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Karaoke For Fun And Profit #6 [Monday, Period 4, 8/11]
Monday, August 11th, 2008 01:10 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
mike-cannon.livejournal.comThe house lights in the far back of the Danger Room's club simulation were out, so if anyone was sitting back there, they wouldn't be seen by the person on stage. Right now, that person was Mike. "Today, we're going to practice dealing with two big problems you can have when performing karaoke: hecklers and wardrobe malfunctions," he said.
From the darkened part of the room, someone yelled, "Yeah, tell us all about your wardrobe malfunctions, Mr. December!"
"Oh, what do we have here? A heckler?" asked Mike. "Yo, buddy, it's my turn! Why don't you just shut up and give your mouth a rest?" Addressing the students sitting in front of him, Mike continued his lecture without skipping a beat. "See, the best way to deal with a heckler is not to let them rattle you. They're rude, they're usually drunk, and they wouldn't last a minute up here on stage. They're not worth getting upset."
"Now, another thing that can potentially go wrong when you're on stage is clothing problems. Obviously, it can be really distracting to have a piece of clothing rip or fall apart when you're right in the middle of your song! I can promise you that this has happened to plenty of other performers and they've all managed to go on. The important thing with either a heckler, a wardrobe malfunction, or any other incident is to maintain your composure. How you handle something like that can really win points with the audience."
"Yeah, you tell them, Mr. December!" shouted the heckler from the back of the room.
"Oh, just shut up already," Mike yelled back. "And what the heck is with this 'Mr. December' nonsense anyway?"
He would never really find out how it got into the simulation, but that's when Mr. December's calendar page flashed on every screen in the club, including the large projection screen behind him. Mike didn't get upset. He calmly walked over to the Danger Room controls, tapped a few keys, and the image disappeared.
Karaoke For Fun and Profit #5 [Monday, Period 4, 8/4]
Monday, August 4th, 2008 10:25 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comHe grinned. "Hopefully in a few weeks you might get to see the commercial I did for an auto insurance company. That leads to today's topic: profit! There are a couple ways to make money doing karaoke. The most direct way are karaoke competitions. Just be sure to check what kind of prizes they offer if you're looking for cash. Personally, I'm rather fond my souvenir tote bag that I won in Florida." He nodded in Turtle's direction as he spoke
"But even if you're not competing for cash, there are other ways to make a profit from karaoke. You see, competitions help expose you to talent agents looking for the next big thing. You could get a chance at a recording contract or get shot at singing commercial jingles. Those gigs pay very well, actually," added Mike. "There are other things as well. My buddy Danny and I did a duet once at a karaoke night and we got approached by someone who wanted us to pose for a calendar. Of course, we didn't know until after it was too late that we'd agreed to be in a gay men's calendar, but it was for charity. Which, um, just goes to show that you should always do your research first before accepting a gig. I think we'll end on that note today and get right to singing."
Karaoke for Fun and Profit, Monday [Period 4]
Monday, July 28th, 2008 12:47 amoncourtandstage.livejournal.com"I love musicals a lot; there's a lot you can learn from them, or they can be a really good escape. So, uh, here's a song from one of my favorite shows." Troy took up the microphone and sang his song. After he was finished, he smiled. "So, yeah," he said. "Showtunes! Go ahead and have some fun with them." At which point he relinquished the microphone to the closest student and went to the bar, really wishing it served real alcohol.
[OCD is up!]
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #3 [Monday, Period 4, 7/14]
Sunday, July 20th, 2008 10:44 pmmike-cannon.livejournal.com"As karaoke singers, the type of R&B songs you'll hear most often are either the Motown classics, which includes hits from the '50s and '60s, or contemporary, which includes R&B hits after the end of the disco era. Today, your task is to perform a song from somewhere in the R&B spectrum. As for myself, I'm going to do one my favorite Gladys Knight song, 'You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.'"
[
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #2 [Monday, Period 4, 7/14]
Monday, July 14th, 2008 12:00 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comMike started playing the second simulation
[In case you're having trouble with the YouTube links, the first video is a horribly attempt at singing a Barbra Streisand song. The second is the karaoke scene from "My Best Friend's Wedding."
