Karaoke Scene – What's New

 KaraokeFest 2007 is in the books…and what a blast! This was, by far, the biggest and best “Fest” yet with 3 major singing competition finals, 6 Karaoke stages going all day and night and even live, right on the spot, auditions for the new hit TV show, the Singing Bee!

First of all we wish to thank our sponsors, VocoPro, Ace Karaoke, ProSound and Singer’s Choice for their generous support and enthusiasm for this event. They make it possible to have this day-long celebration of Karaoke every year for all of us to enjoy. Please support these fine companies for all they do for Karaoke.

As for the event itself, 90 singers competed in the 3 contest finals, the Crème de la Kids, Crème de la King and Crème de la Crème. The competitions started at noon and didn’t finish until 11:30pm. What a day of first rate, top flight singing! The 25 children in the Crème de la Kids contest were terrific as they melted everyone’s heart with their performances. The 15 Crème de la King competitors brought back the memory of Elvis in a huge way and really lit up the stage with their colorful outfits and exciting renditions of classic Elvis tunes. And, of course, the 50 Crème de la King Finalists rocked the Fairgrounds for over 4 hours with outstanding performances and world class singing.

Special thanks go to the phenomenally talented Shawn Parr for another perfect job of hosting the Crème de la Crème Finals Competition and to my good friend, Manny Pacheco, the best emcee for a huge event like this that anyone could ask for. For those of you who couldn’t be there, Shawn decided to try on some of the contestant’s special performing costumes during the show with hilarious results (see photos).

Our sincere gratitude also goes out to Crème de la King host, Dennis Skiles, and to Crème de la Kids host, Tony DeFazio for all their efforts in making the dream come true for all of their contestants. Many thanks also to all of the gracious volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to make KaraokeFest so special for everyone.

Getting back to the “Singing Bee” auditions at KaraokeFest, we have already received reports of a number of auditioners being called back for the TV show. We would like to wish all of you who auditioned the best of luck and we are confident that you will be great representatives of the Karaoke community on this popular new TV show.

We would like to acknowledge all of our Karaoke Expo Exhibitors, VocoPro (represented by OK Karaoke & Electronics), Ace Karaoke, ProSound (formerly Priddis), Singer’s Choice of Huntington Beach, 5 Star Karaoke, Jean Nagle’s Karaoke Cruise, Ethermedia, Inc. and the Singing Bee. We, and the Karaoke community, sincerely appreciate your participation at KaraokeFest this year and we hope to see you all again next year.

Don’t forget that, for a limited time, you can purchase your own professionally produced DVD of any or all of the exciting singing competitions at KaraokeFest this year…a perfect memento of all the fabulous performances that made KaraokeFest 2007 such an entertainment extravaganza. The Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King DVDs are only $19.95 each (+ S&H) and the Crème de la Crème DVDs are only $29.95 (+ S&H), or you can order all 3 DVDs for only $59.95 (+S&H). Order yours today at www.KaraokeScene.com or by calling (714) 826-2212.

On a more serious note, the subject of “piracy” continues to haunt the Karaoke industry as well as the entertainment industry at large. Piracy hurts everyone connected with the Karaoke industry and the Karaoke community as well both directly and indirectly. If something is not done about it, everyone will suffer. A number of Karaoke music companies have had to close their doors as a result of piracy and some others are barely hanging on. Check the “Newsmakers” section on page 10 for a recent press release from the United States Department of Justice pertaining to this issue. It is everyone’s responsibility to try to do the right thing where piracy is concerned. Please do your part and purchase your music legally

 KaraokeFest 2007 is looming like a huge cloud of excitement over Southern California. This year’s “Fest” will again take place, by popular demand, at the L.A. County Fair in Pomona on Saturday, September 15 th…that’s right, Saturday. This will be the first time we have scheduled “Fest” on a Saturday. Just think of it, no having to get up the next morning to go to work. It sounds great to me!

New this year, the VocoPro Fabulous Fest Photo Contest! Take your best shot at KaraokeFest this year and send it to us before midnight on September 22 nd to be eligible to win the new Sonic Station compliments of VocoPro. This is a great prize retailing for $500. The judges are actually looking for the best photo taken at KaraokeFest this year. That means it should show one or more of the events and activities going on at the “Fest” that day in an artistic, funny, creative or explanatory way. There are no specific guidelines other than wanting the photo that best exemplifies the event. You may send as many entries as you like but only a maximum of 3 per email. Send your entries to photos@KaraokeScene.com before midnight on September 22 nd. This should be a lot of fun so “take your best shot” and send it in.

