Interview with Eva, February 22, 2007
Interview with Eva Pang at Avenue Pizza
Thursday February 22, 2007
Photo of Eva filling out a slip to sing at Avenue Pizza, Feb 22, 2007
Demographic
Tape counter is at 155
Melaena: Okay. This is… Eve?
Eva: Eva.
Melaena: Eva, okay. Let’s do a test. Can you hear that?
Eva: Okay. Test, test, one two three.
(break in tape)
Melaena: Here we go. So this is Eve….
Eva: Eva.
Melaena: EVA. And your last name is…?
Eva: Pang.
Melaena: Pang. Okay. [unintelligible muttering about placement of microphone] Okay. So. And what do you do?
Eva: I work as an administrative assistant full time, and I work as a stage manager in theatre part time.
Melaena: Okay. So you’re kind of… not quite a karaoke… but…
Eva: Mmmm, no, not really a performance either.
Melaena: No?
Eva: Not really in the performance field.
Melaena: But you manage.
Eva: I manage it. With a lot of encouragement. (laughs)
Melaena: (laughs) Okay. Okay. Umm… And how long have you been singing karaoke?
Eva: Um, on a regular basis? Just since before Christmas.
Melaena: Okay, on an irregular basis?
Eva: On an irregular basis? Probably five or six years?
Melaena: Okay. So for quite a while.
Eva: Yeah.
Melaena: Yeah. Okay. What else do we have… So you are a regular here?
Eva: Yeah, I come almost every week.
Melaena: Since…
Eva: Since before Christmas.
Melaena: Since before Christmas. And why here, in particular?
Eva: Umm… I had a friend that I went to school with, and she goes to karaoke on a regular basis, and I guess she started coming here like a year ago or something like that, so she invited me out. I came, and it was kind of fun, so.
Melaena: Does she still go here?
Eva: Yeah, but she doesn’t come a lot because she works in the theatre and she works a lot more than I do, so, she doesn’t always make it.
Melaena: Okay. So, where do you work again? I’m sorry, I don’t think I got it.
Eva: I work for the University of Alberta, full time--
Melaena: Okay.
Eva: --and then I’m not working for any particular theatre right now, so…
Motivation
Melaena: Okay. And then, why did you get interested in karaoke? Was it because of those friends, or how did you start?
Eva: Ummm… it was mostly for the social aspect. So, you know, she had some friends that came with her, that I’d never met before, and they were really fun to hang around with, and it’s just kind of a fun atmosphere, so… it’s less about the singing, more about the hanging out with people once a week, thing.
Melaena: So is it different than just hanging out in a bar? Do you find that?
Eva: It’s a lot different. Cause, hanging out in a bar, you talk and stuff like that, but it’s not as interactive, whereas here you’re kind of egging each other on to pick a song and go onstage and sing it, and there’s a lot of encouragement. And then when you’re done singing, everyone tells you you did a great job, and they start talking about it, and they egg you on to pick out a next song.
Melaena: Okay.
Eva: It’s just a lot more active than, you know, talking about your day, kind of thing.
Melaena: Okay. Interesting. So, have you done any other types of music before?
Eva: Ummm… (pause)
Music background
Melaena: Like any kinds of lessons or any kinds of amateur bands, or professional, or anything… ?
Eva: Well, like I’ve been taking piano since I was five years old, so I’ve been taking piano for a long time. And then I was doing, you know, like elementary school choir, band, that kind of stuff.
Melaena: Okay. So you have quite a bit of music.
Performative Roles
Eva: Yeah. But I’m not really good at performing.
Melaena: (laughs) So why do you perform then?
Eva: Pretty much just because people egg me on. (laughs) You know, if you don’t go up one week, they call you chicken. (laughs)
Melaena: (laughs) So it’s peer pressure.
Eva: A little bit. (laughs) I mean, it’s fun peer pressure, because afterwards everybody’s very supportive and everything like that, but then afterwards there’s that sense that if you don’t go up that week, they’re like, “Why didn’t you go up?”
Melaena: So are you scared when you go up?
Eva: Umm… I’m more scared to go up when I pick a song that I’m not really sure about. So I try to pick songs that I know really well. But sometimes I pick songs that I don’t really know very well, and then I’m pretty nervous, I’m not sure I remember it or I can pull it off, type of thing. When I do go up I want to at least be half decent.
Melaena: So what if you sing and your song that isn’t very good?
Eva: Then I feel like an idiot. (laughs)
Melaena: What about the audience? What about that?
Eva: Well… I find the audience is probably actually more supportive of people who don’t sing very well.
Melaena: Yeah. So, what about, um…. Sorry (looking at question sheet)… would you prefer to perform if there was no audience, or is it better to have an audience? Like if you could be in a room by yourself, with a karaoke machine, or with maybe just one other person… Do you like having the audience there?
Eva: I think it’s more nerve-wracking for me with one person than a group of people, because they may or may not be listening to you, so that when it’s a large group, then it’s a little bit nerve-wracking. It’s actually easier at a bar because a lot of people are socializing, themselves, and they’re not [unintelligible] watching you.
Melaena: Except your friends, I guess.
Eva: (laughs) Except your friends.
Melaena: (laughs) But they’re always clapping, anyway. So, why do you keep coming back to karaoke?
Eva: It gets less nerve-wracking every time you do it, kind of thing. The more you do it, the less you really care about, you know, what everybody else thinks. You’re just doing it because it’s fun, kind of thing. Plus, it’s a good reason to get out of the house, and you’re actually doing something, [unintelligible].
