June 2008 - How to Win a Karaoke Contest
By Dana Jaffe - A Writer from Helium.com

It takes more than a great voice to win the karaoke contest at your favorite club. As a regular karaoke performer, I have seen hundreds of singers with fine voices get up, compete, and not take home the top karaoke prize. Overall performance often counts more than voice quality, and making a personal connection with the audience is a vital factor in any performance. Here are the top seven keys that will help make you a contest contender:

1. Know the lyrics of your song: If you have the lyrics memorized and you are not staring at the prompter, you have a chance to look out at your audience and make eye contact, drawing them in to your performance.

2. Know the karaoke arrangement: In a contest situation, sing a song that you have already performed at karaoke and know well. Musical arrangements, tempos and keys can vary with the CD. If you know the musical arrangement well, you can not only sing the song, but use your own vocal arrangements that may be different than the original performer's.

3. Choose a song in your genre: If you are a country singer, sing country for the contest. When under pressure , singers tend to perform better in their main style.

4. Practice at home: You can practice at home with a good tape recorder, and get a sense of your vocal quality, volume changes, and any notes that need improvement.

5. Stand out in the crowd: Contest winners usually do something special in a performance. They may have stunning vocal quality, great dance moves, great acting ability, comedic timing, or do an excellent impression of a famous singer. If you have the talent, let your talent show in the song.

6. Sing with confidence: Audiences can pick up on confident performers versus those with a bit of stage fright. How you present yourself will be apparent from the opening notes of the song. Confidence is contagious, and the audience will have confidence in you as a singer if you smile and look like you own your spot on the stage.

7. Invite some audience participation: There are small ways in which experienced performers invite the audience to clap their hands , dance , or sing along with the chorus. Learn from other singers who use these methods.

Performing in a karaoke contest can be an exhilarating experience. These tips can help you make it a rewarding one.