818 613-5984 EMAIL

Okay, so I’m taking a quick break from my marathon editing session (two weddings, a sweet 16, motivational speaking video, and convention promotions for CRN- tho today I’m trying to finish the Sweet 16!!)- to write about the new show, Duets.

I had the opportunity to film a red carpet event promoting the singing competition/reality show with Glamour.com correspondent, Jessica Radloff. We had a great time, and I must say, I’m really looking forward to watching it tonight.

It stars Robin Thicke, who is super cool and much more down to earth that I honestly would have thought… Kelly Clarkson, who is as sweet as could possibly be and so easy to like… John Legend, who while soft spoken to a degree, is a very cool dude… and lastly Jennifer Nettles, who I wasn’t familiar with before hand, but after meeting her and listening to her for a few minutes, I suddenly want to run out and buy her Sugarland CD. She was super witty and sweet.

Anyway, all coolness aside, the show’s premise sounds fun, where not only the contestants are competing, but also the mentors. (I met every contestant as well, and they are seem extremely humble and gracious, and they are all YOUNG, so I look forward to seeing what they have.) That said, I recommend if you have nothing better to do tonight, you check out the series premiere on ABC. I believe at 8pm.

Okay…
So that got me thinking, music is such a moving art form, and draws from and elicits so many different forms of emotion. How great would it be for a couple to sing a duet on their wedding day? I was about to write I’ve never seen it done, until I just remembered Sylvia and Michael, who sang along with Paul McCartney and the Beatles after their grand entrance a few years back. BUt how about a true duet?

Anyone out there daring enough to try and pull it off? Any karaoke singers who think they could use the bar as a practice setting? I think a duet, sung by a bride and groom, would be amazing….
I digress…
So how do we make this a proposal idea?
Okay, this will be an idea for anyone out there with experience singing.

This will probably be most easily done at a karaoke bar…. a piano bar would be a good choice as well. But hey, if you wanna sing A capella, anywhere will suffice.
Figure out a song you’d like to serenade your girlfriend/boyfriend to. Preferrably a song you both have emotional attachments to, and/or a song you have sung together previously.

Now, the trickiest part… REWRITE at least one verse in the song. Replace the words, using the same musical score, with your proposal speech…

Just think of it as your own “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue” poem, but set to music.
A lot of love songs may already spell out what you want to say, and if you have one like that, maybe you only need to change a single word, or NAME in the lyrics. Either way, make it your own.

Second, plan it out with the restaurant or bar owner. Heck, you could even have a string quartet pre arranged to accompany you. BUt make sure management knows about your plan, and are helping you stage and execute it properly.

As for the duet part, it gets a little trickier. If you aren’t both singers, and or one of you is shy and doesn’t love singing… well A) this might not be the right proposal idea, or B) make it as easy as possible on him/her. A few drinks before the big moment will always make for an easier transition from listener to duet partner, but so will a little preparation.

Go to a karaoke bar and feel out the comfort level, or lack there of. If it ends up being a solo act, no worries, that’s just as good. Truth be told, I just had to segue from duets to a proposal idea, so it fit… but a singing proposal, especially with hit tv shows like “Glee” and “Smash” today, would be a winner, either way you slice it. If you get your soon to be fiance to join in midway through, that’s icing on the future wedding cake.

Bottom line, when you get to the moment of truth, and the lyrics bring you on Bended Knee, the words, or your voice, or the place… won’t matter nearly as much as the touch of your hand, and the look in your eyes.

Happy song writing, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!! I am back to editing now!