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 Karaoke and you the Indy writer/not quite artist
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| Author | Topic: Karaoke and you the Indy writer/not quite artist |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 07-31-2005 05:28
   
There. I said the filthy K word on a public forum. And with good reason too. Yesterday, I managed to make the first two Karake tracks that would work on the commercial machines. And I used them ast two venues last night and had what I think was the best response I have ever had to anything I have ever done. I have sung originals at karaoke for a good while but not with the words up on the screen. That was the clincher. they were singing along and I am sure that opening with them is why i couldn't put a foot wrong all night. Hell. I even had requests. I only found the software to convert video track made in Microsoft Movie Maker WMV format into VCD which is what most machines use. Got two done yesterday as I said, and have done seven today. By next week I expect to have a copy of around thirty of my songs in the hands of both the operators. The big hope is someone else will want to have a sing of some at karaoke, and hopefully that will get more non writing musos around town aware of what i have. Anyway. I am treying it, and decided to pass the thought on. The software I use is the trial version of Advanced X Video Converter. I just typed wmv to vcd converter into the browser and it was first one up. It worked so i didn't go any further looking for one. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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ECA333 Serious Contributor Posts: 752 |
posted 07-31-2005 06:31
Way to go Graham,it sounds like you are having fun,I'm happy for you.I sung a couple of songs yesterday on a open stage for a outdoor event,it was fun except the wind was blowing a gale,tipping over music stands,etc. Something new and different for me,but it was fun,kindof. IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 07-31-2005 08:19
Have them on ya laptop so the music and words are al there and it would be a strong wind to take the laptop away for sure. yep. I am having so much fun these days, I keep forgetting I am just waiting for God, and making plans of what to do tomorrow. Or one day. And today, I just had a contact from a previously unknown relation in New Zealand after they spotted me here. And I thought I'd become invisable too. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 07-31-2005 18:23
My last thought for yesterday was "Why not ask some of the people I play on my radio show to give some thought to maybe providing the backing track to songs I tend to hum along to so I can maybe do them to. I figure it would do no harm to have "In the style made famous by Joe Blow", writing and backing performance credits come up on the screens all around a watering hole. Already have one partial to the idea reply back, and I have only asked one person yet. That's a not bad average. Hey. I could even have "as heard on The Real Deal Hope FM 103.9 Esperance West Australia" on the opening and clocing panes. Oh , I frighten even myself sometimes. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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DukeWill Serious Contributor Posts: 1008 |
posted 08-03-2005 06:57
Doing karaoke of your originals, now, that's a novel thought. I hope something good comes of it, that's quite interesting. It's like, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.' IP: Logged |
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My Name? Serious Contributor Posts: 190 |
posted 08-03-2005 09:40
That sounds like a fun endeaver. I remember using a dual track karoake just as a strict recording device. Plugging my instruments in and making my own music. I could overdub and make the recording like it came from a 4 track. It even served as one hell of a guitar amp. Karaoke machines also have the same speaker system of the old stereo consoles. You know the ones that had the 8 track, phonograph player, and radio? I always liked the warmness of that sound. I think you gave me an idea to try something with it digitally. Matt [This message has been edited by My Name? (edited 08-03-2005).] IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-03-2005 15:38
Thanks Duke and Matt. Yep it is fun alright. I never tried to beat them not being a real performer so I simply se it as usings something that is already there to get my little babies a bit more accessable to the punters. And drink free while doing so. Gee. Doing this, I may even get to sing my stuff often enough that I actually know the words. Toward the karaoke box. I have used an Optimus home karaoke box as a go beween/mixer/ preamp sort of thing twix the Casio keyboard, Guitar, mike, and computer for ages now and it works good enough for me and my demos. I have already had asks from locals who want to do the same thing how I made the backings, so it may not be all that uncommon around here soon. It also let me know there are others writing songs in Esperance I had never known were even musical as they had never put anything out. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Lyric9 Casual Observer Posts: 20 |
posted 08-03-2005 19:03
Graham: I always suspected there was more to Karaoke than what is obvious. Great idea. Hope it "moves some merchandise" for you. Keep us posted. RICE IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-03-2005 19:26
