There is so much going on…where can we start? How about here? Coming soon…a new major singing competition, authorized and sponsored by Karaoke Scene Magazine which will be filmed as a documentary for possible airing on national television! That seems like a good starting place.

“SONGBURST 2002” will take place starting on October 31st (Halloween) and lasting until November 27th at 11 venues throughout Southern California. This is a big one offering thousands in cash and prizes to the winners. The event will be modeled after the popular and very successful “Crème de la Crème” competition for KaraokeFest. You may qualify at any of the 11 venues and, as always, the contestants are the judges. And the best part is that the film crew from Painless Productions (producer of the documentary) will be on hand at various venues throughout the run of the event. They will be collecting footage from qualifying rounds, semi-finals and of course the finals. Also included will be personal interviews with various contestants as the production crew follows the progress of the event, kind of an American Idol meets Survivor meets Your Big Break. It should be a wonderful opportunity for all and a big boost for Karaoke. (Here’s a little teaser…if this documentary goes well, it may pave the way for a series based on the “Crème de la Crème” competition for KaraokeFest 2003!) For complete information and rules, please check the “SONGBURST 2002″ link on this site.

Speaking of KaraokeFest…congratulations to our “Crème de la Crème” finalists from KaraokeFest 2002, William Jordan and Jenny Eisenhart, for their fabulous performance on the syndicated Mark & Brian radio program! They were sensational…so much so that Mark & Brian have personally asked if our KaraokeFest 2003 “Crème de la Crème” winners could come back and sing on their show next year. We think we could arrange that.

Guess who we found while at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney? It was the former owner of Karaoke Scene Magazine, Dennis Snyder, playing with his Neil Young tribute band, “The Neil Deal.” Man, were they good! Many of you may not know that Dennis is an accomplished guitarist and vocalist and has been involved in playing with bands for more than 3 decades. You can find out where “The Neil Deal” is playing at www.neildeal.com. If you get the chance, go see him…you won’t be disappointed.

Big Bob and Phil of Penguin Karaoke inform the “Scene” that their Karaoke Cruise is filling up and that the Anaheim Angels baseball team has booked space aboard the ship. You may get the chance to see and meet many of the present Angels plus many Angel heroes from past years during the cruise. It should make for a most memorable trip. Don’t forget, space is limited…so to make your reservations now, please call (800) 600-4548. See you aboard!

Well, summer’s nearly over and fall looks very exciting for Karaoke. More and more venues are popping up all over the place and sales of home Karaoke systems are on the increase as the popularity of Karaoke continues to surge. Karaoke Scene Magazine is consistently contacted by, and has been quoted in, major newspapers across the country that are doing major pieces on the Karaoke phenomenon. We think it’s all pretty terrific.

We are proud to announce that the Karaoke Fest 2002 winners for “Male & Female Vocalist of the Year,” William Jordan and Jenny Eisenhardt, will be singing on the popular Mark & Brian syndicated radio show on KLOS, 95.5FM. The tentative air date is set for Wednesday, August 14th at about 8:00 in the morning. Our warmest congratulations to William and Jenny as we wish them the best of luck on their performances!

There are several new and innovative events coming up including “The Original Music Experience” tour presented by Pilsner Urquell, an imported premium Czech beer. This is a statewide, fun event where all you have to do is just show up where the traveling studio stops and record your favorite song. You get a free CD copy of your performance just for participating. When the event ends (probably in October) the most outstanding performance will be judged by a panel of eminently qualified individuals and the winner have their photo in Karaoke Scene Magazine, a portion of their performance will be streamed onto our website and be awarded $1,000. But this is not just about the prize…it is about having a great time singing Karaoke, visiting new venues, and making new friends. This event will be held at approximately 100 locations throughout California. Check the special page on this site for a location near you.

Penguin Karaoke is presenting the first annual “All Karaoke Cruise” which takes place from January 17 – 20, 2003. “Big” Bob Malthouse & Phil Farmer, owners of Penguin Karaoke will be shepherding the event along with Manny Pacheco & Laurie Masters and Art & Lori Johnson. This vocal voyage will take place aboard the Carnival fun ship “Ecstasy” and if I know these folks, this cruise should be a riot. You won’t want to be left ashore…so for Karaoke Cruise information please call (800) 600-4548. Bon Voyage!

