I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to help me out here. I have an interview to become a kareoke host and I was wondering what do you, as the passengers, think makes a good kareoke host?
Thankyou very much guys!
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This message has been edited. Last edited by: IslandCruz,
Well I love kareokie, I think a good host for that would have to be fun, and engergetic. It will be really boring if you just stand there going "now so and so singing..." you have to be fun and walk around a bit. If you do that it will be awsome. Good luck on your interview
You need a healthy combination of energy and a sense of humor. If you are not excited about what you are doing people will not be excited and you will have considerably less audience participation. Compliment everyone's performance even if he or she sounds like William Hung (google or youtube it). Be creative and remember that the best form of humor is being able to laugh at yourself.
Posts: 1281 | Location: birmingham, al | Registered: April 30, 2007
Thank you very much for all your advice. It is so helpful. I am generally very motivated, full of energy and enthusiasm so that's a plus. I am so excited about the job and it's something I desperately want to do so hopefully that will come across. I just wonder what the cruise interview will require. I do worry slightly because although people say my voice is good, I dont think it is amazing as what people will expect.
We went to a karaoke bar on our cruise, and have some advice for you. First, the hostess never sang, so no pressure there. Second, she was great at introducing acts, leading the audience in applauding (no matter how bad the singing was), and handled it great when people who signed up changed their minds or left (which happened a lot). However, I wish she could have checked the little slips that people turned in to sing. My daughters and I signed up to sing a song, and shortly before our turn, someone else sang the same song. It was too late to change our song, so we just left, too embarassed to do a repeat. I would have liked a heads up when we turned in our slip that someone else would be singing that song. Good luck.
MamaofEnS
NCL Sun March 2008 Carnival Destiny June 2006 Carnival Ecstasy June 2002 Carnival Elation August 2000 Celebrity Century June 1998 Carnival Carnivale August 1993
I don't think being able to sing like Mariah Carey will be as important as your persona. You need to be able to make people feel at ease, get into a good mood, laugh, and want to participate. Good luck!
What makes a good karaoke host??? Hmmmm how about someone capable of looking into the eyes of someone who has just performed, and despite their bleeding ears and curled spine be able to say with a smile "Thank you, that was lovely!"
Yes, Mr O would be able to tell you the best qualities of a host.
CCL Fantasy 1990 CCL Celebration 1995 CCL Victory 2005 CCL Conquest 2005 CCL Spirit June 2006 NCL Dream October 2006 RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007 CCL Freedom June 2008
Over the years, I have had the best and the worst.
The best (Hey Melvin) did many things that made him the best.
1. He showed up about 20 minutes early to make certain his equipment was set up and operational on time. You would be amazed at the number of hosts who slide in 5 minutes before karaoke is suppose to start and then spend 20 minutes setting up.
2. He had the first hour for "family karaoke" and the then rest of the night was for adults (over 18) only. Nothing will clear a karaoke room faster than some 7 year old singing Mary Had a Little Lamb at 11pm at night. Adults who love karaoke do not cruise to babysit someone else's kids. By having the first hour for "family karaoke"....Grandma and Grandpa could see little Susie "be a star" and then we could move on to serious adult fun!!
3. Melvin was willing to do anything he could to see that the cruisers had a good time. For example: He was on the Imagination which has the new digital karaoke system. However, since the selection is still very limited, he made sure the secondary system was set up so that folks (like me) could use their own cdgs. And he accommodated us with a smile.
4. Melvin walked through the audience and welcomed people (EVEN those who were clearly not singing). He made everyone feel special.
5. Melvin took the time to know his equipment. He had a great ear and knew how to work the sound board to produce the best sound possible for the singer.
6. Yes, he had a fabulous voice but more importantly...he had the desire to make people happy.
As for the worst....that would be the young lady who spent the entire session writing letters to her boyfriend or family or whomever. She did not want to be there. She could have cared less how anyone sounded....and it showed.
Family Cruises: 1998 - Celebration 1999 - Tropicale 2000 - Fascination 2001 - Inspiration 2002 - Jubilee and Conquest 2003 - Fantasy and Holiday X2 2004 - Paradise and Sensation 2005 - Spirit 2006 - Pride and Miracle and Fantasy 2007 - Fantasy X2 and Victory and Holiday 2008 - Imagination X2 and Legend
Yet To Come:
Ecstasy 09-01-08 Splendor 11-17-08 Freedom 11-22-08 Fantasy 02-07-09 (Blogger's Cruise)
Posts: 957 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: August 13, 2005
When I was on Rapsody of the Seas the only way to the big lounge (I've forgotten the name of it) where they did quest and other popular entertainment was to go through the karaoke bar. On nights when events were planned in that big lounge they'd have what they called Kamikaze Karaoke. As people would walk through the host would ambush them and stick the mike in their hand. Then the audience and host would encourage them to sing to a random song he'd cue up. If they turned red and resisted the crowd would pressure more and he'd offer a prize if they'd go ahead and do the song. Usually they were with spouses or friend who would almost always side with the crowd and try to encourage or shame them into it. It was among the funniest things I ever saw.
My wife never entered that bar again or even went near it. She is incredibly shy and was terrified she'd be ambushed. She made me enter every venue from the bars to the casio first for the rest of the trip.
I have never witnessed that before. It sounds fun, if you are not the ambushee.
On some Carnival ships, the Piano Bar player/singer will get a running phrase going to shout out to new people entering the bar. It is hilarious to see their reactions.
Dwayne
Posts: 4400 | Location: South Carolina | Registered: August 22, 2005
Gross public humiliation as entertainment . . .hmmmmm
Rick you make it sound awful, I guess if you're the one ambushed and shy it would be. But for spectators it was truely hillarious. The gifts were usually fun too. for those who reluctantly participated they usually got a copy of the ship entertainment CD including thier uncomfortable moment. One guy who was obviously pretending to be uncomfortable to go along but obviously enjoying his moment of having the mike, his prize was... The host told him he'd pick up the tab for the desert of his choice at dinner in the main dining room for the rest of the cruise.
So, not only were these unwilling participants embarassed at the time, but their reactions were put on the cruise CD, which is often shown repeatedly on the cabin TV during the cruise? I'd be bypassing that venue, too.
Yep Lisa, but only a couple of the best ones were on the widely distributed CD. The rest they just dubbed in their performance in to their own personal copy of a CD for them along with the rest of the normal stuff. Either way I'd have handed the mike back and kept walking. I don't sing, even for strangers I'll never see again. Heck, I don't even sing in the shower.
