audience.

 

2. If possible practice the song ahead of time to get an idea of whether the key of the original recording works for you. If not, many karaoke situations have machines that can raise or lower the key of your song.

 

3. Your main focus in singing is telling a story. Spend some time with the lyrics and get an idea of what the song is about. You will make a better connection with the audience if you know what emotions you want to portray in your performance.

 

4. Focus the energy on the audience. If you need to look at the monitor for lyrics, don't keep your attention there the entire time--look up and at the audience as often as you comfortably can.

 

5. If your anxiety level is high, consider singing with at least one other person. There is safety in numbers and this can be an interim step to singing solo.

 

6. If you go to a karaoke bar it may be tempting to drink alcohol to bolster your courage. Resist the temptation--alcohol has a drying effect on the vocal mechanism and impairs your ability to tell the story of the song.

 

7. Don't obsess on the mechanics of singing. The audience would much rather hear a good story teller with a less than perfect delivery than a really good voice with no connection to the song or audience.

 

8. Let your body reflect what you are singing about. Movement helps to free the voice and make a better connection with the audience.

 

9. Eye contact is important. If it's uncomfortable to make contact for very long, scan the audience. Looking at different parts of the room every few seconds will make everyone feel included in your performance.

 

10. Last but not least, have fun. The more comfortable you look (even if you don't feel comfortable on the inside), the more the audience will root for you and the less likely they are to notice any less than perfect moments.