Thanks Rice. Quite often the obvious isn't always sen as a way to do things. I think this may be one of these times. And marvelous how quick things get around once a person finally sees the forest. A bit like the fool and the olive tree song I guess. One thing to think it. Whole differant thing to actually do it. I have been working ways to do this for some time now, and having finally just last Saturday found the way and done a test run, I am now, five days later, and with just nine tracks done, negotiation two sponsorship deals because someone realised just how many people see karaoke track around the globe. I don't give a rats if they don't bear fruit. This is just plain fun. Ya gotta love the net. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-05-2005 18:35
A little update here. It is Saturday so, Karaoke night again nand now I have eleven of my soongs down and ready to make into VCDs. I have changed to a differant converter which I found worked just a little better for me. The free trial is at: www.avsmedia.com I am waiting for the upgrade of this one to arrive. Hopefully before go sing time. They little logo that comes up on the trial one is no big deal but be better without it. While at their site, I spoted a MP# morph thing trial and, as i had never had a go at that, I downloaded that too, and loved what I got out of it so decided to go for the full program of that too. Man. Does the learning curve ever end? The baqcking I did on the program is on my SongRamp site as Rock Doctor and has had some lovely coments. I don't have the URL to my Songramp on me right now but I am grahamhenderson in artist search. Or the track is #13 in Instrumental Hot hundred. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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russy67 Serious Contributor Posts: 155 |
posted 08-06-2005 07:34
I have sort of made karaoke tracks of my children's music. After mixing the masters of all my songs for a CD, I then go back and mix out my voice and acoustic guitar, so that I have backing trax for all my songs. Then at live shows, I sing and play acoustic guitar live, with the backing tracks. I maybe do 3 or 4 songs this way in a concert, and the rest are just straight guitar and voice. IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-06-2005 07:51
Think how great it would be for the kids to have the words up there so they could sing along Russ. I actually make the karaoke track first now and record my demos while singing to that as I usually write and record them in the same day and so, never know my words so it is great to be able to do it with only one window open. And sems by the time I have put them into the karaoke track, I know them a little better anyway. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Michael H Serious Contributor Posts: 309 |
posted 08-08-2005 00:15
Hey Graham, All the technology for Karaoke had been locked down for so long, I think it is great you finally got the bouncing ball up on the screen for your own tunes. I explored that 10 years ago with no success. the money for the disk drives and software was just not worth it at the time. I would sing my originals and get response, but the blue screen was blank like you say. quote: IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-08-2005 01:12
No bouncing bals for this bloke Michael. All very simple, and all bar the convert to VCD so it plays on commercial machines, and now the sound doctoring stuff I am loving, was all on my computer in the windows XP package. Microsoft Picture it to kake the slides I paste my lyrics to out of word documents. Then Movie Maker to box the slides and audio together oon and save as WMV which will play on my computer. The Coverting gear I have now just converts that so as stated, can be burnt on a disk to leave with the karaoke folks at al my local venues. I don't even have to write out tickets any more. They just yell when they want me. And the crowd even prompted them to do that a couple of times last week. And I sold trhee CDs to boot. Of Shell Shock. My first ever lyric, on my first ever karaoke track were my first ever personally sung record sales. I am burning a few copies off prior to the shows this week ( and tell them in my patter I have them too, rather than have to do burning stuff with just a little bit of a hangover the next day. It works for me, just think what it could do for somebody who can actually sing. Decidedly not a can't beat them join them thing. This is a "use them" thing for sure. The update of the converting stuff didn't arrive in time to burn the CDs before showtime so still only had the two a la Karaoke, but once they were through, nobody semed to mind me doing covers and some of my others without the words being up there. I guess ya get 'em behind ya, ya have to something pretty dumb to lose them. The drinks probably help too of course. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-12-2005 15:32
While the puter is chuging away converting the second batch of VCDs I have made I thought I would say, all is going great with them I have upgraded to the bought version of both the video andaudio gear I used to make the trial ones and it works a treat. This is where I got the stuff I am using. www.avsmedia.com All very simple and results are spot on. I am going to be one happy man tonight at Karaoke. No more cover songs for me never no more. I now make the karaoke track before I do a demo sing because it is so dang easy having the words come up as the music goes along, and recording that. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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russy67 Serious Contributor Posts: 155 |
