Karaoke Therapy
Ever since the first karaoke bar appeared in Kobe, Japan, in the 1960s, salarymen have
understood the calming effects of singing (usually badly) along to a bouncing ball. Only recently,
however, have researchers begun to explore karaoke's therapeutic benefits
"Even the shy and socially inhibited, like many Chinese and Japanese, become less restrained
when singing karaoke,"says Dr Authur Dun-ping Mak. a psychiatrist at the Prince Of Wales
Hospital in Hong Kong. The hospital's psychiatric department has been using karaoke as
therapy since 1990, and Mak says the combination of images and singing helps people focus
on positi ve thoughts.
Mak has found that karaoke allows people to relax by vocalising their pent-up grievances
through the lyrics of popular songs. People can identihf with the characters and moods pictured
on the screen while projecting their own feelings through their performance."Karaoke tends to
bolster self image, decrease stage anxiety and encourage social interactions,"Mak says.
Reader's Digest (Asian edition) October, 2004. P. 132