by Annie McFadden

Created on: December 21, 2008

I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. ~William James

No other words sum it up more succintly for me than those. Singing gives me an outlet to express any emotion I'm feeling at the moment; from sadness to fear to happiness to anger, and yes even love and heartache. For those of us who sing karaoke, there is within us a need to express to the world, or at least those who will listen, the emotions suppressed within our daily work-a-day world. Singing to an audience gives us the opportunity to display our talent...or lack thereof...and share with the people around us a piece of our souls.

Whether we be a rapper wannabe, a country crooner, or a rock god, our love of music and singing unites us and binds us emotionally if only for a moment. To those who sing karaoke, it isn't enough to sing along to the radio or a CD. The satisfaction is in singing the song ourselves, with our own unique voice, talent and stylings. The majority of us will never be professional singers, but for a moment on stage behind the mic, we can live the dream.

Karaoke, rather than dying the fast, yet unobtrusive death of most fads, has become more popular than ever. You can still catch a "Karaoke Night" any day of the week in many bars and clubs in cities and towns across the globe. Karaoke parties, where a karaoke host is hired are a popular way to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary, and sometimes even weddings. Karaoke machines can be found relatively inexpensively for an at-home experience. The latest advancement in experiencing karaoke is the advent of online sites where you can sing and record your favorite songs and share them with others.

There are several sites that have been developed in recent years, but by far, my personal favorite is SingSnap. With a computer, an internet connection and a microphone, you can record thousands of songs, and save them for playback later and share them with friends. More than a place to display your talent, SingSnap is a community of people from all walks of life, from all over the world, brought together by their love of singing.

I've met and interacted with people from Canada, Malta, Australia, Sweden, England, Germany, and of course across the United States. I know of several people who have met and fallen in love, and who have even gotten engaged or married. Friendships are formed and fans and favs generated. Discussions abound in the message boards ranging from politics to recipes to health to games, and of course singing! If

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