Motivations
Melaena: So why is it so much fun? You’re up there with the microphone, what’s the good part?
Eva: The good part is kind of just doing something I wouldn’t normally do. I’m not very good at being in front of lots of people, especially strangers, so it’s kind of liberating to go up there and do something that I’m not really good at, and have people clap. (laughs)
Song Selection
Melaena: Excellent. Yeah, Harry was saying “Oh, I have a tin ear” but I mean, I thought he was good. So, how do you choose the songs you sing? How do you get them?
Eva: Um. I try to pick songs… I think I tend to pick songs that are older songs, that I’ve known for a long time, or I’ve heard a lot on the radio, or like on my MP3 player.
Melaena: Okay.
Eva: And generally I pick songs that I know the tune to, even if I don’t know the words, at least I know how the tune goes. So. It’s easy to follow along when you have words, it’s harder to follow along when you don’t know what tune comes next.
Motivations
Melaena: Yeah, that’s true. So when you go up there with the microphone, what is in your head? Like what would be your ideal scenario?
Eva: My ideal scenario would be, I guess, being brave enough to go up there, like some of my friends who just, they go up there, and even if they’re not very good, they dance around and they actually perform. I kind of get up there and I want to do that, but I kind of clam up and I just stare at the screen and clutch the mike. (laughs)
Melaena: So your ideal scenario would be to be less self-conscious?
Eva: Yeah, to be less self-conscious, and be able to actually, like, you know… Like, the thing about karaoke is you’re also performing, you’re getting up in front of people and showing off, so I kind of wish I could do the showing off part a little bit more. But I’m just not confident enough in my ability to do that, so.
Melaena: Do you think you will be? Do you think that will change?
Eva: Ohhh…. I don’t know. Maybe another year?
Melaena: Another year. Are these friends that have been doing it for a long time?
Eva: Um….I’m not really sure. I know one of my friends has been doing it since university, and it’s like a year and a half.
Tape counter is at 255
[Conversation with a new lady who enters the washroom. Melaena: “Hi, don’t mind us” Lady: “Is there toilet paper in this one?” Lady examines all the stalls, which are all broken. Melaena: “Yeah, I think that’s the best one” Lady: “Do the doors lock this time?” Melaena: “No” Eva: “No, just shove it really hard” Lady: “Well, I trust you guys” Melaena: “I can hold it shut for you” Lady: “Oh, thank you!” (laughter from all three)]
Motivations
Melaena: What was my last question… Oh yeah, I wanted to ask if there was anything about karaoke that you don’t like.
Eva: Umm….
Melaena: Is there anything that you find… like, if you could change, like the DJ, or, I don’t know, the audience, if you could change anything, what would you change?
Eva: If I could change anything, I think… I would just change, like sometimes it’s too loud, like, I mean… bars are kind of a weird atmosphere anyways to be doing something like this, to be socializing in, and it’s even harder there when it’s so loud over the music that you can’t socialize, so I think it’s a bit of a social atmosphere too. Cause in order to get people to go up there you have to support them, and be supportive, you have to be able to talk to them, and if you can’t hear them, it doesn’t really work very well.
Melaena: So you would tone the volume down, then.
Eva: Yeah, just a little.
Melaena: Is there anything else, that you don’t necessarily like?
Eva: No, I’ve been to a lot of places, and I find that some places are way too big, but this one’s kind of got a nice small atmosphere, the DJ’s really nice, and he’s not afraid to perform.
[Melaena talking to the girl who is washing her hands; Melaena relocates the tape recorder so that she can access the sink. Running water is heard in the background.]
Do Men or Women sing more?
Melaena: I’m curious now. I noticed here, and the other place I went to, there’s a lot more guys than girls that perform. Why do you think that is?
Tape counter is at 279
[Eva talking to the lady who is looking for paper towel for her hands: “It’s right here [behind me], sorry”]
Eva: Um, I’ve actually never noticed that there are more guys, just except tonight. Tonight there seems to be a plethora. But you know, I think, if I had to think about it, I would think that guys—okay, this comes from my psychology background—guys tend to like to show off a little bit. And it gives them a safe venue to do that in. They’re kind of like, the peacock strutting his feathers, kind of thing? They can do that, and they know that everyone is going to clap. Whenever they cheer for them, it kind of boosts their ego a little.
Motivations
Melaena: Okay. Okay. Umm… I think those were all my questions. That’s it. I just wanted to find out why people do it. Like you, I’m not a born performer, but I ended up in a performance stream for some reason, and I always hated it. So the idea of people singing voluntarily, “Hey, hey, look at me” [unintelligible]
I was curious to find out what people were thinking.
Eva: Karaoke wasn’t always my thing, but it’s fun, and it’s sort of a supportive atmosphere, because the worse you sing, the more you get claps. (laughs)
Melaena: (laughs) good point. Yeah, I saw that last week because I really sucked last week, and everyone at your table was like “wooo!” Oh my god, you guys are awesome!
Star Search Shows
Eva: Yeah, it’s probably the only time you wouldn’t get booed off the stage. Which is great for people. Because, I mean, look at, like, TV shows like Canadian Idol, American Idol, and all that sort stuff. People are dying to be big superstars, and they just get trashed for how hard they work. And, you know, people who aren’t very good, they put them on TV so people can laugh at them.
Melaena: Those are harsh, harsh shows.
Eva: I know. It’s like, not everybody wants to sing because they want to be a superstar. Sometimes it’s fun to sing in the car, kind of thing. This way you can sing in public and instead of being booed off the stage, people are going to actually enjoy it.
Melaena: Well, thank you very much. That’s great.
