Dictionaraoke is the use of online dictionary pronunciation audio files in conjunction with an instrumental version (i.e., karaoke

Karaoke

is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...

 version) of a song, substituting the dictionary audio files for the song’s lyrics, thus simulating the “singing” of the song, karaoke style.

History

The Dictionaraoke Project was conceived of in 2001 by the Snuggles Collective, a diverse group of experimental musicians communicating through the Internet. Inspired by the recent addition of spoken word audio clips to the Merriam-Webster and Microsoft Encarta online dictionaries demonstrating the correct pronunciation of each word, these artists used the samples to create artificial vocals that "sang" karaoke.

James Brown

James Brown

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

's "I Feel Good

I Got You (I Feel Good)

"I Got You " is a hit song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1965, it was one of Brown's signature songs, and is arguably his most widely-known recording.-Description:...

" (reworked by Jim Allenspach) was the first song to be rendered in the dictionaraoke style. Many more tracks followed including some more advanced "vocal" multilayering on tracks like Britney Spears

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

' "Oops...I Did It Again" by M-Sli©k da ninjA. Many different styles were represented, featuring everything from the Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 and the Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

 to Carcass

Carcass (band)

Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....

 and Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...

.

Purpose

From the official Dictionaraoke press release:

The artists involved in the project have no intention of profiting from this however, and encourage anyone to copy their work freely. "We just find it intensely amusing. You just can't help but laugh hearing the singing dictionary perform your favorite songs, enunciating every word with perfect clarity", commented one participant.

Do-It-Yourself

The Dictionaraoke site includes a detailed How-To article, written by Allenspach.

The following document is a step-by-step instruction manual that details how I created my singing dictionary tracks on my very own home computer. Hopefully these instructions will point you in the right direction on how to create your own.

The full article can be found here.

External links

• http://dictionaraoke.org/
• Dictionaraoke on All Things Considered, May 13, 2002.
• Talking Dictionary story on NPR's Weekend Edition: Saturday, June 23, 2001 that inspired Dictionaraoke.
• Dictionaraoke on On The Media
  On the Media
  On the Media is an hour-long weekly radio program, hosted by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone, covering journalism, technology, and First Amendment issues. It is produced by WNYC in New York City...