Karaoke Scene Magazine has been in talks with a production company for a major cable TV channel regarding the filming of a documentary chronicling the “road” to Karaoke Fest 2003. A film production crew will follow the path of contestants through the qualifying rounds and semi finals at venues throughout Southern California all the way to the finals at Karaoke Fest 2003. We will keep you informed on the progress of this project.

Finally, this August we observe the 25th anniversary of the passing of the biggest entertainment phenomenon of all time, Elvis Presley. There has never been anyone quite like him and probably will never be. He stands alone as the undisputed “King of Rock & Roll” and the most universally recognizable personality ever. His generosity is legendary, his appeal universal. His spirit lives on through his music and his memory…and his contribution to Karaoke is unparalleled. There are far more “Elvis” selections in Karaoke libraries across the United States and around the world than any other single artist with even more on the horizon. Karaoke Scene salutes “The King,” his music, and his memory.

Congratulations and our warmest thanks to all the wonderful people who made KaraokeFest 2002 such a special and successful event. Karaoke absolutely deserves a day like that… and we have even bigger plans for next year!

There are so many folks to thank that this page could easily be completely filled with just their names. So let me say, from the bottom of our hearts here at Karaoke Scene Magazine, we offer our most sincere thanks and gratitude to all of the very dedicated and talented people who worked so hard, both behind the scenes and on stage, to make this a truly special event. Thanks also to all of the folks who attended KaraokeFest 2002… breaking all past attendance records! After all, this event is for you.

An additional tip of the Karaoke Scene hat goes to all of the vendors at the Karaoke Expo portion of the show. It was gratifying to receive such strong support from fine companies like Gold Sponsors, Voco Pro and Audio 2000’s, and from Bronze Sponsors, Priddis, Music Maestro, Sound Choice, Top Tunes, Ace Karaoke and KZLA Radio. Thanks also to our non-Karaoke related vendors. You were all terrific!

And the winners are… the winners are actually all of the nominees, contestants and participants in each of the various categories and competitions. The Golden Achievement nominees were chosen by the Karaoke community, who cast literally thousands of votes, to be worthy of recognition. The Crème de la Crème Finalists were selected by their peers at a series of qualifying and semi-final rounds from 23 venues located across 5 counties throughout Southern California. Each and every one of you is a winner deserving of our respect and applause. We salute you!

And the winner is Karaoke itself… as we showcase Karaoke and its supporters in a positive, honest and meaningful way. We love Karaoke and all the good things it has come to represent. KaraokeFest is our chance to show it off to the rest of the world the way it should be shown. Not as some weird, gimmicky fad, but rather as the people’s music where, through singing, talent is discovered and developed, new and lasting relationships are forged, self confidence is enhanced and happiness and fun are the order of the day. An entertainment umbrella under which individuals from various and diverse walks of life come together to share their love of music as they sing to, and for, each other. Karaoke is unique. Anyone can do it. There is no other form of entertainment like it. Karaoke is here to stay and deserves its special day. We are honored to be able to provide it.

Please check out www.karaokefest.com for all of the final results and lots of additional photos. Also available for viewing online is a video clip of KNBC, Channel 4 News coverage of KaraokeFest 2002. Just click on the KNBC icon and enjoy (for Mac use option-click).

Plans are already on the drawing board for KaraokeFest 2003 and several meetings have already taken place for advance planning of what is shaping up to be an even more spectacular “Fest”. We have begun negotiations with some major media entities for extended coverage of KaraokeFest 2003 and its participants from the Golden Achievement Award nomination process, through the Crème de la Crème Singing Competition, to the actual event itself (more to follow on this in future issues). Due to the success of KaraokeFest 2002, we have also been approached by some prominent national product representatives wishing to be involved in sponsorship positions of next year’s event. All in all, it looks pretty exciting. So stay tuned… we will keep you informed every step of the way.