Why Karaoke Might Be Your New Favorite Hobby
If you ask us, karaoke is a wildly underrated hobby. It’s fun, confidence-building, and can be a gateway into a lifelong passion for music. Picking up a new hobby can teach you all kinds of things about yourself and lead you down unexpected paths, from promotions at work to meeting a new romantic partner. Below we’ll look at why you should absolutely pick up that karaoke mic and how investing in your new hobby can build confidence both on and off the stage.
Why Sing Karaoke?
First off, singing in general has measurable positive impacts on your health. Studies have shown that singing can lower the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in our bodies, making us feel more relaxed. Group singing in particular is linked to an increased sense of wellbeing and community connection - which is probably why group singing is an important part of many faith and cultural practices around the globe.
Singing has also been shown to improve lung health, enhance memory in dementia patients, and improve speech in people with neurological conditions like autism and Parkinson’s disease. Singing may even improve your physical pain tolerance and your emotional resilience; a UK study found that participants experienced improvements in their mental health after participating in singing workshops.
With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why singing is a great hobby to pick up; but if you can’t play an instrument and aren’t in a band, it can feel a bit inaccessible. That’s where karaoke comes in. Whether you go out to a karaoke bar or sing along to a Youtube karaoke track in the privacy of your own home, the prerecorded, fleshed out backing tracks allow you to sing your favorite songs with the harmonic and rhythmic support of a band.
Even if you have access to an instrument or accompanist, it can still benefit you to practice with karaoke tracks. Having to keep up with the track can help build your sense of timing and pitch, and you may find it easier to practice your performance (stage movement, gestures, emotion) with the immersion that a well-produced karaoke track provides.
People are drawn to karaoke for many reasons. Some are fulfilling a passion for singing, others are in it for the social aspect. One of Zelda’s students, a high level executive, found himself having to go to multiple karaoke events for work. After finding the first few events awkward and a bit stressful, he sought out voice lessons to build his confidence. After a few lessons, what started as a work obligation turned into a new hobby and the outings went from being a chore to a work-week highlight.
You never know where exploring a new skill or hobby will take you. Another of Zelda’s students was determined, not just to feel confident while singing, but to meet and marry the love of his life and sing karaoke to her. Voice lessons could definitely help with the confidence part, but it was the first time Zelda had a student set the goal of “find and marry my life partner” during a lesson. Although she wasn’t sure how she could help him achieve that goal, they started on weekly voice lessons and - not only did the student become a confident singer - he met the love of his life and proposed to her (while singing karaoke) within a year of starting lessons.
We’re not saying that karaoke and singing lessons will help you meet the love of your life, but the self-discovery that comes from learning a new skill can lead to surprising and wonderful changes in your life. Not only does your voice and performance develop while performing karaoke, your whole person develops and grows. The poise and confidence you can develop as a singer often carries into other parts of your life and can lead down unexpected paths. Wherever it takes you, you’ll certainly have a fun developing your karaoke chops.
Why Take Voice Lessons for Karaoke?
Zelda’s executive and romantically ambitious students aren’t the only singers who’ve sought out voice lessons to improve - or get the confidence to start - their karaoke performance. For shy singers, voice lessons can be a life changer. Zelda herself was a shy singer in high school.
“I remember when I first started taking singing lessons as an awkward teen, how I was so shy about my singing voice,” she explains. “Even though I knew I had a good singing voice, it was so difficult for me to let myself sing in front of anyone without being a nervous wreck.”
The experience of discovering a passion - and a talent - through voice lessons is what inspired her to become a voice teacher herself and ultimately found Love Your Voice.
"This is the reason why I specialize in helping shy, non-confident singers; because I remember how exhilarating it was to be able to sing in front of another who could help me come out of my shell, to sing in public, to sing in bands and at karaoke, and perform professionally.”
Lessons can teach valuable musical skills like breath support, pitch, and timbre. Just knowing that you know how to sing well can help you feel confident with a karaoke mic in your hand. Feeling like you can trust your skills can be a game changer, but sometimes stage fright and nerves need to be addressed directly. Anxiety can make it harder to sing; approaching it head on can not only give singers great tools for stressful moments in their daily lives, but also makes all those singing techniques easier to implement. Having someone who can remind you that your inner critic needs to take a hike can make it so much easier to take the stage with confidence - and might even be the thing that allows you to take the stage at all.
