Bad Singing for a Good Cause

Today is the momentous first anniversary of Rebecca Black’s Friday.  Speaking of bad singing (har har har) …

The first season of How I Met Your Mother, in an episode called The Pineapple Incident, asked a question that I know is one that is on everybody’s minds:

Drunk Ted:  Why do they call it karaoke anyhow? Was it invented by a woman named Karey Okee? These are the kind of things I think about.

Trudy: ‘Karaoke’ is Japanese for ’empty orchestra’.

There you are! Mystery solved!  Karaoke is a fun activity for drunk people and teenaged girls, but the American Association of Political Consultants Mid-Atlantic Chapter uses karaoke for good!  The Mid-Atlantic AAPC website lauds the annual event as “the one night when Democrats, Republicans, the media and those who just don’t care can put their differences aside and sing badly for a good cause”.

And the cause is certainly a good one.  Part of the proceeds from the Karaoke in the Capital debauchery goes to support Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation which donates musical instruments to schools with under-funded music programs.  I was a band geek myself in middle school and high school.  I rocked the clarinet: one of the lamest instruments in the band. But I was in audition band so… yea… it was pretty awesome.  But as a former member of a band, I can testify on the merits of a good school music program.  Band was a release from the regular pressures of the day, and even though we didn’t notice it, we were actually improving our minds.  Music is self-expression, working with a group to create something beautiful, spurring creativity.  If you’re not one for all that fluffy individuality stuff, then I will tell you that there are links between music and improved spatial intelligence, language and reasoning skills, and the ever important higher standardized test scores.

Check out some Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation videos…

MHOF in Action and Students and Teachers Thank MHOF … they’re pretttty cute.

If you’re looking for a good laugh, and want to applaud someone for embarrassing themselves for this great cause, I direct you to Karaoke in the Capital’s YouTube channel.  Having uploaded these videos, I can tell you that some are more painful than others, but! I will give you my favorites:

One man’s rendition of Super Bass (with three back up singers in pink dresses that match his tie) is the most viewed on the playlist, and its no surprise why.

A little woman with a big voice sings Pour Some Sugar On Me.

A woman breaks out into Hair throwback medley of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

A man plays a REAL. LIVE. FIDDLE. Does this break the rules of karaoke? I dunno but its awesome. Charlie Daniels would be proud.

Also some dudes shout out to Herman Cain (remember him?) with Imagine There’s No Pizza and some other dudes shout out to Bieber fever with a blacklight Baby.

RedEye friend Bud Jackson helped put together this event and it was definitely a success!

Emily

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!
Follow @RedEye_Post
//

_____________

Emily Magida was a Spring and Summer 2012 RedEye Intern