The Key To Being A Karaoke King Or Queen

Another post from the Caramel Archives – we are still in National Lockdown and I did not go to a karaoke club last night.

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I went out tonight with friends…I think I may have told you about the planned karaoke night the girlies had organized to cheer me up:

• I Need A…

Imagine their reaction when I told them everything is fine between Goldfinch and I!

The Jolly Flatboatmen, George Caleb Bingham, 1846. National Gallery of Art.

With the elation and relief on realizing Goldfinch was abroad and had not seen any of my messages…was I going to cancel the karaoke night?  Not on your nelly!!!

Now…I have to admit I was struggling to think of a story when I saw this picture prompt from The Haunted Wordsmith, but after making a show of myself just like the chappy in this picture, I thought I would share with you the secret of success of being a singer on stage, the key to being a karaoke king or queen:

HAVE NO SHAME!

or

DO NOT BE EASILY EMBARRASSED

I used to work for a record company…and I know, it is not necessarily the idyllically harmonious and melodic tones that are going to win the karaoke contest…it is the performer – the person who puts their heart and soul into their performance.  They jump up on the table and belt it out, completely unapologetic for their off-key notes!  These are the real entertainers, the raw, imperfect but full of charisma performers that an audience absolutely adores!

As Cameron Diaz demonstrated only too well, when love for her beau moves her to abandon all fear and give it her all in what turns out to be a terrible yet triumphant turn on the karaoke microphone!

Just like Cameron Diaz…I do believe I heard the crowds tonight shouting “MORE, MORE, MORE!!!”

I only came home early, because I have so much to do tomorrow!  But believe me…I gave London something to remember tonight!

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/09/13/worth-a-thousand-words-32/

Well I Thought So Anyway

The highlight of today was without doubt the rendition I performed of “The Sound Of Music” for my manager to enjoy…well I thought so anyway! I even twirled around with my arms outstretched to explain how the opening scene of the best movie of all time begins.

I went on to serenade her with “My Favourite Things”, before we had to get back to work. If she had encouraged me I could have continued with the entire score from the musical quite happily.

Today was one of the most intense days yet in some ways. It’s hard to explain how much our workload has multiplied beyond our capability. But we keep going! Except that I am strangely not feeling stress at work any more. I just keep going as fast as I can, and then I come home and switch off to work completely. I relax with a meal, a shower and then bed!

I am so glad I have my fifteen minute walk to work in the sunshine. I can sing to myself to fortify my heart before the craziness of work begins. I am singing as often as can be. I sing in the shower, on the way to work and now I am even singing at work. Perhaps it’s my way of making sure the stress does not creep up into my heart.

I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing In Perfect Harmony

More prompts than ever are floating around this week, so I am going to try my best to provide some responses while I have a little time. I have been told by the Doctor to rest, so I am going to obey. I have spent a few days having extra hours in bed and taking it a lot easier than normal, which I think is wise because despite taking pain killers round the clock, my head is in a very bad way.

Reading other blogger’s posts and preparing my own on WordPress seems restful enough. I will crack out as many as I can and schedule them to be published over the week to come because I am going to be back at work at the end of the week and then in hospital at the start of next week.

Here is one post in response to a prompt provided by the lovely Rory aka A Guy Called Bloke and K9 Doodlepip! as you can see in the post below:

https://aguycalledbloke.blog/2019/02/16/oh-prompt-me-do-our-world-today/

https://aguycalledbloke.blog/oh-prompt-me-do/

Our World Today

What talent have you always wanted to have and why?

There are some hobbies or activities I enjoy, but I wish I was much better at. One is baking. I dabble as a baker and everyone seems very pleased with the results, but I know there is a lot of room for improvement.

I also really like singing. I did have singing lessons as a teenager. I do wish I had stuck with them. But they were very expensive, and at that age I was very shy of being on stage, which is what my teacher wanted for me.

In recent years, singing has been more for fun. I especially love karaoke. I am not trying to impress anyone. I just think singing has such an amazing feel-good factor and I love the way it makes me feel.

I am absolutely in awe of classically trained opera singers. I love going to see a talented opera singer perform live. A good opera singer just leaves me enthralled.

It’s a while since a man took me to the opera, but they are always the most romantic date nights! Much more romantic than watching a man devour a steak! But I have been taken to the opera male friends in the past and have many wonderful memories. I have loved seeing Lesley Garrett, Renée Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu and Katherine Jenkins in concert.

Tell us about it…. and if you did have this talent how would you use it to your advantage in your world today?

Well…I guess more than anything, I would like to get others singing with me. Singing is so so good for you. It’s good for your spirits, good for your confidence.

I think I misread the question first time round, because I thought it asked how I would use this talent for the advantage of the world, rather than to my advantage. I am not particularly concerned with my advantage. In fact I think the whole concept of “my advantage” is rather detrimental to real happiness in the long run. I would be happier if the whole world were happier. That means seeking the advantage of others!

