I absolutely LOVE to sing. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Here's the thing, though, when I sing, my dog cries.
My voice should not be heard in public. So my only option is to drive to a nearby, secluded park; set the brake; crank
up Joni Mitchell; and sing to my heart's content.
But today as I sat there all by myself I thought, "Hmm... Wonder if I could create a helmet that would allow me
to sing at the top of my lungs without bothering my dog, my roommate, or my neighbors?"
Then I thought, Maybe, I could create a helmet that has a face mask that would display the song's lyrics. OH! And
wouldn't it be totally COOL to be able to change your voice--like adding echos or reducing the bass?
Some obvious problems:
- breathing--would need to develop a re-breather or a sound proof air filter.
- obstruction of vision/safety (a person could be assaulted or robbed because they're so caught up in their own
little world)--I think there could be a screen inside the device that would be attached to a camera, showing whatever's
going on behind their head. But truly, a person's vision should be no more obstructed with this helmet than
it would be if wearing a coat with a hood and a set of headphones--a very common occurance in cooler climates.
- weight of the device--With technology being what it is, this should not be a problem. I was listening to
a program on Nation Public Radio Radio yesterday during which an "expert" noted, "We can now create laptops that hold
as much information and perform the same functions as the room-sized computers of the 60's and 70's". Any "complex"
devices needed for the self-contained karaoke machine could be stored in a back-pack.
Someone in Silicon Valley needs to look in to this. I would be the first person to buy one. And I think other
people who usually listen to ipods would like to be able to sing their songs when they're walking down the street or riding
the bus.
Can you imagine entering a bus and seeing a dozen people sitting in the seats with helmets, heads bobbing, but completely
silent--oblivous to the screaming babies, the rants of mad men, the stop announcements mumbled into the microphone by the
bus driver... They'd be in their own little world... Wouldn't you want one of those?
I would!
The Self-Contained Karaoke System...
"My God... It's Full of Stars!"
