Just Because I Can’t Sing Doesn’t Mean I Won’t Sing

Come up with a crazy business idea.

I know my Mom is a fan of mine, but I’m not entirely convinced she’s a fan of my big business ideas. Over the years I’ve had several monster ideas — the kind that feel wildly successful over coffee — yet somehow never make it past the table.

My mom just smiles, pauses, and says,

“But your intentions are wonderful, Karen Anne.”

Which loosely translates to: Please don’t quit your day job.

One big idea was born at karaoke during a friend’s birthday. After a few pitchers of sangria for the table, we all started signing up to sing. Now, I cannot sing. That has never once stopped me.

As the night went on, I noticed something unsettling: mixed in with the rest of us were actual professionals. I locked in on one guy who signed up for three songs. Three. He crushed every one. At one point he left the room and came back in a different shirt. I leaned over and whispered,

“Who is this guy — Diana Ross with the costume changes?”

I needed answers.

After his final number, I followed him and struck up a conversation. Turns out he studied voice at Juilliard. He’d hoped to get involved with the early days of American Idol but didn’t know how. Karaoke became his accidental foot in the door — local buzz, local bands, momentum building.

I wished him well and went home to nurse what was absolutely going to be a brutal hangover.

The next morning, walking the dog, I started laughing about the night before. Some of those people were really good. Like, shouldn’t-be-followed-by-me good. And yet there I was, forcing them to endure my heartfelt rendition of The Partridge Family’s “I Think I Love You.”

(Always dedicated to Ruben Kincaid. IYKYK.)

And that’s when inspiration struck.

What if there were a karaoke competition show? Real people. Real bars. Different regions each season, narrowed down to regional winners, all leading to a national finale. Contestants would sing their signature song with the original recording artist on stage.

Each singer gets a bio piece — their story, their bar, interviews with regulars who confidently declare, “We’ve been telling them they’re amazing for years.”

The show would be called Mic Drop.

I was still casting the host in my head. For a while it was Adam Sandler. But then he went and got too famous, so I had to quietly remove him from my fantasy lineup.

I’m still in development at my dining room table.

Maybe my mom is right. My ideas are big and grand, but this one never quite made it to the stage. Still, somewhere in a neighborhood bar, the next breakout star is warming up — probably changing shirts — and I like to think I heard them first.

🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

Copyright 2026 © mobileorderforkaren All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in critical reviews or scholarly work. This work is protected under domestic and international copyright laws. Unauthorized use or reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

Unknown's avatar

Author: KikiFikar

Kiki Fikar is a native New Yorker who is passionate about taking the day to day life we all experience and sharing it in her tales from Suburbia. She will often be found at the gym, writing snippets each day for future story lines, listening to her two children create their lives, and building the perfect beachfront home and writing retreat in her mind.

29 thoughts on “Just Because I Can’t Sing Doesn’t Mean I Won’t Sing”

  4. What a great idea! Love it! Partridge Fam, yes! Susan Dey 😍😂

    Really like the idea of getting the full spectrum of singers from undiscovered gems to those who induce coughing fits while consuming their adult beverage 😂 I remember Simon Cowell used to callously dismiss the latter with his contemptuous “Right, it’s really rather Karaoke, isn’t it…?” I say bring it on!

    Partridge Fam prompted a memory…Friday night lineup in the Glory Years:
    8:00-8:30: Brady Bunch
    8:30-9:00: Partridge Fam (MAD Magazine version: “The Putrid Family”) 😂
    9:00-9:30: Room 222 Karen Valentine 😍
    9:30-10:00: The Odd Couple
    10:00-11:00: Love, American Style

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Now see I knew we were in the same range here. That was the Friday night line up!! The Brady Bunch is making a major tear on Instagram pages lately. All Greg Brady Johnny Bravo stuff. I’m howling. Oh and if you need me to be on your team for Odd Couple trivia – please give me a call!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. that’s a great idea Karen. something i’ve concluded with ideas in general is that they never pan out when you attach too short or too long of a time on them. they just have to be left to develop organically – changing structures/priorities along the way, molding into something that they didn’t expect to but still within the parameters of their initial concepts.

    and i’ve also concluded that it’s all about surviving long enough for circumstances to align whatever market it is, if it’s the real-estate market, the labubu market (lol) or the robotics market. it just has to survive long enough to be at the right place at the right time.

    I think if you visit your old business ideas, you may find one whose time has come! Mike

    Liked by 2 people

  7. I agree Mike. I truly do. You are super spot on. My sister is an amazing CFO who has business chops like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s not easy for anyone these days.

    I think I’ll stick to writing…for now.

    Happy Sunday!

    Liked by 2 people

  14. You brought back a memory: I saved my allowance for two weeks and bought my sister the 45 of I Think I love You. There’s nothing quite like a seven-year-old with a new record of a heartthrob. If that old 45 had a B-side, I never knew it. One, twice, fifty times a day: I think I love you, but what am I so afraid of…

    Liked by 2 people

  15. I love this Michael. Love this so much! Thank you!

    Vinyl was life. We rarely knew B sides back then (except Disco 45s – I had them locked down). But I think I love you is my go to Karaoke. My second is….Crazy by Patsy Cline. Just remember I cannot sing a note but liquid courage helps!

    Liked by 3 people

  21. I definitely will. I actually did the poor man’s copyright version of this when I first thought of it. I wrote up a very rudimentary idea and business plan put it in an envelope and mailed it to myself. It still sits unopened in my files.

    I really would love to do it!

    Liked by 2 people

  22. I love karaoke. I think it should be part of any party. It’s so easy now, with the option in Apple Music to have the lyrics. I do it all the time when I’m sitting at my computer. Maybe one day, but we might need to win to lottery first.

    Liked by 2 people

  23. I’ll buy a ticket tomorrow! I truly believe in this concept. This particular type of shell has never been done before. After some of the things that I am watching on the gazillion streaming services, I think it’s something that we all could use!

    Liked by 2 people

Leave a comment