How is a talent really a talent unless it benefits others? I would not want to sing just to receive applause or glory – singing is best when it is from not a diva, but a chorus, united in joy, raising their voices and lifting the ceiling with their rejoicing!

So teaching the whole world to sing (or live) in perfect harmony would be a wonderfully advantageous thing all round – don’t you think so!!!

 

Whiskers On Kittens

I have received so many lovely messages over the past couple of weeks from bloggers who know about Goldfinch. I sure am sad! I sure am crying at times! But I am keeping busy – a very busy bee indeed. I am alright everyone – sadness is fine. I am happy to be sad – if that makes sense.

The Maria Von Trapp side of me cheered me up no end when I was at work on Friday. I was singing…yes out loud top of my voice singing (in between dealing with clients/customers of course). It really did make me feel better. What was I singing?

“Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens…

…When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favourite things

And then I don’t feel so bad!“

 

 

This post was in response to the picture prompt from The Haunted Wordsmith:

https://hwdailyprompt.home.blog/2018/12/16/december-16-2018-2/

Sing-Along With Mr Tall

You might have picked up on my fondness for singing if you have seen some of my other posts. For a long time I have been intending to tell you all about one of the biggest musical influences on my life, and now I am finally introducing you to a man I adored.

Mr Tall was our Headmaster at the primary school I attended. I mentioned him in another post this week (he gave me permission to borrow the book “Heidi” during the school holidays). Well Mr Tall was most loved for two things…one was his huge ball of blue-tac which he always had in his hands. It was the greatest honour if he trusted you with it when he needed his hands free for a task. The other thing he was known for was his guitar.

Our beloved Headmaster loved playing the guitar. Every Friday afternoon the whole school would gather and Mr Tall would play the guitar to songs that we came to know by heart and we would sing the lyrics at the top of our voices!

One of my favourites was a song called “Denny O’Rafferty’s Motor Car”. I have known this song by heart sing I was around five years old. I loved it! Every now and then I surprise a friend by singing the entire song (there are more verses than I have included below):

Now Denny O’Rafferty’s motor car is the greatest I declare
It’s made up of bits and pieces that he’s picked up here and there
The engine must be ages old, but it’s still got lots of power
With a gallon of stout in the petrol tank it does ninety miles an hour

[CHORUS}: What a wonderful motor car, it’s the greatest ever seen
It used to be black as me father’s hat, now it’s forty shades of green
On TV and the radio and in every public bar
The burning question of the day is O’Rafferty’s motor car

Now two of the wheels are triangular and the third one’s off a pram
The fourth is the last remaining wheel from off a Dublin tram
The number plate’s in Gaelic and the plug’s won’t even spark
And the chassis came off a tinker’s cart that collapsed in Phoenix Park

Now go for a ride in that motor car and you’ll end up with the shakes
The road from Cork to Dublin is a vale of pains and aches
When traffic lights turn red ahead, then you’d best jump out the door
For the moment that Denny treads on the break, then his foot goes through the floor

I remember almost all the songs we sang each week with Mr Tall. Years after I left primary school I often found myself singing them regularly. If you wanted to pop round to the little nest one evening, I could entertain you for a couple of hours with renditions of my childhood songs that Mr Tall taught us. Only I don’t play the guitar. I had a few lessons as a teenager, but I was juggling too many hobbies and couldn’t concentrate (big regret, as I would love to play the guitar…but there is still time).

Now I am a huge karaoke fan. You might not be so keen yourself, but I think it is super fun and really good for you emotionally and mentally – there is something about pushing yourself to overcome your fears, anxieties, nerves and giving it your all. It is not about the quality of your voice. It is about giving it some gusto and enjoying yourself. But I know some who would rather be pulled through a hedge backwards than made to sing solo in front of an audience.

I was working at a medical center for almost two years. We were trained to signpost patients to a whole host of other medical service providers and also avenues in which people could connect with their local community and do something good for their social, emotional and mental health. One of the booklets we gave out to customers was about a local singing group. People from various backgrounds and age-groups were meeting three nights a week for a good old sing song.

I was sooooooooo tempted to tag along myself only I was working every evening the singing group met. My only worry is that I am such a karaoke queen the rest of the singers might have been a bit fed up with me.

Well…on this note (boom boom) I wanted to mention “SONG-LYRIC-SUNDAY”, which many of you may already know about and take part in. It is a great fun blogging challenge hosted by Helen Vahdati, the creator of This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time. Have a little look at her post from last Sunday and the incredibly long list of bloggers who are taking part in sharing a musical moment with each other. It’s the closest thing to a choir us bloggers are ever going to form I feel:

 the https://helenswordsoflife.com/2018/10/20/song-lyric-sunday-theme-for-10-21-18/

Will be looking out for you next Sunday!