Not everyone is going to like your decisions. What I believe is, you don't like the way I run the contest, or you don't like the outcome, run your own and see if it's as easy as you think.
It's a sad fact that, even if the KJ has nothing to do with selecting the judges, he/she will invariably take the flack for the outcome of the contest.
I have always believed that there should be only two judging criteria in a karaoke contest. These are "difficulty of song" and "song performance". Criteria such as "crowd response" and "stage presence" have no place here. Karaoke is about singing and I hate seeing someone (who can't sing) win because of a few points awarded from them having a few more friends in the audience or because they danced around on the stage.
I hate seeing someone (who can't sing) win because of a few points awarded from them having a few more friends in the audience or because they danced around on the stage.
Oh, that is a beauty of a point. All of the ones I have been to were all in fun with the exeption of one. It was a city wide 3 month ordeal. I caught the the semi-finals. All I can say is, I'm glad I didn't have to judge the finals. These were some good singers, but had outstanding performance, too. By performance I mean didn't look into the monitor much at all, really played the audience, and you can tell they really enjoey themselves and put it all into their performance.
There is truth to this. If a person hates country music, will they judge accurately to those who sing country. The other part about being sober.... oh yes, what a difference this makes. I believe being drunk leads to being temporarily tone deaf.
Personally, I like having different categories like type of music (it's hard to be able to differentiate a good country singer to a good alternative rock singer), best performance, etc..
Not everyone is going to like your decisions. What I believe is, you don't like the way I run the contest, or you don't like the outcome, run your own and see if it's as easy as you think.
Hear, hear to that. People have no idea how much work is involved in running a Karaoke contest. Finding impartial judges alone is sometimes enough to make one pull one's hair out (and I have little of that left to mess with). Let the complainers just once try and organize a contest and you will find fewer and fewer contests around.
I just entered a karaoke contest at an outside local event, similar to a fall festival. About 4000 people crowded into the street of this relatively small town.
There were 9 contestants, and I performed on stage better than I ever had. Most of the other contestants couldn't carry a tune, yet two of them won, (male and female categories), leaving me disappointed...but not enough to keep me from entering another contest, which will be in a different town this Saturday.
I love to sing and try not to let politics ruin my fun on stage.
I won't do any contests as it only brings in people for the duration of the contest and when the contest ends, all you are left with are ticked off regulars that didn't get to sing as much due to the contest. Give aways yes. Contests no.
Most karaoke contests are taken entirely TOO seriously! That's why you can't please all the people all the time no matter HOW you do the judging. My solution was to take the judges right out of it! I do this by DRAWING! For example, if my venue agrees to give out $150 in cash or bar cash prizes I'll usually split the prizes into $75 for first, $50 for second and $25 for third. I buy those huge rolls of two-part tickets from any office supply store, and each time a singer is up they get a ticket in the drawing. At the end of the night I have one of the servers draw the first ticket for 3rd prize. When that singer comes up to collect, he/she draws the next ticket for 2nd prize and that prize-winner draws the final ticket for 1st prize. Karaoke is primarily about having FUN, and this method puts EVERY singer on the same footing no matter what genre they sing, how well they sing or how many friends they have in the audience. EVERY SINGER has the same chance of winning, EXCEPT the singers who have been at your show since the beginning of the night might have performed through more rotations and thus have more tickets in the drawing... they've also probably spent more money in the venue that night so I believe the fact that they may have one or two more tickets in the drawing is NOT an unfair advantage. They EARNED it!
Keep A Song In Your Heart
and Some Heart In Your Song!
I've also found my Drawing Format "contest" to be quite effective to build business at a NEW venue as well. In this case, every ticket for every song performed for the first FOUR WEEKS at a new venue goes into a drawing for a FREE KARAOKE SHOW!!! I host a 3-hour FREE show for the winner's private party at either their location or the venue... at an agreed upon time and date that I'm available. This is an incentive to build the business at the new venue, and I can usually talk the venue into throwing in a few party platters of wings or something to "sweeten the pot". Not only does this promote the venue, but I've also gotten side jobs ranging from birthday and pool parties to wedding receptions from people who attend the winners' FREE parties. Of course, any time the winner wants to extend the "FREE" party over the 3-hour prize is billed a per hour rate paid at the time of performance.
Keep A Song In Your Heart
and Some Heart In Your Song!
