Sing it loud and sing it clear


I think that was a Weezer song...

I think that was a Weezer song...

Random Observation/Comment #72: I thought I heard an angel sing.  This voice was so energetic and moving that it drew a music video in my mind.  It opened parts of my imagination that I didn’t know existed.  Oh wait, that was me ^^ (I’ll wait for you to finish throwing up in your mouth).  Just kidding, those notes belonged to Yuka.

If you go to Japan, you must sing karaoke.  If you’re an American guy that is so self-conscious of his voice that he won’t even try to sing one of his favorite songs that he sings every night in the shower, then please drink up and rock band that shyt or else you’re not leaving the room.  Embarrassment is not only a part of the experience, but also an essential key to the night’s entertainment (for your own and others).  Don’t worry – everyone else is doing the same thing, so just having a good time.

Besides, the more you squeak off pitch, the more people respect you for taking a chance and letting all these notions of being all serious subside (Why So Serious?).  In fact, you’re just releasing the stress and taking that stick out of you’re a$$.  On a daily basis, most Japanese people put up this much-practiced grin and routine bow of respectfulness to the extent that they would go crazy if they didn’t let loose once a week and drink until 8AM while sleeping on the street next to his own heap of vomit like a hobo (I guess you don’t have to take it to extremes).

This philosophy involves the idea of transitioning between the masks you wear in every situation.  It seems like the more you balance your time between business-Clemens, family-Clemens, friends-Clemens, school-Clemens, drunk-Clemens, and online-Clemens, the less you become attached to a boring-Clemens.  I’ve often supported the idea of consistency of self, and nothing I’ve said about balancing time between different masks should refute this.  Every self mentioned is not a completely different person, but the levels in this personality equalizer are adjusted to fit the situation.

Picture a 5-band equalizer with every band representing a range in a set of traits.  The extremities of these traits are not the extremes available in the whole world, but rather the level of extremity expected from Clemens.  So, for example, if the treble-band represents playfulness, the maximum and minimum levels would lie in drunk-Clemens and business-Clemens, respectfully.  By moving around this equalizer and setting it to the right level of each characteristic for the particular genre of music, you hear the best sound mixture and bob your head to the enhanced rhythm.  I once saw this as a level of schizophrenia, but I see that anyone who doesn’t manage an equalizer of personalities is trying to perfect his image too much.  How well rounded can someone be?  It’s a level of moderation and control for every impulse and reaction that makes this person unique.

As with every fun activity, you lose yourself in the moment.  Sing it loud and sing it clear to release all the stress piled from the week before.  Drink the included open bar with most hourly rates, and leave the microphone with the aroma of beer and cocktails.  You might plan for an hour of singing, but it always ends up being four.

I don’t mean to assume all readers would like, or even warm up to, the karaoke scene.  This activity just might not be your cup of tea.  I think some people would rather sit at home and smoke a ball of crack – to each their own.

~See Lemons Cherng K