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #1 [Monday, Period 4, 7/7]
Monday, July 7th, 2008 01:55 ammike-cannon.livejournal.com"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Karaoke For Fun And Profit. And welcome to PURE!" said Mike. "My friend Delinda used to run this place for while, back when I was on tour. And like my singing gig, her tenure at PURE did not last long. She was bit more successful than I was, though, and got a better offer at Club Mystique. For those of you who are new to the workshop, my name is Mike Cannon, my aunt is Gladys Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips, and I had the opportunity a few years back to go on tour with the Pips. It can be pretty tough breaking into the music business, though, especially when one of your fellow back-up singers tries to break your nose."
Mike decided that he'd said enough on that matter. "Why don't we move onto introductions? Tell us a little bit about yourself, and then, if you're feeling brave enough, go ahead and get on stage." He already had his own song picked out to start things off.
[OOC: Class information can be found here.
Karaoke For Fun and Profit #7 [Tuesday, Period 5, 6/24]
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 12:40 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comCue the applause track, just in case the live audience wasn't lively enough.
"So, let's hear from our performers!" And with that, Mike got off stage and went to take his seat.
[OOC: Students, teachers and townies who know Mike or any of the students are welcome to join the audience! OCD
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #6 [Tuesday, Period 5, 6/17]
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 12:01 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comThe Danger Room simulation had changed again. Instead of the posh surroundings of Club Mystique or the imposing theater, this week's class was in a club that was a little rough around the edges. There really wasn't a stage, just an open area with a jukebox and microphone stand.
"This week, we're going to be covering country music," said Mike. "These days, country isn't an entirely distinct music genre as many artists start crossing over. There's an honesty about country music that appeals to people once they've overdosed on bubblegum pop. The best way to know if you're playing to a crowd that prefers country? Your audience will look like regular people, not fancy clubgoers. The club probably won't have all the fancy trimmings. No DJ, no VIP area, no fancy drinks."
After they were all done with their songs, Mike had one more order of business. "Next week is our final workshop, so be prepared to sing in front of a live audience! Go ahead and invite your friends, too. The more, the merrier."
[OCD coming up!]
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #5 [Tuesday, Period 5, 6/10]
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 01:07 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comThe night club simulation was gone, and in its place was a theater stage. "I thought a change of scenery was called for since we're covering show tunes today," said Mike. "These are basically songs that were part of a musical, and in some cases, have become popular songs in their own right, outside the context of the original musical. The show tune used to be very popular through the late 1940s, so this is a genre that works better with an older karaoke crowd. However, musicals seem to be making a comeback these days, so a good show tune is definitely something to have on your karaoke playlist."
"One of the best known show tunes is a little song from a Broadway musical called South Pacific Tropical Ocean. I thought it was especially appropriate this week," he added with a grin before going ahead and singing his own version.
[A very special thank you to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mistressofblack for helping me out with today's workshop!]
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #4 [Tuesday, Period 5, 6/3]
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 12:02 ammike-cannon.livejournal.comSince Mike was already on stage, he started everyone off with one of his favorite pop songs* before stepping aside for the students to take their turns.
[OOC: *It had to be done. I'll be back after 4 PM to pick up pings!]
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #3 [Tuesday, Period 5, 5/27]
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 12:24 ammike-cannon.livejournal.com"Let's face it, folks. Mistakes happen," said Mike, stepping out onto the stage. He turned on his microphone, tapped it, frowned, then started waving it around. "For example, you may start singing, only to find that the microphone is turned off, or you get feedback..." Here, he started waving the microphone around, trying to get feedback. There was only silence. "Or maybe you're trying to get feedback on purpose, and nothing happens," he continued, tossing the microphone in the air.
From the DJ booth, a voice shouted, "Sir, you're not allowed to throw the microphone!"
