Customer Reviews

Karaoke Nights: An Ethnographic Rhapsody (Ethnographic Alternatives)

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It's been a while since I read the book, so my review may not be as informed as one would hope. However, Drew presents here a fun, interesting and unique application of media ethnography that is more familiar than foreign.

I cannot tell a lie. I picked this up due to my own obsession with karaoke. Drew's own interests clearly motivated the project, which he makes no efforts to conceal. While some argue such a position aversely affects ethnographic research, at least in this case, I think Drew's own interest and passion in the topic greatly enhance the book.

Drew explores a variety of aspects of karaoke culture - karaoke abroad, performing, deejaying, industry, audience, etc. While this provides a multifaceted and interesting read, I for one would have appreciated a slightly deeper analysis (the book clocks in at around 120 pages). While the information he does provide is intriguing, there is more to be examined/said, and I think he held back a bit on that front.

Karaoke regulars will find themselves nodding in agreement throughout the book, particularly in regards to audience and performer behavior. While the raw information may not be new to karaoke enthusiasts, it is Drew's analysis which drives it all home. The theoretical framework Drew works within draws heavily on communication and social-psych studies regarding interpersonal interaction (lots of Goffman here), and he pulls it together very well.

The book need not be only for the karaoke initiated nor for a purely academic audience. Drew's book is written very lucidly, is not oppressively academic in tone. Readers who aren't going to karaoke bars on a weekly basis should also find the book an interesting read from an observational perspective in terms of behavior and popular culture. Beyond that, it's one more statement about the central role popular music plays in our lives.

Being a KJ, I had an immediate interest in this book. I had no idea what "ethnographic" meant, but was captivated from the opening bell. The author does a great job analyzing all aspects of karaoke, from performers, to audience, to show host, and as a karaoke nut himself, manages to keep personal views to a minimum in describing the psyche of all the players involved.

Dr Drew is a man with an amazing gift. He has a great sense of knowledge, and it show in both the way he teaches, and the way he writes. He has the power to move students, and help them to pursue achieving their goals.

Bringing a love of karaoke and music to life in his book, Dr. Drew takes you on a ride through the life of the Karaoke World.

If your a fan of any type of music, you'll love the book, and just imagine the writer of the book performing one of his favorite toons, the Scorpions "Rock You Like a Hurricane!"