The biggest factor in how people respond to your performance, is how well you handle a microphone. Television performances where the artist holds the mic at arms-length, does NOT reflect proper technique. Music videos are visual art with pre-recorded audio added post-video production. Use live concerts as a guide—true professionals routinely hold the microphone practically inside their mouths.
Once you learn to position the mic properly, you should focus on finding a strong and clear singing voice. The most common mistake is singing either too loud, or too softly. If you're too loud, we can simply pull down the volume on the mic, but if you're too quiet, your voice will be lost in a crescendo of feedback. The key is to sing directly into the microphone with full voice and let Paul do his very best to make you sound great!
do’s and don'ts
| Have fun. No-one is judging you. Don't worry too much about how well you sing, it's all about having fun. Some of our most favourite regulars aren't the best singers, but they have the most fun, and fun is infectious! | |
| DON’T swing the microphone by the cable - even if you're using the wireless mic - they're very expensive, quite heavy, and prone to busting people's faces. | |
| Sing directly into the microphone—it's your friend. If you're too loud, I will turn you down. | |
| DON’T pick songs that are not good for your voice and range. No one wants to hear a baritone man singing Celine Dion. | |
| Bring your friends. Your friends are probably used to seeing you do stupid, embarrassing things. They'll love it. | |
| DON’T attempt to balance a chair on your head while singing on one foot. This will inevitably result in personal injury. | |
| Remember: it's all about the stage-presence. If you move around a bit, have fun, you'll get the crowd into the song with you. That's a good thing. | |
| DON’T whoop and scream unnecessarily and don't worry about hitting every note on key. Nobody expects you to be perfect at Karaoke. |