Mike grinned. "Or you get yelled at by the club's staff because they don't understand what it's like to be in the moment," he added. "Either way, something is bound to go wrong one day. How you bounce back from public humiliation can reflect more on your performance than how well you sing. Today, we're going to take the 'bounce' part seriously." Mike put the microphone back on its stand and turned as if he was exiting the stage, but his foot got wrapped up in the microphone cord. He fell flat on his face, but the stage floor transformed into a soft, cushy surface that just let him bounce around for a while.
Once he stood back up, he held his arms out triumphantly and took a bow. "Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Man, I love the Danger Room!" he said. "We're all going to practice falling flat on our faces and getting back up. Just remember to smile and have fun with it!"
[Please wait for the OCD is up! ETA: And if you want to sing after falling on stage, go ahead.]
Karaoke For Fun And Profit #2 [Tuesday, Period 5, 5/20]
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 12:21 ammike-cannon.livejournal.com"We're going to get some practice performing for an audience today," said Mike. "Don't worry, they're all holograms, so they're going to be on their best behavior. And, in honor of some special members of today's audience, we'll be working with the music of one of the greatest performing artists of all time, Elvis Presley."
After handing out copies of the song catalog, Mike went on. "One of the things that makes karaoke so easy is that your standard karaoke machine is pre-loaded with both music and lyrics. You select a song, the music starts playing, and the lyrics are displayed on a screen for you. You also get some kind of cursor, usually a bouncing ball, to let you know where you should be at. This is important -- don't get ahead of the bouncing ball! I was at a karaoke bar on the Strip one night, and this tourist got on stage and started reading the lyrics to 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' instead of following the cursor. I was cringing, just waiting for it to end, and someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there's the King of Rock and Roll wanting to know who is butchering his song."
There was a coughing sound from the holographic audience.
"Okay, he wasn't the real Elvis," added Mike. "He was a really good impersonator, or I was really drunk. Tequila Joe's used to serve these big 50 oz. frozen mudslides... Anyway, go ahead and pick out a song to perform. I'll start things off. Now, I'm going to do a song that was originally written by Paul Anka and was a big hit for Frank Sinatra, but Elvis added it to his live performances in the seventies." Mike got on stage and, after the lights went down and the music started, he started singing "My Way."
[Please wait for the OCD.]
Karaoke For Fun and Profit #1 [Tuesday, Period 5, 5/13]
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 08:08 ammike-cannon.livejournal.com"Okay, looks like everything's working," said Mike. "Welcome to Karaoke For Fun and Profit! My name is Mike Cannon and I'll be your instructor for this workshop. If you're not a professional performer, karaoke is a great way to experience the thrill of being on stage without having to memorize lyrics. But, if you do have dreams of signing professionally, karaoke nights at clubs are a great way to get discovered by people in the music industry, and sometimes bars and clubs offer karaoke contests with cash prizes. Over the next seven weeks, we're going to make you the best possible karaoke singer you can be."
"Let's start by getting better acquainted. Name, year in school, why you want to take this class, and what your favorite song is. And then, if you're feeling up to it, you can go ahead and sing your favorite song."
"Why don't I start everyone off? I have a little bit of experience in the entertainment industry thanks to my aunt, Gladys Knight. I was working in the security office of the Montecito Las Vegas when the hotel was sold and the new owner wanted to implode and rebuild from scratch. I was worried about losing my job, so when Auntie Gladys impulsively asked me to join her world tour as a back-up singer, I said yes." Mike cringed slightly before continuing. "Folks, I've got to be honest with you here. The music business is tough. The first problem I ran into was the fist of one of the other back-up singers. Turns out his cousin had auditioned and was supposed to be the one going on tour, and Auntie Gladys offered us both the same spot without realizing it. Sharing a tour bus with a guy who hated me from the start wasn't my idea of fun, especially when I could make more money parking cars at any casino on the Strip. So I left and got a job as a valet to tide me over until the Montecito re-opened. The cool thing about karaoke, though? It's fun and you don't have to don't have to deal with the negative aspects of being in the business."
Having finished his introduction, Mike gave a signal to the DJ, who started playing something. "My favorite performer is probably Stevie Wonder, so I'm going to perform 'Superstition.'" Mike did a good job with the song, and he had the moves.
"Alright, who's up next?"