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My obsession with karaoke began while I was living in Tokyo. I clearly remember the day I walked into a "karaoke box," complete with stage, flashing lights, and props such as tambourines and boas, and knew I had found my calling. The friendships forged over going to the karaoke boxes were unique and unforgettable. I would go with my brother, my parents, my students, my coworkers, my American friends, my Japanese friends, at all hours of the day and night, sometimes just for an hour to "practice," sometimes for an entire night until dawn because we had missed the last train home. Karaoke joined us all by a common thread. It was taboo to jest in a karaoke box. You had to leave your criticism at the door. The worst singer felt like the next American Idol inside the box.

I usually chose my tunes based on the company I was keeping. Japanese friends tended to enjoy more old-school American selections, such as Madonna or Michael Jackson. My students would pressure me to sing Japanese rap songs, and I did so good-naturedly. My brother and I would go to see what newest U.S. selections had made it into the "karaoke bible" book of songs because we craved anything new from the U.S. pop culture scene.

I consider my time in Tokyo to be practice for what was to come next. When I returned to the United States in my early 20s, the karaoke bar scene was just getting started. I was appalled to find out that in the U.S., you had to sing in front of complete strangers. What kind of back woods, low class, indecency was this? You didn't get an entire room to yourselves? You had to wait to be called on by a Jockey who knew the regulars and played favorites? I had a hard time with this at first. Then, I actually tried it.

I was at my local dive bar on a Tuesday night with my ex-boyfriend and all of his friends. I convinced one of them to sing "Pour Some Sugar On Me" with me to get my juices flowing. We had a fairly good response, but I think it was just the song, and the bar was mostly our friends with a few strays thrown in for good measure. It was then that I decided to throw caution to the wind and just request a whole bunch of Shania Twain songs, because they are my favorite songs to sing. Hardly anyone else was requesting songs, so one right after another, I went up and belted my heart out. Throughout my singing I wasn't really paying attention to the crowd because I was having too much fun pretending I was on a World Tour. When I finally took a break, a woman said something to me that I will remember for the rest of my life. She came up to me and said, Honey, I felt like I was at a Shania Twain concert. You keep on singing and Shania had better watch her back!"

Thus began my U.S. obsession with karaoke. I sing whenever I can. Someday I hope that karaoke boxes and full-fledged bars will become more prevalent in American society, instead of having to seek out dive bars with karaoke "nights." It's funny, because karaoke is the only thing I can perform in front of people, even though I come from a background of classical instruments and performances. My latest experience singing was the first time I went with my husband. We were meeting up with some of his friends, who were all part of an amateur performance group, and I had never met them before. They were good. And I mean good. You could say that I was the most intimidated to sing than I ever have been. After my picks of Me and Bobby McGee, I Love Rock N Roll, and Honey I'm Home, various member approached me asking if I would join their group. As stunned and flattered as I was, I said, thanks, but I'll stick to my true love: karaoke.

Learn more about this author, Erin Palmer.
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