ORIGINAL ESSAYS

"For True Art, You Can't Beat the Amateurs"

I happened recently to bump into a very talented guitar player whose band had, like many others, fallen apart. As we talked, Paul related experiences from his two decades as a part-time musician, and finally concluded, with a sigh, that today's environment makes it much harder to start a band (and keep it together) than in years past.

The reason, he said, was karaoke.

After a moment, I realized the truth in his analysis. Bars-which provide the vast majority of venues where fledgling bands can perform- often find it cheaper to bring in karaoke than to pay four or five musicians, who will probably want more than their fair share of drinks on the house. Your typical karaoke outfit takes up less space than a band (a consideration in many of the smaller bars), and the talent is willing to work for free . . . and sometimes even willing to pay to perform. Therefore, as the number of bars hiring live bands decreases, the venues for those bands that manage to survive become harder to find.

Interestingly enough, Paul (displaced musician or not) saw this not so much as a negative for music, but as a positive. And, as he explained this aspect of his philosophy, I was once again forced to agree with him. H is argument went like this: the beauty of music is that it is an art. A true musician will play music because of a love of the art, and true musicians often don't get the opportunity to give their art to others for a variety of reasons. It's expensive to buy the equipment necessary to really perform in most places. It takes A lot of time and effort to find places to perform, and time is not something that a full-time parent, student or office drone often finds in large supply. And then there's the compatibility problem; there are very few people who share the same musical taste, and finding those people who share your tastes and the ability to play the required instruments borders on impossible much of the time. Then, of course, there's the unsavory politics of the music industry, which many (if not most people simply can't stomach. Karaoke provides a chance for those individuals who would otherwise find themselves unable to share their art to get on stage and feel the adrenaline rush of performing in front of a crowd. That rush is the best pay a true musician could want, Paul said. Why should that feeling be limited only to trained professionals who were lucky enough to find the right people at the right time?

He raised a valid point, and it's one that members of the karaoke community (for, in its popularity, karaoke has expanded to become a community unto itself) hold dear. Go to any establishment that features karaoke (and they're no longer limited to bars; restaurants, bowling alleys and even skating rinks have gotten into the act and you'll find a dozen singers who know each other from other places. Like most other groups of artists, karaoke singers support and critique each other with blinding honesty. The politics stays at a minimum. Your net worth, looks and connections (or lack thereof) with the music industry won't get you extra stage time. It's the art, not the artist, that's important.

Not that karaoke singers harbor any jealousy toward their professional cousins. On the contrary, the karaoke community looks upon professional musicians with respect. Some even join their ranks. Many singers who never considered careers as professional musicians often find it easier to take the musical road than the "day job" road once they've revealed their talent. More than one band has recruited new vocalists from karaoke bars.

Karaoke singers don't rely on, or even hope for, this kind of discovery, however. 'They're more interested in having A good time. That's why audiences often find karaoke more enjoyable to watch than the pros. After all, karaoke is to music what open mic nights are to stand-up comedy: you may suffer through A horrible Andrew Dice Clay wannabe, only to be surprised by the next Robin Williams. Indeed, no matter what the talent level, there's always that energy and enthusiasm that makes performance art a joy to watch.

Amateurs? Maybe. But for enthusiasm and pure art, you can't beat karaoke.