How to Win a Karaoke Contest (at least while I'm one of the Judges)

By Sandra Miller-Long

So you think you want to be in karaoke contest...and you think you deserve to win. Ok. Maybe you do.....but if you haven't come close to taking home that first place trophy or check yet, you might do well to heed some of the following advice.

First of all don't expect to win it all based solely on your voice. In most contests I've judged there are generally variations of the same three criteria....Vocal Ability, Stage Presence and Audience Response. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if it was just about singing, there would only be one category, yes?

Rule #1. Choose your song carefully! Most often a performance is gonna be made (or not) by the song you choose to sing so it stands to reason that you ought to actually sing a song that showcases your talent(s). I have a motto that I go by, if you don't make me cry or send chills down my spine then you will not get a 10 for vocal ability. It's tough, but I believe it's fair.

Rule #2. Don't pick an unfamiliar song. It automatically puts you at a disadvantage. If it's a song the judges know even slightly then they'll be able to more readily tell if you actually have command of the song. Don't make the judges search to see if you have the requisite range and control.

Rule #3. Don't pick an overdone song either. Chances are good we've heard it done by someone else and done better. A slightly familiar song brings some fresh air to your performance while everybody else is doing the "same old thing".

Rule #4. Keep it short...no long songs. Hit hard and run. A judge's attention span is short.

Rule #5. Stay away from simple ballad type songs (such as "My Way") because songs of this kind (as sweet as they might be) have no change in the melody, have no complicated parts to them, and have been done so many times, that people are bored with hearing them. A ballad is fine, however, IF there is some drama to it. Try to pick music that has a lot of changes in it...not the same thing over and over. If you are going the ballad route- make sure it is a song that shows strong vocal ability and ends in a nice strong or high note.

Rule #6 Vary your performance throughout the song. A show stopping Broadway song can easily be overdone if you maintain full throttle from beginning to end. Even the best voices get boring if there is no change in volume and intensity. And the last thing you want to do is bore the judges!

Rule #7 Have some fun with the song, whatever it is...props, costumes etc. are a good idea. I've seen many contestants win because they were the only one who seemed to be having a good time out there, while others seem to be taking it too seriously. And please note: if you sing to the monitor and not the audience, you will get no better score than average from me in Stage Presence, no matter how awesome your voice.

Rule #8 Move around! Don't just stand there. If you are lucky enough to get a wireless mic, use it to your advantage! Remember no matter how good your voice is, that's usually only 1/3 of the score. But do try to keep in character with the emotional range of the song. No one prances around the stage while singing "Lady In Red".

Rule #9 If you have an opportunity to pick your position in the contest....go for next to LAST. That's "pole position". You will be fresh in the judges' minds, and you will have gotten to see what you're up against. That way you can also vary your performance from what you've seen others do so you stand out from the crowd.

Rule #10 And, whatever you do...whether you win or lose....be gracious afterwards. If you don't win this time, you might next time. I may not remember if you were cool about not winning, but I'll certainly remember you if you weren't.

In summation, Karaoke is an art form and it is a performance art. But it's also entertainment. And at a karaoke contest YOU are the entertainer! Karaoke contests are very much an effort to hammer a square peg in a round hole due to the subjectiveness of what people like and what they consider to be good. It's almost impossible to judge karaoke because it's almost impossible to judge art.