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You really should have been there the first time I sang karaoke. A star was born on Christmas eve of 2002, well as far as I was concerned. Instant stardom? absolutely not! It took a couple of hours and a dose or two of liquid courage before the Elvis in me even made an appearance.

It all started when I was invited to a friends Christmas party. I of course attended like I had in years past. But this was a different party as the host had just received a karaoke home theater system for an early Christmas present. And believe me the host was going to be breaking this thing in as soon as possible. Now, you must know that this host, bless her heart, absolutely loves to sing. Is she good? Well, lets just say that she is getting better.

But as much ribbing as she gets about her vocal challenges she doesn't let that keep her from her passion.

After a lovely dinner everyone reluctantly gathered into the living room knowing that the entertainment segment of the evening was about to begin. There wasn't a lot of pressure on participation at first, but you were certainly going to listen. After-all, we were going to sing Christmas carols together. Our host broke ground pulling out two microphones from her new musical entertainment system. With her daughter in tow they slid into the classic "Silent Night". I watched the screen as they carefully spoke trying to hang a note on each word. It was pretty good. There was nervousness and a soft hesitation in the Daughter's voice but she hung in there like a champ; her Mother sang as though she were in the shower.

What happened next is what set the stage for shy and humble attendees like me to let their hair down a little. Our host made the brilliant move of putting on "Jingle Bells" and held the Mics up in front of the crowd. Then she would single out and direct the Mic to a singer who was projecting something audible. She played the song twice which ended up getting more people involved the second time around. Then it was my turn. The Mic came in front of me and all I could think about was that everyone is going to hear me- so don't make a fool of yourself. I didn't stumble over the words but there was a little awkwardness at first in being sure to sing the words instead of just reading them aloud. Thank God I knew the song and all of the words but watching the screen seemed helpful. It worked like a safety net in case I drew a blank or got a dose of stage fright. The next song was one I liked but, I did not know the words. And, this is where I stumbled. I tripped over and missed many a word throughout the song but was being cheered on anyway. After surviving that catastrophe, the host put on "Blue Christmas" a big Elvis hit and I knew that one. I jumped up and grabbed two back up singers and found a new born confidence that sent the room swaying. Cheers from the sidelines as it were, pushed me past a nervous state and right into the spotlight without fear. It was a powerful place to be. My confidence to sing without fear took me late into the night with friends and loved ones by the microphone. If you ever want to try karaoke I would highly recommend you try it the way I did so that you may fully enjoy your first public appearance.

Learn more about this author, Brian Chandler.
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