Karaoke Forums

I have just been informed out of the 3 days at the DJ Mobilebeat convention in Las Vegas Feb 16-18 Karaoke will get a couple of hours, an informal "Mixer" on the 18th, to discuss "Informally" our industry. I had suggested to them about having a "Forum" to discuss Karaoke in the Dj world and its impact, and they said No. I will not be going to this event since they feel karaoke is "non essential" to its convention. I hope other KJ's and companies will "Boycott" this event. If you would like further information please e-mail me....MV

I realize this is a "DJ" convention, but Karaoke is as Important as DJ's work too. We "Deserve" better coverage.....

MV
I heard about intention this 2 months ago... it is an outrage.. therefore
I have registered for International Club DJ's Conference on Feb. 2nd & 3rd also being held in Las Vegas. Which does hold some support of the industry and does hold a "slightly" better view of the karaoke industry.

Being I also do Some Club DJ and design work I believe I would benefit more from the earlier show.

Why would any industry trade magazine who has readership from BOTH club DJ's and Karaoke Industries NOT want to entertain a share in "Cross"-educating & training both worlds. I find the decision a completely ignorant and fatal one. In due time it will hurt the Mobile Beat trade magazine.

And I hope they see this thread and to reply to it.

(@$%&#!) 'em!

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Imagine!

As a DJ who does very little Karaoke, I also agree that they're making a mistake. When I drive through town it's Karaoke Night I see advertised at all the bars, not DJ. They better wake up. Karaoke is here, And it's going to be here for a long time!

And Jimmy, They ought to treat you as an equal and with respect. Anybody can play music, It take talent to be a KJ.


Just My Thoughts, Jim

Jimmy.. I don't mean to hijack your last scentance.. just help you justify it with feeling, so THEY get a clue.

"Anybody can RE-MIX and Beat-mix music with a little practice and education, It take REAL talent to be a KJ."

NOW does anybody agree to that one?

No

well Knight,
then I hate to break this to ya this way..and i was just starting to like ya too...

BUT...re-count the cards in your deck. sorry pal... and I have been doing the DJ thing for 15 years.. A little Longer than the Pro Audio Engineering...
ans most of the best will tell ya the same.. it's just like getting to Carnege hall .. Practice, Practice, Practice... where Being a KJ is not just an ART..
It's a TALENT... I bet you can't sing Nowhere 1/10th of your book .. nowhere near the key? can ya? Not unless you ONLY have 100 songs in it.
Neither can I.. OK I rest my case. it takes talent to juggle everything to do with a karaoke show top to bottom.. where 75% of the time a In-House Club DJ just walks in and spins, mixes & maybe runs a light show if he's lucky to have the time to program the automation. Mobile DJ's don't have it that lucky or near the budget. But still Karaoke people and Mobile DJ's cross over alot and Do Alot the same services under the SAME license.

I say you are DEAD WRONG.

I've never DJ'd, but have KJ'd a lot. I have a couple friends that DJ, but won't KJ. They tell me they don't have a problem flipin' discs and saying a few words, taking requests etc., but would never get up in front of a crowd and attempt to KJ. Ya have to know what you're doing to be able to make every singer sound the best you can. You don't have anywhere near the same problems if you're playing only pre-recorded discs, without having to contend to a different singer/vocals etc every time the same disc is played. The other thing is that as a KJ you need to be able to get out there in front of that same crowd and sing yourself, whether its to get the crowd going, or respond to requests, etc. I recently did a special function that was attended by a lot of older people. Not very many of them would get up and sing, but kept sending in requests for me to do. Fortunately, I knew enough of the requests to keep them satisfied. I probably sang 18-20 songs that night, while the rest of the crowd combined probably sang about 50 or so.

Brian, brian brian... (shakes head sadly))

go back and reread what was asked my young, energetic friend.


What I was saying is that NO I don't agree to that phrase.

It DOES take real talent to be a Karaoke Jock/Host. BUT It takes a lot of talent to beat mix. I've done my share (though nowhere near as long as you), and I feel MUCH more comfortable with Karaoke Jockin'...

Matt

Lets get back on track and off the personal stuff, now do you feel that Karaoke should be a part of the convention in Las Vegas and what should we do about it?? I would appreciate your ideas....MV

As a lot of Karaoke presenters have come from the world of DJing and a lot of us are often in a position whereby we have to do some DJ stuff as part of our show I can't see the clearly defined mark that seperates us.

I do both, as you know, and I would be unhappy to see any convention that didn't have them running side by side!

If the DJ Mobilebeat Convention want to disenfranchise a large portion of their potential visitors, who loses? Not us!

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Imagine!

If you feel it is time for Karaoke to stand up and be counted for, if you feel that you have been kicked enough in the gut by the schoolyard bully and had your lunch money taken from you, if you are tired of being referred to as "A Bunch of Drunks in a bar trying to sing" If you are tired of being misrepresented in the entertainment industry as Just a "Joke" here is a chance to let our voices be heard. I am asking this.
That every KJ start a petition to let Mobilebeat Magazine and their convention know we are not happy with the Status Quo and that Karaoke should be included every year. I want KJ's from all over, to collect as many signatures as they can from KJ's singers, clubowners, Karaoke people who go just to listen to the singers, all the friends of Karaoke we can find, from all over the USA, Canada, and Europe, to send to Mobilebeat Magazine, that we are "Tired" of being ignored, Tired of being underpaid and overlooked, Tired of being pushed aside while everyone else gets to have their conventions. Use these words to Draft your own Petitions then let everyone know on this site how many signatures you got. Then go to www.mobilebeat.com get their address or if you can download it, get it to them, let us raise ourselves up and do this right if we really beileve Karaoke is for Real. E mail me if I can help in anyway,

I Believe in Karaoke and the hard work we do, I believe that we have concerns and need to listen to eachother to make our businesses better, I believe, if we stick together and support eachother, we are a force to be reckoned with, but I am only one voice, is anyone else out there???
Do we have a right to care about eachother and the state Karaoke is in right now?? I leave this all in your hands now, I am there if you need me...