The Crème de la Crème Singing Competition continues to rock across Southern California and the talent level is fantastic. We are seeing more and more variation of singing styles and music genres this time and it is good to see so many new faces out there competing. It looks like it’s going to be a fabulous show at KaraokeFest when the 50 finalists (25 male and 25 female) will compete for thousands in cash and prizes and the coveted title of Male & Female Karaoke Singers of the Year (not to mention being Pop Hits Monthly’s “Singer of the Month” where they will be a featured “demo” artist on a future Pop Hits Monthly release. They will also be able to record an original song for the disc (if they don’t have one Pop Hits Monthly will provide one for them). This is a golden opportunity for national exposure and we are proud to be able to provide this prize to our male and female first place winners. We are so pleased to have wildly popular L.A. radio and television personality, Shawn Parr, back as the host of the Crème de la Crème Finals Competition this year. Shawn always does a remarkable job hosting this event and he informs us that he has some new tricks up his many sleeves this year. Can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for us.

This year we have added 2 new contests to the KaraokeFest menu, the Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King Singing Competitions. The Crème de la Kids is the result of your input over the years, asking if we could host a children’s contest of some kind. We brainstormed the concept and came up with a brand new event for this year. Tony DeFazio of Starlight Entertainment is the contest coordinator and has done a fine job so far looking after the youngsters and providing them with the opportunity to show off their talents, and believe me, there are some sensationally talented children who have qualified and will be competing at KaraokeFest. The show time for the Crème de la Kids Finals Competition at KaraokeFest will be 12 noon.

The Crème de la King is the result of the vision of one of our event planners. We are huge Elvis fans here so when the idea was presented it was received with almost unanimous approval. We all thought it would be a perfect addition to our show and an appropriate way to commemorate the 30 th anniversary of Elvis’ passing. Dennis Skiles of D & D Productions has done an excellent job of putting it all together for this unique and exciting event. This contest will begin on August 16 th and continue through August 26 th. For more details please check out page 16 of this issue. The show time for the Crème de la King Finals Competition at KaraokeFest will be 3pm.

The Golden Achievement Award nominees are listed on page 17 of this issue. These are individuals and venues that have been voted best in their respective categories by the Southern California Karaoke community at large. The winners will be announced and awards presented at KaraokeFest. However, these nominees are already all winners just by having been selected from the many hundreds of venues and individuals in Southern California Karaoke. The “Best” and “Most Supportive” Awards will be presented at 5pm. The KJ and Venue of the Year Awards will be presented at 8pm. These awards are the “Oscars” of Karaoke and the best way for the Karaoke community to express their appreciation so please be on hand to show your support for these talented people and special venues.

The second annual “KaraokeFest Online Singing Competition” will be hosted by KaraokeScene.com and Bix.com. Like last year, this will be separate from our other singing competitions that are currently underway., just go to www.Bix.com, click on the “KaraokeFest Online Singing Competition” link and follow the instructions. There will be both a video and audio only competition. It should be a blast and we will be looking forward to enjoying the performances of all of the talented folks posting entries from all over the world. Entering is simple; you can access the contest by going to www.Bix.com or at our website www.KaraokeScene.com, just click on the “KaraokeFest Online Singing Competition” link.

And don’t forget, in addition to the main show, there will be 6 Karaoke stages located throughout the Fairgrounds where everybody can sing all day long. Last year a bunch of folks made it a point to sing at each and every stage at least once. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Then there’s the Karaoke Expo featuring music industry related vendors who will be there to exhibit and/or sell their latest products. Visiting the Expo is always a great experience. The Expo will be located in very close proximity to the main stage where our show will be taking place. Be sure to make it a point to visit the Karaoke Expo. You’ll be glad you did.

All you need to enjoy all of the special events and activities of KaraokeFest 2007 is a ticket to the L.A. County Fair which can be purchased at many retail store locations throughout Southern California. You can also go to www.LACountyFair.com and purchase your tickets there.

