By Setarreh Massihzadegan
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

You’d be hard pressed to find a toe that wasn’t tapping by the time Joan McGrath fi nishes singing Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” McGrath is the opening act, and from her ease with the microphone to her shiny red shirt and swaying hips, you wouldn’t know that until a few months ago, she had never even tried karaoke.

“I was the first one to sing and now they want me to do it every time,” says McGrath, who is no novice to the stage; she’s part of numerous community groups, including the Linden Ponds Singers and the Chapel Chorale. “You’re going to have to start paying me,” she adds with a smile.

Fast learners
Karaoke is a Japanese phenomenon that didn’t catch on in the U.S. until well into the 1980s, but the crowd at Linden Ponds is learning fast. The monthly karaoke night on campus draws as many as 100 people, who gather by the lounge fireplace outside the Acorn Pub to sing along.

“The value of karaoke is, it’s another way to make music,” says Lo Steele, who lives at Linden Ponds and worked with staff to get karaoke started there. “It’s a way for people to make music [without having to] commit to a long period of time to prepare for a performance,” she adds.

Joint effort
Karaoke night began thanks to the collaboration of staff and residents at Linden Ponds who had heard of the popularity of karaoke at their sister community, Brooksby Village.

“We wanted to liven up the pub . . . we wanted to institute it here,” says  Andrew Cossar, dining services manager at the Acorn Pub.

Restaurant Manager Barbara LeCorn and Service Manager Shirley Finch acquired 300 songs dating from the early 1900s to today, along with a brand-new karaoke system. Participants sing along to song lyrics, which roll across the flatscreen TV in the lounge.