This is, of course, completely ignoring the fact that DJs are portrayed as people who attract the type of people who don't spend a penny in bars, take lots of drugs and drink water!

I would be just as happy to see both disciplines clearly defined and seperate!

One then would know what one was expected to do on the night!

Let's have our own convention, raise our own profile, have our own press releases and tell the world once and for all that more people go to Karaoke nightly, worldwide, than to any form of disco!

I don't want to hang on to the coatails of a group that doesn't want or appreciate us!

The problem seems to be apathy on our part.

This site covers the whole of the world but how many of the thousands upon thousands of KJs out there post regularly on here and KI.

Far too few.

You know who they are! Go get them and let's make OURSELVES a force to be reckoned with!

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Imagine!

MV, Berry I gotcha Fully.. and I'm with ya 100%!

HEY PETER AMD PHILL!!!

WHERE YA ON THIS??? why isnt there a NATOINAL LAS VEGAS Karaoke conference.. SINCE Vegas HAS so self-ritously "Crowned" itself The Karaoke Capitol of the US??? Let's see somebody pull this one off??
and not at $200.00 for 2 days either... for admission either..

Don't dissappoint me please?

I've done my share of both DJ'ing and KJ'ing ..Personally I would prefer to KJ than to DJ but hey back on track------

MV : I think there is a lot of CROSS OVER between mobile DJ's and KJ's.
It would be nice if there was some representation of the Karaoke Industry at the convention..but they are completely differant businesses. I agree with Barry that the Karaoke Industry should stand on its own and get the RESPECT it deserves. I think thats were some of your frustration stems from. I think the karaoke industry needs a LEADER , Vocopro trys to be the voice and Mfg giant of the Karaoke Industry but just isnt pulling enough power? .... Besides the CDG mfgs and JVC there is no Mfg or company that has the MONEY$$$$ to host a Karaoke only convention
Maybe if KJ's band together from Coast to Coast and Across the Pond and beyond somebody will take notice that karoke is not just for kids at home that there is MONEY to be made and Prof. KJ's spend alot of money on equipment and discs. Afterall MONEY MONEY MONEY and purchasing power is what gets peoples attention ( getting off of soap box and taking a bow)

We tried that in 1999-2000 when the American Karaoke Assn. was formed and everyone made every excuse in the world to not work together. No one even tried. And I took a lot of Heat for that too. It would be nice if Karaoke could have the organization like the United States on-line Disc Jockey Assn of America, or the Disc Jockey Assn's formed just about in every state, but as you say, we just dont believe we can do it together. This is just another slap in the face out of many from the DJ community to let us know where we stand. We stand alone, and ignored. We do not stand together, because to many people are afraid of what might happen to our businesses, and if it would affect getting jobs. So as long as everyone just "Stays by themselves" no one has to get involved. So be it. We should have our own conventions, but companies like Vocopro still cater to DJ's for their business at these conventions too, so do the disc manufacturers. We are just on the back burner as an after thought. Look at California, we have Karaoke Scene Magazine,(and this is no offesnse to Karaoke Scene,) but instead of the Karaoke Community supporting a newspaper that is there for us, and gives us Karaokefest once a year, and helping out as a Community, we each deal with it individually. We are a large Family out here, we just dont realize how much power we hold as a Family instead of separate from eachother. I dont know but it may be to late to change what we have become now.

This is so typical.

Michael, you and I agree totally about where we SHOULD be and I'm not in this to look after No 1.

I'm 52 and beginning to feel it so, effectively, I'm coming to the end of my career (Not just yet, though) but we've got to make something happen!

If we, who were in it more or less from the beginning, are floundering around what chance the new generation?

Old, sore, point :- Where are the manufacturers in this?

In every other musical discipline the 'Big Boys' are out there GIVING AWAY their product to professional operators so that the general public get to know the quality of their wares!

We, at last, have a couple of companies offering a 'disc for life' policy so that we get another disc free if something (no matter what) goes wrong with our copy. (Obviously, you have to send the original back to them)!

If they got behind a national or international association and set the ball rolling I think it could happen.

I, for sure, haven't got all the answers but I've seen what can be done by a group of solo KJs getting together behind the Bader UK Karaoke Challenge (se other threads) and it's amazing when you all start singing from the same hymn sheets!

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Imagine!

Michael & Barry have a point, and may I add a very huge one at that.
The only trade show I saw Karaoke at this year and so far I hit 11 of them, was both NAMM shows. (National Association of Music Merchandisers) The ones in Anaheim and Nashville for 2003. and I know for sure there WILL be even a STRONGER presence this year of karaoke Manufacturers, & Wholesalers at anaheim in January. that also Means that the DJ manufacturers will be there too.. showing that there is fairness for all there.. but STILL Like Michael said and it's been MY questiuon all along.. what is it gonna take to get a show together to gather the masses of karaoke TYPES in 1 central location.. namely A place affordable enough, centrally located, and attractable to all and large enough to handle the vendors, and affordable enough to all involved. as well can be promoted to the point where it's a win-win for everybody or just as many as possible and can be done on a yearly basis?

that's what needs to be looked at...

if all those issues can be answered.. then i'm in.

This is coming extremely close to the other poll topic, but that's ok. I'd be all for it under those circumstances. The only other thing would be the timing. It'd have to be when I could get away, and that gets pretty challanging a lot of the time. When ya consider a lot of us are not full time at this, and do have other jobs or commitments. I belong to two other organizations that require a significant amount of traveling.