The Karaoke Scene staff looks forward to seeing all of you at KaraokeFest this year on Saturday, September 15 th. Gates open at 10am and the “Fair” is open till midnight. See you there!

  Well, the Songburst ’07 singing competition has been a huge success! Hundreds of contestants turned out for the competition and the cameras were rolling. With the “Finals” yet to occur, there is great excitement and anticipation among the contestants. We’ll give you a complete “SongBurst” update on our website, www.KaraokeScene.com, as well as in our next issue.

  We would like to thank our prize sponsors for Songburst ’07, Ace Karaoke, VocoPro, and ProSound. Their support and generosity is very much appreciated. The Karaoke community is fortunate to have fine companies like these who are consistently so supportive of important events such as this. We would also like to thank Mark Warshaw Productions for their cooperation, courtesy and support of Songburst ’07. They have worked tirelessly in putting together a quality product and we wish them great success in marketing the show for television.

  KaraokeFest 2007 is coming on September 15 th at the fabulous L.A. County Fair in Pomona. For the first time, KaraokeFest will be held on a Saturday. Think of it, we can all have our day-long Karaoke party on Saturday, September 15 th, and then have a whole day to relax and recharge our batteries on Sunday…sounds very good to me. Also, the “Fair” is open longer on Saturday; the hours are 10am – midnight. All of the details for KaraokeFest 2007 will be available at www.KaraokeScene.com and in our next issue.

  As KaraokeFest 2007 approaches, we are nearing the time for the “Oscars” of Karaoke, the “Karaoke Golden Achievement Awards.” These awards are so important because they provide a way to honor those in the Karaoke community whose special contributions should be recognized. These awards are actually rewards for those people and venues that rise above the norm and make a significant, positive difference to Southern California Karaoke. Whether it is being an outstanding KJ, having the fairest rotation, offering great sound, food, service or a fabulous stage from which to sing, the “extras” provided by the nominees in their prospective categories make all of our Karaoke singing experiences so much better.

  Please take the time to cast your vote for the people and/or venues you think should be recognized for their efforts. Please bear in mind that the more votes that are cast, the more representative the results. You may vote online at www.KaraokeScene.com. The voting begins on June 1 st and lasts until July 15 th. In the interest of fairness, only one vote per email address and two votes per IP address will be accepted. Again, the “Karaoke Golden Achievement Awards” depend on you, the Karaoke community, to participate and let those who are worthy know that you appreciate their efforts. They are there for you; you should be there for them!

  Soon after the “Karaoke Golden Achievement Award” voting ends, the mother of all singing contests begins. On July 5 th, the prestigious “Crème de la Crème” singing competition will “kick off” with singers from all over Southern California (and beyond) competing for thousands in cash and prizes and the coveted title of “Male & Female Karaoke Vocalist of the Year” plus all that goes with it. Don’t miss your chance to compete and become a singing star! All of the details will be available at www.KaraokeScene.com and in our next issue.

  KaraokeFest 2007 offers a golden opportunity for Karaoke related businesses to exhibit and sell their products at our Karaoke Expo area. There will be an estimated 90,000 to 120,000 people at the L.A. County Fair that day so exhibitors are sure to receive maximum exposure. The “Expo” area will be located right in the center of the Fairgrounds adjacent to where our main show will be held and totally accessible to the tens of thousands in attendance. Major sponsorship positions are also available to qualified companies.

  For major sponsorship information or to reserve your “Expo” booth, please call (714) 826-2212. Space and time are limited so be sure to call now!

There is so much going on…where can we start? How about here? Coming in February…a new major singing competition authorized and sponsored by Karaoke Scene Magazine which will be filmed as a docu-drama for possible airing on national television! That seems like a good starting place.

“SongBurst ‘07” will take place starting on February 20 th at 11 venues throughout Southern California. This is a big one offering thousands in cash and prizes to the winners. The event will be modeled after our popular and very successful “Crème de la Crème” competition for KaraokeFest. You may qualify at any (or all) of the 11 venues and, as always, the contestants are the judges. And the best part is that the video production crew from Mark Warshaw Productions (producer of the documentary) will be on hand at various venues throughout the run of the event. They will be collecting footage of contestants from Qualifying Rounds, Semi-Finals and, of course, the Finals. Also included will be personal interviews with various contestants as the production crew follows the progress of the event…kind of an American Idol meets Survivor meets Your Big Break. It should be an excellent opportunity for all singers and a big boost for Karaoke. (If this production goes well, it could lead to a series based on the “Crème de la Crème” competition of KaraokeFest!) Check pages 16 & 17 in this issue for more details. You can also go to www.KaraokeScene.com for all the latest SongBurst ’07 information.