There were a few contests going on here and they use the most remarkable format. They hold it for 8 weeks and each night you sing your name is put into the hat. At the end of the night 3 names are drawn and put into another 'hat'. At the end of the 8 weeks the last 3 names are drawn, and the final name is drawn after all 24 names have been announced. (theoretically you could be in the final hat 8 times). What kind of contest is that? Why not have a door prize drawing? What about all the nonsingers in the bar, how come they don't qualify? I was just amazed at this type of 'contest' Have we come so far that we cannot allow ourselves the chance that we might not be as good as the others?
Then there were a number of contests in Richmond va, where I used to live and the same group of 5-10 singers practically semi-pro, would go from contest to contest and then they were almost always the winner. Even with ones that did not include audience participation.
I am not sure there is a truly UNcomplainable solution, but if it is a karaoke contest not a doorprize, then I think it should be based on talent. I also think it should be the one who puts in the best show with the song, not just someone who performs the song closest to original.
LoneWolf wrote:There were a few contests going on here and they use the most remarkable format. They hold it for 8 weeks and each night you sing your name is put into the hat. At the end of the night 3 names are drawn and put into another 'hat'. At the end of the 8 weeks the last 3 names are drawn, and the final name is drawn after all 24 names have been announced. (theoretically you could be in the final hat 8 times). What kind of contest is that? Why not have a door prize drawing? What about all the nonsingers in the bar, how come they don't qualify? I was just amazed at this type of 'contest' Have we come so far that we cannot allow ourselves the chance that we might not be as good as the others?
Then there were a number of contests in Richmond va, where I used to live and the same group of 5-10 singers practically semi-pro, would go from contest to contest and then they were almost always the winner. Even with ones that did not include audience participation.
I am not sure there is a truly UNcomplainable solution, but if it is a karaoke contest not a doorprize, then I think it should be based on talent. I also think it should be the one who puts in the best show with the song, not just someone who performs the song closest to original.
I think the idea is to encourage those not sining to put in a song. That would be my goal with such a contest that involved pulling slips out of the hat but I would do that with what I would call give aways.
wiseguy, i suppose as long as everyone knows the rules up front, and as long as the rules are consistently applied, then the contest would be fair regardless of what the rules are.
personally, i'd prefer for stage presence and crowd response to count since i don't think my voice alone would carry me to victory. also, it would probably help the host business if contestants ask their friends to come out and root them on.
Ariespoker wrote:wiseguy, i suppose as long as everyone knows the rules up front, and as long as the rules are consistently applied, then the contest would be fair regardless of what the rules are.
personally, i'd prefer for stage presence and crowd response to count since i don't think my voice alone would carry me to victory. also, it would probably help the host business if contestants ask their friends to come out and root them on.
Whether or not stage presence should be a judging criteria is debatable, but it is absolutely impossible to run a fair contest if crowd response figures in.
[quote="wiseguy]Whether or not stage presence should be a judging criteria is debatable, but it is absolutely impossible to run a fair contest if crowd response figures in.[/quote]
i agree the crowd probably wouldn't be fair in certain contest, e.g. if you're trying to judge based on a very narrow and/or objective set of criteria such as the best vocalist (pitch, tone, sticking to the beat, etc.). for that type of contest, you probably need singing instructors, or some other trained individuals for that. but if you're judging something as broad and/or subjective such as the best entertainer, i think then a large crowd would seem to be a very good judge -- perhaps even "fairer" than a set of individual judges.
i don't know if you've ever seen "showtime at the apollo". after all performances have been given, the emcee asks the crowd to vote by applauding/shouting as he holds his hand over each singer one-by-one. whichever singer gets the loudest response wins.
i held a contest at home and amongst my family members. we're a very competitive but shy family -- so creating a contest was the angle i took to increase participation. as a kj/pro, what are the primary reasons you have for holding contests?
the main point i make about the value of crowd opinion is that on the surface, karaoke seems to be all about singing. and at first, for me, it was. now i feel it's more about fun and bonding when done at home.
in the context of a public competition, i think it becomes much more about entertainment where, in addition to vocal quality, things like song selection, energy, confidence, and overall presence hold considerable importance.
It always starts innocently enough as a singing contest.
What it turns into is a gigantic business killing mess.
It becomes a beauty contest.
A popularity contest.
Who patronizes the bar the most contest.
Who's local and a regular contest?
Who spends a lot of money here contest?
How many locals will quit coming, if a local doesn't win contest.
What judge hates country music contest.
How many of my friends will come for the audience response, even if I suck contest.
Which one of the KJs friends will split the money with him if they win contest.
Who the bar owner wants to sleep with contest.
Very rarely does the best singer ever take the prize.
Singing contests should be exactly that, but I have seen every one of these happen. That's why as a KJ, I will never do a contest again. It's not worth the damage they leave behind.
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