posted 08-12-2005 22:29
Karaoke might be an okay idea for some children's performers, but unfortunately for me, my target audience is 5 and under. Most of them can't read yet! I wonder if their parents would sing along? IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-12-2005 23:11
Five and can't read simple words? Heck. That is slow. Have you seen what kids in fact are doing at that age Russ. I think the kiddie karaoke thing would be a great learning tool and encourage them to read. Maybe start them recognising word forms while singing along to those who can read. Yep. Parents still have a roll to play other than making the baby and throwing food at it. I was justv talking to a pre schol teacher who sings some of my songs and am now working on tracks designed especially for her classes. She think it will he great. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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russy67 Serious Contributor Posts: 155 |
posted 08-13-2005 01:38
Hi Graham. I think the idea of having 5 and 6 year olds sing along with a Karaoke screen is a great idea. I actually did that when I taught grade one a few years ago. I had kids singing karaoke tunes like "It's My Party", and several popular classic kid's songs. They couldn't all follow along with the unfamiliar songs, but they did very well with the songs that they already knew the lyrics to. I didn't find that it taught them to read, but the experience certainly didn't hurt. I'm currently teaching Junior kindergarten (3 and 4 year olds). I would say that this age group makes up most of the audience at my concerts. At this age, they're still learning the alphabet, and they may know between 1 and 10 familiar words by the end of the year. But most of the songs I perform at my shows are either originals (unfamiliar to them) or fast paced action songs (they're too busy dancing and moving around to be reading a screen). There are very few songs that I play where they are just sitting listening to my words. I do agree with you that in the classroom setting, it's a worth while tool. I'm in charge of doing the Christmas Concert at our school this year. A couple of months ago at a garage sale, I found a Christmas Singalong Video that showed the words (karaoke style), with winter scenes. I was thinking that it might be neat to have the school choir sing the first half of each song, and then have the whole audience join in on the second half. The video is even set up this way, because halfway through each song, words flash on the screen "EVERYONE JOIN IN". I think this is a good way to highlight the choir, and keep the audience awake for the duration. IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-13-2005 01:50
One of my fun things to do with kids is to fire up one of my 16 jazz backing and sing nusery rhymes to it. The Granies love it, and are soon into the flow of things. One has even worked out pretty well any old nursery rhme wil do the trip to 16 bar and started pulling in some I had never included. And all the time getting a feel for a bit of eight to the bar stuff. It's my party is a bit over the head of under fiveers I would think. Will se what I come up with for the teacher lady and if it floats withb her, then acid test it on the kids. The tribe down thyeb pub sem to like my nursery rhyme things too by the way. I never do Mary Has A Little Lamb, that having been done to death as a blues piece. Life's so dang good. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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russy67 Serious Contributor Posts: 155 |
posted 08-13-2005 02:42
That sounds like a lot of fun, Graham. Do you ever play children's music on your radio show? IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-20-2005 02:21
Yes to both Russ. I have a children's segment I throw in about 8 am hoping to catch them at breakfast. Mostly Kaley and Wy stuff but just recieved Tricia Baker's Cd and that goes into the pot also. two or three songs a week for the kids I do Russ. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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AKA Wordsmith Serious Contributor Posts: 137 |
posted 08-20-2005 02:37
Hmmmn...I may have a few ideas for you on the kids front. I'll have to do a bit of rework to get it where it needs to be, though. Time will tell. IP: Logged |
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bob young Serious Contributor Posts: 3970 |
posted 08-20-2005 07:10
ahhhh, Cobber.. I wish I was having as much fun as you.. That's a great idea.. Wish I could be there to see and hear it Keep rockin' young man ! Bob Young IP: Logged |
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Graham Serious Contributor Posts: 11096 |
posted 08-20-2005 07:31
Glad you like the idea Bob. Just finishing a new batch to hit themwith onight and tomorrow with. And you will se and hear them Cobber Trust me. Don't know if i can actually vid a gig as I always seem to be busy lately but I'll send ya the Karaoke tracks with and without the sings on them and they play on ya puter. Haven't tried to get them to DVD yet. That's next. And yep I am having fun alright Cobber. Graham ------------------ IP: Logged |
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