A coach can help you safely push your limits and learn what your voice is capable of; it’s amazing how many students assume they can’t sing a certain song or reach a particular note, only to discover that they can through lessons. A good teacher can also give you valuable quantitative information about your voice, most importantly your range. Why do you need to know your range?
“Just this week, one of my students told me he'd always wanted to sing a great David Bowie song titled ‘Let’s Dance,’ but never sang it in karaoke because he thought some of the notes were too high and out of his range,” says Zelda. “We started by identifying the highest notes in the melody and what lyrics they landed on. He discovered that the ‘problem’ note was exactly the same note as the starting note, which he had zero trouble singing; the only difference was that note was held for a couple extra beats. Once he was aware of that, it all changed for him. He was able to get past the fears and self-limitations that were holding him back.”
Knowledge really is power, especially when it comes to your vocal range. It’s not uncommon for singers to have experiences like Zelda’s student, psyching themselves out so badly that they can’t sing a note that’s completely within their range. When we anticipate a note being high or challenging, we often tense up which makes the note harder to sing - basically a self-fulfilling prophecy. By understanding your range you can stop the cycle of anticipation, tension, and failure to reach the note before it starts.
Zelda rocking out at karaoke night with friends and voice students.
Where Do I Start?
If you’re ready to grab the mic, go for it! Even if there are no karaoke spots around you, you can sing along to karaoke videos on Youtube or download one of the many karaoke apps available for smart phones. Some apps have social features, meaning you can sing with other karaoke lovers virtually, whether they’re down the block or on the other side of the world.
If there are karaoke bars in your area, grab a trusted friend and check it out! Performing a duet with a buddy is a great strategy if you want to sing but are nervous about taking the stage by yourself. You can also check out our article on using deep breathing to beat stage fright if you’re still feeling anxious, even with a friend.
Of course, working with a coach is one of the best ways to address both your nerves and your vocal skills. A voice teacher or vocal coach can help you identify gaps in your skills you may not have even realized were there. Even if there isn’t a coach in your area, many voice teachers - including Zelda at Love Your Voice - offer remote lessons over Zoom.
Whether you’re working with a coach or singing along with Youtube videos, we highly recommend recording yourself with the voice memo app on your phone. Recording yourself allows you to hear your voice as others hear it; you might notice pitch or timing inaccuracies you didn’t hear while singing or you may find a new aspect of your voice to love. It also gives you a way to compare your progress over time.
If you decide to record yourself, do your best to keep your inner critic in check. You want to listen with a constructively-critical ear focused on finding where your skills can be improved (pitch, breath support, rhythm), not just engage in negative self-talk (“my voice isn’t good,” “I sound bad,” “I’m not as good as [insert famous singer with expensive coaches and tons of autotune here]”). There’s always room to improve and grow; even the best vocalists have things they want to change or improve about their voices. The important thing is to have fun and love your voice no matter where you are on your singing journey.
Book a Lesson Now to Take Your Karaoke to the Next Level
Whether you’re looking to up your singing skills or develop the confidence to take the mic, we can help. Reach out and schedule a lesson with Zelda today.
Grab hold of that mic, take the stage, and sing your heart out! Whatever leads you to karaoke, whether it’s work or romance or an itch to perform, we hope you have a blast rocking the stage - and learn something unexpected about yourself. Have fun, love yourself, and never forget to love your voice!
Thanks to Kira and Glen for hosting us at their fabulous venue, Sid Gold’s Request Room Nashville. If you’re looking for a great night out singing your favorite songs with a live piano player - who may join in with perfect harmonies with out warning - there’s no better place to go.
Ready to rock the Request Room? You can visit Sid Gold’s yourself, here:
Sid Gold’s Nashville, 3245 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216.
https://sidgolds.com/nashville/
Thanks again, Kira and Glen. We’ll definitely be back!