And speaking of KaraokeFest…we are making big plans for this year’s premier Karaoke event. At press time our staff was in the final stages of decision making for the location and date of the show. From what I know so far, this year’s “Fest” promises to be bigger and better than ever! We will announce all of the details as soon as they become available at www.KaraokeScene.com and, of course, in our April/May 2007 issue.

In January, Karaoke Scene visited the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the NAMM Show in Anaheim. The new technologies are mind boggling and the implications for future advances in Karaoke are very exciting. Many of them have not reached the marketplace yet but are expected to be available in the not too distant future. We are of the mind that these technological breakthroughs will serve to increase the popularity of Karaoke to new record levels.

The state of Karaoke remains strong and it continues to roll as the most popular form of live entertainment in clubs in Southern California and throughout many areas of the country with thousands of venues hosting Karaoke shows. As the number of venues continues to increase, your support will insure Karaoke’s number one position. Let’s all get out and sing!

The big news is that Karaoke Scene Magazine will be presenting a new singing competition starting in February, SONGBURST ’07! This one should really be fun. There will be thousands in cash and prizes, multiple venues and couple of different wrinkles. One of the wrinkles is that a pilot for a possible TV show will be shot in and around the event. Mark Warshaw Productions, in association with Karaoke Scene, will be producing the project. Final details are still being worked out at this date but all of the information you will need to know will be posted here on this site and will also appear in the February/March issue of Karaoke Scene Magazine. It should be a lot of fun for everyone because even if you don’t win, you still may appear in the TV show.

It is important for everyone to know that the SONGBURST ‘07 competition will be conducted fairly and within the rules. The TV production will in no way affect the outcome of the event or how it is conducted. It will be shot “around” the event.

Finally, at this special time of year, it may be good to reflect on the many blessings we receive but take for granted. Try to do a kindness to someone who may need a little boost. Take a step back and maybe let another person have their way about something. To borrow a line from an old movie, The Bishop’s Wife, try giving the gifts of “love and kindness, warm hearts and an outstretched hand of tolerance” this holiday season. Do this and it will all come back to you many times over. All of us at Karaoke Scene Magazine wish you the happiest of holidays and a prosperous and song-filled New Year!

 First, be sure to VOTE! It’s that time of year for everyone to support their favorite KJs, Karaoke venues and the most supportive individuals in the Karaoke community. The Golden Achievement Award voting has begun (June 1 st) and will last until July 15 th. That gives you all plenty of time to show your appreciation to the venues and individuals who have helped to make your Karaoke experience a special one. These special people and venues deserve your support and your participation is very important! You can vote right now at www.KaraokeScene.com.

Then, SING! Beginning on Thursday, July 6 th, the prestigious Crème de la Crème singing competition begins at 24 venues located throughout Southern California. Here is your chance to use your vocal talents to qualify for the opportunity to win thousands in cash and prizes, be named Male or Female Karaoke Vocalist of the Year and sing live on the hugely popular, syndicated, Mark and Brian Radio Program. All of the venues are listed on page 18. You may qualify at as many venues as you wish in order to increase your chances for making the “Finals” at KaraokeFest 2006 hosted by KZLA radio personality Shawn Parr. Best of luck to all!

KaraokeFest would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. I would like to take a moment to personally thank our Major Sponsors for KaraokeFest 2006. These include VocoPro, Ace Karaoke, ProSound, and V2Go. We sincerely appreciate your support in making this the biggest and best “Fest” ever! We strongly encourage you to show your support to these fine companies and their products.

The regular Sunday admission price to the L.A. County Fair is $15. We will have tickets available for sale at only $12 if ordered before September 10 th. You may order your KaraokeFest 2006 tickets at this special price by calling (714) 826-2212 or online (after June 15 th) at www.KaraokeScene.com. See you all there!