For International Voice Day, DITCH writer Lois Beasley and the team take on karaoke
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. But this logic doesn’t apply to DITCH’s 601 challenges, where we try doing something for a whopping six hours and one minute. FYI, that’s the average amount of time young people spend on their phone per day. For this challenge, grab your mic and DITCH your phone – this International Voice Day (16th April), we’re doing karaoke.
When we asked to book a karaoke room for six hours, we were met with justifiable confusion. Who in their right mind would want to listen to a drunken group of out of tune crooners for that amount of time?
Luckily for my friends, I was practically born with a mic in my hand. I come from a family of loud and proud singers, who regularly host karaoke parties. We’re like the Von Trapps without the sopranos… or the Nazis.
This is not me claiming I have the voice of an angel. Far from it. Check out my self-incriminating footage as proof. But I believe we all need to get off our self-conscious behinds and just have some fun.
Studies have found singing to be good for you, mentally and physically. According to an article by the BBC, not only does singing improve lung capacity, it also releases “happy hormones” to your brain, giving you a miniature high. In a time of doomscrolling, imminent war and through-the-roof therapy costs, singing therapy is FREE and I’m getting as much as I can.
Before I took to the stage, I spoke to singer Paula Scott for some advice. For our challenge, she recommended we avoid belting and straining our voices, instead singing softly while breathing from the belly. Drinking lots of water and having breaks was also highly encouraged.
6 hours to go
After some persuading, the room was ours. We found out as we arrived, it was more of a cramped lounge area than the sparkling stage I had hoped for, but it would do.
Our karaoke marathon got off to a rocky start thanks to some technical difficulties, but we soon managed to get the karaoke machine working and were faced with a wide-ranging, somewhat random mix of songs.
5 hours to go
After an hour of singing, I began to wane. It was at this crucial moment the rest of the team arrived.
After some persuasion (and a few glasses of wine), they stood up, grabbed the mics and sang their favourites. What made it fun was the astronomical differences in music taste we had: from Sting to Beyonce, it felt like we had covered the entire cosmic stretch of musical history.
4 hours to go
Disaster struck! Like any good 601 challenge, there was a spanner in the works. This spanner came in the form of a security guard, who kicked us out just as we were getting into the swing of things.
Apparently, there was some confusion about our booking – probably due to the unreasonable length of time it was booked for – and we were frogmarched from the karaoke room to the reception area.
Eventually, security let us back in (probably against their better judgement). Unfazed, we continued with the challenge.
Like a runner’s high, singing had made us deliriously alive
3 hours to go
After a slight rest for our vocal chords, we karaoked with more gusto than ever. It was hard not to check our phones when someone else was singing (rude, I know), or to search for what song to sing next. We had reached the more niche tunes – I think I recall some Frank Sinatra at this point. We were just glad the room was soundproofed.
2 hours to go
At this point, we were all clamouring for the mic. High School Musical was the album of the hour, complete with outrageous dance moves. Considering the room was tiny and lacking air-con, we were still in high spirits. Like a runner’s high, singing had made us deliriously alive.
1 hour to go
The energy was still high, much to everyone’s surprise. My voice had developed a sultry croak, which led to some jazz and soul tunes that would have made Amy Winehouse proud. For the last few seconds, we counted down like it was New Year’s Eve and screamed in triumphant victory. Our 601 challenge was complete; our throats raw, our spirits high.
So, would we recommend this to our DITCH readers? No, we would not. Singing for six hours straight is probably not very healthy. But we would say definitely take your friends to a karaoke night near you and sing out your favourite tunes. Not only does it get your head out of the depress-o-sphere that is your phone, it can make you chemically happier. What’s not to love?