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ABC show chronicles the crowning of a karaoke champ By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it Once karaoke was nothing more than a goof. A bunch of friends hit a bar, drank until inhibitions were a memory, then as friends egged them on, approached the stage. Maybe it was the loud mu- sic, maybe it was the altered state, but millions of people over the years convinced themselves that they sounded exactly like Pat Benatar or Frank Sinatra. They didn’t. Yet some amazing talent, including Taylor Swift, has come out of the karaoke cir- cuit. And that struck a chord with Muriel Pearson, execu- tive producer of ABC’s “Ka- raoke Battle USA.” The show launches with a two-hour premiere Friday, Aug. 12. “I have discovered that the karaoke community is a community, and they frequent bars and create social networks through this experience,” Pearson says. “It is a social networking experi- ence to do karaoke. It brings people together.” “The best karaoke singers in America all know each oth- er from competing in these competitions,” Pearson says. “It really is an incredibly in- teresting social phenomenon which binds them together.” The six-episode show picks up the Karaoke World Championship trials after people have been competing for months. The judges, sing- er Carnie Wilson, karaoke champion Brian Scott and journalist Joe Levy, pick one man and one woman. View- ers don’t vote. “I love all shows like this - any show that is a singing contest,” Wilson says. Despite that she’s in a singing group, Wilson Phillips, Wilson admits that karaoke makes her nervous. “Karaoke is a lot of fun,” she says. “I have huge stage fright about karaoke, and ev- erybody expects you to be a great singer.” As host, Joey Fatone’s job is “to try to make the people comfortable,” he says. Even after the years of performing with ’N Sync, Fatone enjoys a good karaoke song. His favor- ite karaoke song is “Jessie’s Girl.” This contest chronicles how people take it to the next level with the judges advising them. “I am looking for a man and a woman that can end up on the stage, and first and foremost sing their tail off,” Wilson says. “I am not looking for someone that can mimic the singer of the song they chose. I don’t expect some- one to get up there and sing exactly like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey. “I am just looking for someone with a really great energy and stage presence, an incredible voice where they can have a strong vocal quality and maybe somebody a little different who can sing Borkholder Dutch Village presents on August 13th our 1st Annual DUTCH DAYS Indoor Events: Mall Sales Restaurant Specials Outdoor Events: Outdoor Vendors Concessions Independent Consultants (31 Gifts, Tupperware, Mary Kay, etc.) Event Centre: Garage Sale Flea Market Vendors Volleyball Tournament For more tournament information or to enter your team please contact: Leon at 260.350.2738 August 13th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. B Dutch Village Borkholder “Nappanee’s Marketplace” For more information Contact Chantelle 574.773.2828 or chantelle@borkholder.com Carnie Wilson is a judge on “Karaoke Battle USA,” premering Friday on ABC. 2 The Goshen News • Viewer’s Choice • Saturday, August 6 - Friday, August 12, 2011 522-9500 www.wedumor.com DuMor Water Specialists Inc. ... Delivering Quality Products & Services Since 1952 Kid’s Carnival Games • Prizes Candy • Popcorn that song with their own flair,” she continues. “It is hard because karaoke is literally singing the songs that have been recorded by famous people. A lot of people in karaoke pick songs they can sing because they sound like the artist.” The vast majority of the contestants can sing but don’t have much stage presence, Wilson says. The judges listened to singers in regional contests in Houston, Las Vegas, New York and Chicago. “I would say percentage- wise 10 percent are just ridiculous and clownlike,” she says. “And 25 percent are not very good, and 30 percent that have pretty good poten- tial and need a lot of training. And then you have that 20 percent that is really gifted.” This does leave 15 percent unaccounted for, but Wilson’s point is that the singers who make it as far as the region- als are generally talented. “They call me the pitch mama,” she says. “Pitch to me is everything. When you sing, you better be on key. I can understand a couple of notes off, but you can’t sit there and hold a long note and be off key. Your scores are going to get knocked down. I keep saying to them, ‘You have got 90 seconds! If you are nervous, put your nerves into that performance. You better do something to divert my attention.’ ” Singers are judged on voice quality, rhythm and tem- po, vocal expression, stage presence, and entertainment value, Pearson says. The show partners with the Karaoke World Champi- onship, which, Pearson says, keeps the “experience very authentic.” In addition to rep- resenting the United States at the international contest in Ireland this year, the winner receives a recording contract for a single. “This whole competition is about real people, not wan- nabe stars,” Pearson says. Clearing Facts about cataracts! Vision blurry or foggy? Colors dull or muted? Glasses no longer working? Decreased night vision? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may have cataracts. Schedule your FREE cataract consultation today! 800.283.8393 www.bolingvisioncenter.com GOSHEN OFFICE 1615 Winsted Drive | Goshen IN 46526 “It’s people who just love to sing. We want to use it as a prism of looking out in America. People come from every walk of life. There is a physicist, a burlesque dancer, a lot of moms and dads, just normal family folk, but they have jobs, some are stay-at- home moms.” And all of them have climbed onto some small stage somewhere and tried their luck first in a local kara- oke bar. “There are a lot of hard- luck stories as far as these people’s background goes,” Fatone says. “Really, karaoke is free. And they get up and have a good time. You get a shy and timid person, and they get up onstage and it’s amazing to watch. And they come out with a big voice and it’s like, ‘Holy crap!’ ” things up ... SPECIALS FAIR EXTENDED!!! Call For Details.

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