Tsukuba Monogatari: Twenty-first post
- Sing “Love Me Tender” as a duet with a Japanese man who has a loud voice, and lip synch. “Love Me Tender” requires a vocal range of about 3 notes and is mercifully short.
- Sing early. That way, you can get it over with and enjoy the rest of the evening (rather than spending the entire evening in a state of dread).
- What not to do: What I did. (Insist that you don’t know any of the songs, that you can’t sing, that you know the melody, but not the words; or the words, but not the melody—until all that is left for you to sing is “Yesterday.” “Yesterday” is like a vocal Bermuda Triangle. Many a singer has launched into it, never to be seen again. It is deceptive; it is so familiar, so Beatles, that we all think we can do it, no sweat. You’re probably better off taking a stab at “The Star-Spangled Banner,” mate.
Karaoke is the ultimate nightmare for those of us who would prefer to avoid public humiliation. To the Japanese, karaoke is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you sing well or if you suck – the important thing is to show that you are human and that you don’t take yourself so seriously that you can’t make a total fool of yourself in public. No one is judging your singing voice. The way to pass this test is to just let loose. Easier said than done, I know. As one of my trainees observed: “Americans are very assertive in meetings, very shy in karaoke.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, good fun was had by all. Jennifer and I met the entire Eastern Region staff. It was a great chance to increase our visibility at The Company. And the outdoor onsen (public bath) was fabulous. (Don’t worry, gang – I didn’t mean that kind of visibility!)
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